Information technology changes people’s lives day by day. In the Internet-accessed world, the development of every web or application is very important. This allows people to connect, and interact with each other from everywhere at any time. There are more and more advanced technologies that help in building and developing software products. In this blog, Mobytelab will talk about the top 5 programming languages for web development in 2021.

1. Overview of web development languages

The term web development has been around since the 90s. Web development has become a crucial part of the information technology industry.

According to Wikipedia, web development is the process of developing a Web site for the Internet (World Wide Web) or an intranet (a private network). Languages for web development can be defined as “complex logical instructions and processes” that help build sites that meet particular requirements.

In web development, there are three main parts including server-side (back-end) coding, client-side (front-end) coding, and database technology. So web programming languages can be divided into two categories: back-end and front-end web development languages.

2. Top 5 programming languages for web development in 2021

2.1 Javascript

Image source: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-javascript-programming-language

Javascript is one of the most popular programming languages for web development in the world. JavaScript has flexible syntax, is beginner-friendly, and works across all major browsers. Javascript owns excellent frameworks and libraries including React.JS, Node.JS, Angular.JS, Vue.JS, etc.

Javascript is the only language that serves both client-side and server-side (Node.JS) for web applications. Node.JS is a JavaScript-based run-time environment, when used along with Javascript, makes a single programming language enough for server-side and client-side scripts. This is the main reason for Javascript's popularity. However, Javascript is almost used for designing user-friendly and interactive front-end applications. Besides that, it’s also used for building mobile applications (React Native).

Most developers use Javascript for almost all products such as web servers, games, smartwatch apps, and software. The top giant websites like Amazon, Facebook, YouTube, and Google utilize JavaScript for their front-end.

Significant features of JavaScript:

• Its forgiving and flexible syntax.
• It is one of the friendliest programming languages for beginners.
• With the help of Node.JS, it provides event-driven programming that is good for head I/O processes.
• It runs on almost every platform such as mobile devices and servers.

Pros of JavaScript:

• Fast and runs immediately in browsers.
• Allows creating better and enriched website interfaces.
• Highly versatile and provides data validation functionality.
• Uses a variety of add-ons like Greasemonkey to extend its functionality.
• Numerous available resources and gigantic community support.
• Helps develop a wide range of applications.
• Easily gets integrated and implemented with other languages.

Cons of JavaScript:

• It does not contain any alternate or equivalent method.
• It does not allow multiple inheritance.
• Its execution may get exploited for reasons like malicious intent.
• Different browsers may interpret the code differently.

Use cases of JavaScript:

• Web development.
• Mobile app development.
• Development of browser games.
• Serverless computing.

2.2 Python

Image source: https://www.designveloper.com/blog/web-development-languages/

Python is one of the most flexible programming languages. According to relevant research, 44% of investigated software engineers used Python; this figure took the second position just after JavaScript. Python is versatile, fast, and easy to use. Python has a lot of valuable tools, frameworks, and libraries such as Django, Flask, etc.

Python can serve for both front-end and back-end development. However, it is mostly used for backend languages because of its code readability and libraries/frameworks. One of the most outstanding features of Python is its dynamic typing capabilities, which permit the creation of extensive and complex websites.

Python programming language is serving web applications, applications based on GUI, Data Science, AI, Machine Learning, Scripting, Automation, and network servers. Several massive services are developed by using the Django framework written in this language. For instance, Spotify and Instagram.

Significant features of Python:

• It is an open-source language that is easy to learn, use, and even deploy.
• Python’s unique selling point (USP) is the design of its language which is simple, elegant, productive, and also powerful.
• It is the standard bar set for developer experience and has influenced a variety of programming languages such as Julia and Go.
• It has first-class integration with programming languages like C and C++.
• It can offload the heavy tasks of the CPU to C/C++ in a seamless manner.

Pros of Python:

• Supports several platforms and systems.
• Improves the productivity of development.
• Driven by object-oriented programming (OOP).
• Offers a wide range of support libraries.
• Easy to scale even complex web applications.
• Focuses on the readability of the code.

Cons of Python:

• Not ideal for mobile computing.
• Has a primitive database that is a little underdeveloped.

Use cases of Python:

• Web development.
• Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
• Serverless computing.
• Development of cloud-native.
• Business applications.
• System programming.

2.3 Java

Image source: https://fullstackfeed.com/the-arrival-of-java-14/

Java is the most widely used programming language in the world. Java is an open-source, versatile OOP language, a platform-independent multi-purpose language. Java has the most significant number of well-maintained libraries, frameworks, APIs, and IDEs.

