Developer Skills 2019: What Programming Languages & Frameworks Are Companies Looking for Most?

by Bennett Garner

In the world of software development, things are constantly changing. Because trends and new technologies move so quickly, developers have to always be learning. However, it can be difficult to stay on top of all the changes. For example, new frameworks for front-end, back-end, and cross-platform apps seem to appear every year. On one hand, many of these new technologies are merely fads. On the other hand, some turn out to be dominating new trends. In this post, we’ll keep you up to date with the top programming languages and frameworks in 2019.

Tracking Trends

One way to make sense of all the new trends is to pay attention to what languages and libraries companies are hiring for most often. In so doing, you’ll get a sense for new technologies that are actually getting used. Furthermore, you’ll be able to chart the growth of new technologies and begin to explore them as trends emerge.

Fortunately, there are many great surveys to track growing software trends. HackerRank recently released their Developer Skills Report for 2019. Additionally, the TIOBE Index tracks the most popular languages on a month-to-month basis. Also, GitHub’s State of the Octoverse tracks fast-growing languages and frameworks in open-source repositories. Accordingly, developers and engineers can use these resources to keep abreast of all the latest developments.

So, what is popular at the moment at the beginning of 2019?

Top Programming Languages in 2019

Over the course of 2018, JavaScript became the most-known language among developers HackerRank surveyed. Significantly, JavaScript surpassed Java for the first time. Undeniably, JavaScript has become an important language for nearly all developers as the web dominates more software tasks.

Another language that saw large growth in 2018 was Python. Overall, TIOBE lists Python as the third most popular programming language in the world. Due to the growth in big data, machine learning, and web microframeworks like Flask, Python is currently one of the fastest-growing languages in the world.

To illustrate Python’s current popularity, Python ranked #3 in languages developers want to learn. Newer languages like Go and Kotlin ranked higher on this question, and they’re worth following in the coming years as new trends emerge.

However, older languages like Java and C still remain important. In particular, large enterprise projects still rely on these languages and prize their security, scalability, and performance track records. If you’re a Java developer, there’s no need to switch camps yet. Nevertheless, developers for these older languages need to stay on top of the latest frameworks and libraries.

Top Web Frameworks in 2019

React and Angular continue to dominate the landscape for front-end web development. Presently, Angular is the most well-known framework. On the other hand, React is the framework most developers want to learn. In addition, React is also the framework most desired by hiring managers surveyed. Moreover, the gap between hiring desire for React and the number of developers who know React is the largest in the industry. As a result, learning React is an excellent career opportunity for web developers.

Spring also continues to be a popular web framework for back-end dependency injection and MVC. If you’re a Java developer, knowing Spring is still important. However, the number of managers looking for Spring developers has dropped over the past year. Other back-end frameworks like Django (Python) and Ruby on Rails continue to be popular. However, there isn’t a hiring gap between skilled devs and hiring needs for these frameworks as there are for the front-end frameworks.

Other Key Skills

In addition to languages and libraries, developers need to stay out in front of overall trends in software development methodology. Agile and scrum are dominant methodologies for how software teams approach projects. If you’re unfamiliar with agile, now is a great time to dive in.

Also, paradigms like test-driven development and kanban are increasingly popular. While these trends come and go over time, it pays to stay in the loop with how the top tech teams are working and building things together.

Always Keep Learning

Developers who get complacent in languages and frameworks they already know often find their skills become stale within a few years. In contrast, developers who are constantly learning find new solutions to problems. Moreover, they have more job opportunities and chances for career advancement.

Furthermore, it’s important that companies and executives stay on top of these trends. In particular, new technologies can reduce maintenance challenges while also allowing you to deliver better products to your clients.

So, how can you ensure your own or your team’s knowledge and skill set is continuously evolving? Training from Intertech ensures that you — and your company — stay on the leading edge. From .NET and Java to Scrum and Agile to web development, we offer everything you need to keep learning and developing your IT expertise. Our site, your site, or online: Intertech makes it easy for you and your team to learn whenever and wherever it works for you.

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Originally published at Intertech blog.