The stupidity about the "best" Programming language

A common fallacy worth discussing

So, I'm quite certain that you, dear reader, have read an article about the best Programming Languages. And the article looks recommendations look something like this.

  1. JavaScript! Because it's really popular, no for reals, 60% of developers use it! Plus, there is no install. Boom, easy.
  2. Python. Not as popular as JavaScript, but it's still pretty good. There is an installer, but at least it's a 1 click install.
  3. Java? Really not that popular now adays, but still is okay. The installer is like, 6 steps, so that sucks, but it's still good.

Why the argument sucks

Now, given that the core of the argument is: Best language = Popularity - Barrier to entry. Let's discuss why it's a dangerously stupid and fundamentally flawed argument. First off, It's not specific enough, there is zero context. It's horrid argument. Just because many people do something, does not make that something good! In addition, barrier to entry depends heavily on context. The newbie needs a path forward that does have high friction yes, but do not conflate that with popularity.

Let's try and come up with a valid argument here, it's a difficult problem, and we won't get to a final answer today, but let's give it a go.

Let's be more specific

First off, there are a few common use cases for why someone would be asking this question.

  1. What is a good language to know, to get a job. (IE, the college student)
  2. What language to learn to have a great career (IE, I want respect and quality)
  3. What language should I use for my next project

Language requirement to get a job

This one is quite easy, go for Ruby, C++, or PHP. Why is that? Those languages are on the decline, that means many companies are struggling to find talent, and thus it will be easier to get a job. If you're looking for easy route, that's it. Do something others don't want to do, if you think JavaScript is a good choice for your first job, you're in for an unpleasant surprise. There are something like 200,000 open web development jobs, and nearly twice that number of applicants who are seeking work, but unable to find a job. They range from self taught boot camps to bonefied college degrees. But most companies REALLY want that 4 years of experience. So those 300,000+ entry level positions sit unfulfilled. The point is, that line is really long! Join a shorter one. That doesn't mean you have to do PHP forever, but getting a job with 2 years of experience under your belt in any legitimate software professional is leaps and bounds easier than getting a job with zero professional experience.

Best language for your career

How about F#, Clojure or Elm? These are all quality products, relatively speaking of course. Developers using these languages are paid extremely well. I've personally worked with all three of these languages, and I can attest to the quality of these tools. It still depends on the developer of course, but having a quality tool helps by a great deal. They also paid very well accordingly. These aren't easy jobs to get, but it's a career goal worth pursuing.

Best language for my next project

This one is the most difficult question by far, it heavily depends on the use case. It depends on the culture of the company, and the existing codebase. It depends on the quality of the engineers you have available, and the demands of the product.

If the product to be delivered is in the landscape of device drivers, machine level integrations and kernel code. Contrary to public opinion, C++ is a very reasonable recommendation. Another recommendation here would be Rust.

If your building a web API, and a SPA, well, although it's technically possible to build an API in C++, and it's technically possible to transpile C++ into web assembly, that's a pretty... Suspect, approach.

I also, would not recommend using Ruby, Coffeescript, Objective C, visual basic, PHP or C++ for greenfield applications. As they are on the decline, primary on their poor reputations. You would be just setting yourself up for failure when you need to maintain the project in the coming years.

So, what language to use? Do your own damn research. And if your final decision is on the basis of popularity. I challenge you to become better at decision making and critical thinking.

That's all, Stay safe out there folks.