Java is an ideal language for the back-end, especially when developing secure, platform-independent web applications. Java supports multithreading (handling multiple users/threads simultaneously), leading to faster response times for websites. Java can be scalable vertically and horizontally with minimal code changes and has compatibility on various platforms because of JVM (Java Virtual Machine).

Java is used for Android development, enterprise-scale complex web applications, and server-side coding. Some websites like Uber, Airbnb, Google, Netflix, Pinterest, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon, eBay, Ali Express, etc., have Java in their development stack.

Significant features of Java:

• Provides high productivity for developers and a moderate curve for learning.
• Because of its backward compatibility, Java is a good choice for business.
• The runtime of Java, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), is one of the best VMs in the IT industry.

Pros of Java:

• Offers a lot of open-source libraries.
• Provides automatic garbage collection and memory allocation.
• Allows a great deal of platform independence with the help of JVM.
• Extremely secure.
• Supports distributed computing and multithreading.
• Provides a myriad of APIs to accomplish various necessary tasks.

Cons of Java:

• The availability of templates is limited.
• Memory management is expensive.
• Java is slow when compared to other languages like C and C++.

Use Cases of Java:

• Web development.
• Big Data apps.
• Development of Android apps.
• Development of enterprise apps.

2.4 PHP

Image source: https://www.ryadel.com/en/php-programming-language-strengths-weaknesses/

PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP is a secure, fast, easy-to-use & learn, free, and open-source language. PHP has several modules, libraries, and frameworks like Laravel, and Symphony.

PHP is a dynamic scripting language used in the development of server-side applications. PHP is supported by many third-party extensions, for instance, Apache, .NET, and MySQL. This helps in connecting between websites and other services easily. PHP isn't limited to outputting HTML, so it allows exporting images, PDF files, text, and even animations easily and quickly.

PHP is mainly used to create simple, dynamic sites and fully functional web apps. Many huge websites such as Drupal, WordPress, Yahoo, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Tumblr are based on PHP.

Significant features of PHP:

• PHP is a highly productive programming language.
• Build and deploy web applications at a rapid pace.

Pros of PHP:

• Offers plenty of frameworks.
• Easy to use in developing web pages.
• Has the Xdebug extension that offers great debugging.
• Provides a massive ecosystem, and great community support.
• Supports several automation tools for applications’ testing and deploying.
• Supports functional and OOP paradigms.

Cons of PHP:

• Building a web page using only PHP can be slower when compared to other languages.
• It lacks security and error-handling features.

Use cases of PHP:

• Web development.
• Building (CMS) systems.
• Development of standalone web apps.
• Development of server-side web apps.

2.5 C#

Image source: https://www.avenga.com/magazine/future-csharp-programming-language/

C#, pronounced as C sharp, is another excellent programming language for web development. C# is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, and OOP language. Initially, C# is developed for the .NET framework by Microsoft. So it has limited frameworks, libraries, and types to support only the .NET.

C# is used to develop backend web in various platforms such as Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. It’s based on two languages, the C and C++ languages. However, it has strong typing and is independent on platforms because of CLR (Common Language Runtime – a virtual machine to run any .NET programs).

C# helps in developing web apps or web APIs, mobile apps, and video games on PC or Xbox via Unity. Many companies use C# in their tech stacks, including Microsoft, Stack Overflow, and Alibaba Travels.

Significant features of C#:

• C# has several frameworks and libraries since it has been in the IT field for over 20 years.
• C# is independent on platforms due to CLR.

Pros of C#:

• Capable of working with shared codebases.
• Safer compared to C and C++.
• Component and object-oriented language.
• Uses a syntax similar to C++ and other languages.
• Integrated with the .NET library.
• Faster compilation and execution process.

Cons of C#:

• Less flexible than C++.
• Difficult to learn.
• Need to have good knowledge and expertise to resolve errors.

Use cases of C#:

• Web development.
• Development of games.
• App development.
• Server-side programming.
• Windows platform software.

Conclusion

There are the top 5 programming languages for web development in 2021. Each programming language has its characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Depending on your project requirements and objectives, you need to choose the best language for development.

If you are interested in the Javascript language, you can reach out to the Mobytelab development team. Our team includes the top dedicated talents who are highly skilled in Javascript technologies, especially Node.JS and React.JS. You can review our services and team by checking this blog: Node.JS development services.