If you’re thinking about starting a web development business, then you may want to learn more about the different web development languages. You should be wondering, “what web development language should I learn?” In this article, we’ll outline some of the best web development languages for beginners. We’ll also give you an overview of each language and discuss some of its key features. So if you’re wondering what language to choose, keep reading!
So you desire to be a web developer here in the country of the United States? Now is a better time than ever to learn web languages. The salaries in the web development industry are high and the job offers in the field are rising through the roof. Each year there is a new best language for web development, others become popular and some start seeing less use.
Taking this into account, what is the best language for web development? What web languages should you learn in the United States? If you are just starting, there are a lot of options to choose from, and that makes it harder to decide what is the most useful coding language to learn. But don’t worry, we’ll help you out by showcasing the best web coding languages you can use to build websites.
Programming languages for web development are constantly evolving : while a programming language dies, another programming language rises to popularity. If you learn the best programming languages for web development you can get rich quite easily and quickly. You can also opt out for web coding languages that are already proven to be good to build websites.
But thinking about all these web dev languages may seem like too much at first. Which is the most useful coding language to learn? Which one may make you get rich faster? Is “hard to learn” always equal to “best web dev languages”? Which ones are better for social media? This guide will tell you everything you need to know about programming languages.
Let’s begin!
What is the best kind of programming language to learn?
Each programming language is different, each one has its own syntaxis, but what can change everything is how that particular language executes and compiles lines and lines of code web developers feed it.
Lots of web developers have a preference when it comes to what kind of programming language they are going to use. There are also easier ways to migrate between similar kinds of programming languages. This is why knowing what web dev language to learn first is crucial. You also have to know that having in mind social media and digital marketing while choosing a programming language.
Which are the different kinds of programming languages? Is there a difference between coding and programming languages? Let’s take a look.
- Programming languages can be applied to basically anything, but are more commonly used in software development. This is because can be used in different platforms and are usually compiled instead of interpreted literally. The majority of programming languages are made with software development in mind, the kind of software you can download and install on your computer. They can also be used on software focused on digital marketing and social media.
- Scripting languages are the exact opposite. They can be interpreted literally, which means its code will be executed as it reads instead of passing through a compilation process inside a software. The languages you can use to create web sites are usually scripting languages.
- Mark-in languages are not your usual kind of programming languages, but can be used to create web sites. They are composed of labels that can actually be read by a human being and are used to give format to any document.
- Web development languages are specialized in creating web sites. Web development languages are divided into two kinds: front end languages and back end languages.
- Front end languages (client side) are those that modify a website while it already is showing in the user’s browser. For example. if a user makes a click in certain part of the the website and it is instructed to show an animation, it would be the result of front end programming in a language like css programing language, HTML5 and the best programming language for web development: JavaScript. But in most case scenarios front end developers should know how to code in all three of them.
- Back end languages (server side) are used to modify a website or create a website from the core of the server or app it is installed in. Examples of back end programming are data handling and or changing things on databases. Backend development languages are pretty useful for setting the ground for what the website is gonna be. There is not really a best backend language as there are many useful ones, backend development languages vary and it’s best that you decide for yourself what the best backend language is.
Something to take into consideration is that people often refer to programming languages as any coding language, disregarding its use or its range of functional programming. Coding languages are specialized programming languages, but not all programming languages are necessarily coding languages.
Not all the programming languages that we are going to showcase next are programming languages in the strict sense of the term, but all of them can be used to code, create websites, mobile apps, web applications and are heavily tied with functional programming.
It’s time to learn.
HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS are not exactly programming languages, but HTML5 and CSS3 are the ideal starting point if you want to be a front end web developer. This duo of open source web development languages helps create the construction blocks for every web application, mobile app and website. HTML structures a website content and CSS styles and modifies said structure.
Any web developer should know HTML and CSS, especially if you are young and starting out. HTML is a mark-in language that is really easy to learn, but CSS is more of a challenge to get it going. Anyway, both programming languages are open source and great for creating mobile apps.
- Platform: front end web development.
- Difficulty: HTML is really easy to learn. CSS is a little bit harder but still is pretty accessible even if you are a beginner web developer.
- Popularity: Both languages are ranked top #12 in web development programming languages.
- Medium Salary: $64 k per year according to PayScale.
- Advantages: It’s one of the requirements to become a front – end web developer. Both languages are really easy to learn, even for people who have absolutely no experience in programming languages or web development. Its worldwide popularity makes it easy to find online resources that will help you a lot to get started and also to resolve issues in the future. Another advantage of working with HTML and CSS is that it can run on any kind of device.
- Disadvantages: Learning this web dev languages won’t give you a lot of vantages while doing a job search, most rookie web developers know how to code in them, si it is a given a potential employer will see it as something you absolutely must have rather than something that will make you rise from the thousands of other applications they get. So if you get rich with web development and computer programming it will be because of other skills you have, not because you know HTML and PHP.
JavaScript
Even though HTML and CSS are essential for front end web developers, JavaScript is gaining more and more popularity in computer programming and especially in web applications. While HTML gives structure to front end development and CSS gives them a great sense of style, JavaScript gives the opportunity to create website functionalities that are going to be reflected on the client side of the web page, something really advanced in terms of web development languages.
In contrast with HTML and CSS programming languages, Java Script is a real programming language and coding language. This means you get a lot more with it, but something to take into account is that it’s also a little bit difficult to learn. But if you want to develop something more than a boring webpage, knowing JavaScript is a must.
PHP
PHP is the chosen language for any project on a massive scale. Even WordPress uses php web development. PHP in itself has divided the web development community because it is old and slow, even some web developers say it is a programming language that is not worth learning.
Anyhow, PHP has come back to the public eye since the launch of PHP 5.x with a plethora of upgrades in velocity and structure- According to W3Techs, 79% of participant websites use PHP as its main programming language.
One thing is for sure: PHP web development is a great way of coding applications on the server side and, in comparison with other programming languages, it’s easy to learn. Its popularity among new web developers and the massive amount of open source projects like WordPress means there are lots of resources that will help you learn the language.
There are dozens of popular PHP frameworks like Laravel, one of the best web development frameworks, which will make your coding work even easier. With the launch of PHP 8.0, PHP is trying to stop being only a back end programming language and become a language that can be used universally, in every platform in existence.
SQL
A lot of web developers say SQL isn’t technically a programming language. This is because it can’t be used in the same fashion as a multipurpose language like C++or JavaScript. But it doesn’t matter how you use it or don’t, it is a fundamental web development tool, better than most.
SQL’s main purpose is interacting with a website’s database. Some of the best web development frameworks work with SQL like MySQL, Maria DB, SQLite and PostgreSQL
C++
The C Programming language is still used nowadays, but the majority of modern web developers have migrated C++. This programming language has a general purpose and is well known for its versatility, with it you can make web apps, mobile apps, desktop apps and really any apps you can imagine.
Informatic software, cell phone applications, video games, operating systems, the whole set of popular browsers, even web developing, whatever it is the thing that keeps you up at night waiting to get done, you can do it with C++. And you will be able to do it fast and easy. There is no reason you shouldn’t make learning C++ your top priority, you can even start to learn it now!
Now you have a decent outlook on the web development languages out there and can make a better informed decision about which one to learn first when you ask yourself “What web development language should I learn?”. Good luck!
