Top 5 Programming Languages to Learn in 2023
There are a plethora of programming languages to choose from, so I picked my top 5 to learn as of 2023. If you're new to programming, don't worry too much about which language you pick to learn first, as it doesn't matter as much as it may seem. And, once you learn one, it's a lot easier to learn a new one. With all of that out of the way, here's my list.
C
C# is a language developed by Microsoft, one of the biggest companies in the world. Although I'm not a big fan of Microsoft and its products, I still like the language they've created. C# is basically just Java, but better. C# is most commonly used to develop desktop applications, usually for Windows but there is cross-platform functionality in the .Net framework. It is also the primary programming language used in the Unity game engine, so if you want to get into game development, C# is definitely a good language to learn. Using Xamarin, you can also develop cross-platform mobile applications using C#, though, I wouldn't say it is the best choice for that.
Rust
Rust is developed by Mozilla, the same company which made Firefox. Rust is a rather new programming language, but it has still made a name for itself in a short period of time. It's the most loved programming language according to Stack Overflow. It's a lower-level programming language, similar to something like C, but is made to be more secure with the way it handles memory access. It is mostly used for things like CLI tools and systems programming. It can also be used on the web using WebAssembly. Fun fact, it is also now used in the Linux kernel.
C++
C++ is an older programming language, developed by Bjarne Stroustrup. It is meant to be an improvement onto C, with OOP functionality. It is commonly used to develop desktop applications, such as the Adobe suite, and some web browsers. C++ is a very valuable language to learn, and it will likely continue to be valuable in the future.
Python
Python was developed by Guido van Rossum, it is a high-level interpreted programming language. The syntax is very simple and easy to read, making it a great choice for quick mockups and programs which can be a bit slower. It is commonly used for scripting, data science, as well as backend web development. In my opinion, Python is going to continue to be very important for machine learning going into the future, making it a very valuable language to learn if you are interested in that.
JavaScript
JavaScript was designed by Brendan Eich and other developers at Netscape. JavaScript has been and will continue to be the most valuable language to learn because of the web. JavaScript is really the only language compatible with front end web development, and it can be used on the back end as well, and it commonly is. It also is very popular with mobile development, with frameworks like React Native allowing for the usage of JavaScript to make cross-platform apps. It can also be used to develop desktop applications using the Electron framework. An example of this is Visual Studio Code, which was developed using Electron. For these reasons, I consider JavaScript to be the most valuable language to learn as of 2023.