2020 Programming Trend Predictions

It’s very difficult to keep up with the pace of change in the normal world. This is even more evident in the online world where constant development and technical evolution is, even more, the norm. This pace of change has been good for companies and businesses around the world.

It has not only led to the creation of some of the largest and most valuable businesses the world has ever seen, but it has also provided you and me with access to information, tools, and technologies that previous generations could only dream about.

The coming decade will see continued changes in the world of web development and programming. Understanding what the top programming languages of the future might be is not easy though, in fact, in our research we were only able to come up with the top 6 frameworks that you must keep an eye on in the future. Companies are constantly searching for different things, but in this post, we’re going to examine some of these programming trends, so you know what to look out for.

JavaScript is Here to Stay

While sometimes considered the blacksheep of programming languages, JavaScript is by far the number one language of the web. Providing programmers, the capability of completely controlling how users react and interact with a website, it is easily the most popular tool for front-end development. 

JavaScript has been used by some of the biggest names in the business. Companies like Netflix, Facebook, and Google so JavaScript developers continue to be in high demand. In fact, with the launch of the React Native and jQuery frameworks, its popularity has only increased. JavaScript has several obvious benefits that continue to propel it forward – it is easy to learn and can be combined with other languages. In addition, it offers very high speeds as it runs through a client-side browser.

These benefits have been realized by programmers for years with 80% of companies requiring candidates to have a working understanding of JavaScript. Developers continue to enjoy JavaScript which is demonstrated by its place at the top of the ladder in the GitHub survey.

React Continues to Grow In Popularity

As we discussed in a previous post, React Native and Flutter are both seeing significant growth in popularity. While Flutter is a good alternative, at the current time React is well in the lead and will maintain that spot as the most liked JS library for front end developers.

A key reason for this popularity is React’s flexibility. Developers are not restricted to any specific library and can pick from any that are relevant. In addition, that flexibility extends to the templates also as React does not force you to use a standard template. Rather you can take advantage of JSX and XML-like language on top of JavaScript.

GraphQL Implementation Will Proceed to Enlarge

As the capabilities of our apps continue to grow and advance, our need for the latest and greatest data continues to grow also. One of the newer solutions that is quickly taking prominence based on Google Trend searches is GraphQL. 

While searches in 2014 for this solution were next to non-existent, this trend changed in early 2016 with a sharp upward surge. Over the past 3-4 years, this trend continues to show consistent growth.

GraphQL is the solution when it comes to gathering data. Unlike REST APIs which need to load up multiple URLs when gathering data, GraphQL pulls everything in at one time. 

This helps transform the way you use and work with data and gives you significantly greater capabilities than you’d otherwise expect. GraphQL is a suitable tool for any size team or organization regardless of language or environment. Its popularity continues to rise and it’s expected that GraphQL will be at the forefront in 2020 also.

Rust Is Spreading

Rust is one of the most cherished programming languages at close to 84% according to a 2019 StackOverflow survey and it’s easy to see why. 

With a codebase that is related to C++ and a dedicated Facebook community working to continue development, it is advancing in leaps and bounds. Created and developed by the Mozilla Foundation, Rust is designed to provide improved memory protection, while still providing a high level of efficiency.

WebAssembly Is Going Mainstream

WebAssembly (WASM) is a new type of code. Running on modern web browsers it primarily consists of documents created in HTML and CSS. As WASM is already in a binary format, no additional interpretation is required which helps ensure that it is supported by browsers without the need for additional plugins. This also means that WASM is fast and in fact executes faster than javascript modules. WASM and JS both sit in the JavaScript runtime sandbox which ensures that WASM is as secure as JS. 

Progressive Web Apps are Something to Look Out For

With the increased dominance of smartphones and mobile, cross-platform development tools are one of the hottest trends in programming. Frameworks like Flutter and React Native continue to grow in popularity and usage. Based on Google Trends reports, Progressive Web Apps have continued to show a global increase in popularity year over year. Looking at five years’ worth of data, it is easy to see that searches in 2015 were quite low but this changed radically in 2016 and the upwards trend has not slowed down since.

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) enable programmers to blend the best of the web and mobile together. This trend is only just starting to see traction though, but as organizations start to realize the benefits it is set to take off as one of the most wanted programming languages.

Aside from the improved ease of use these apps afford, by allowing developers to create in one language that can be used across multiple platforms, there is a significant cost saving that can be realized. Larger organizations might require some time to realize these benefits, but over time, the savings in time and money cannot be discounted.

Conclusion

Programming language trends continue to grow and evolve. Providing insight into a general trend is easy, but choosing only one language to focus on in 2020 is difficult. This choice very much depends on the individual. 

However, there are some ways to narrow down the choices. Focus on setting priorities and understanding the needs of the business. Each language takes you on a different road and it’s important to ensure that the paths lead in the same direction. Just as important as choosing the right partner. 

At NIX this is where we can help. We can help provide guidance and direction with our skilled pool of developers and programmers that have worked on some of the biggest web apps and mobile apps available. Contact us to find out more and let us help you in the next decade.