Programming languages have continued to evolve over the years. They support the most challenging problems including setting up basic data structures to implementing elaborate algorithms.
From early languages like Fortran and Lisp to more modern ones such as Python and JavaScript times have changed. A new variety of languages are available for the contemporary programmer.
Progress continues at a pace, so you need to adapt to newer technologies to stay relevant. If you’re still stuck using any of the following programming languages, consider learning a new one that will open up better programming opportunities.
Fortran is one of the oldest programming languages, with its origin tracing back to 1954. Over the years, programmers have used it extensively in scientific computations, fluid dynamics, and weather predictions.
From its inception, there was a need to create a stable, high-performing programming language. Fortran algorithms helped solve many scientific problems and other complex tasks. This trend has rapidly changed with the emergence of Python and Julia. But what does this mean for the first programming prototype, Fortran?
While Fortran is making a comeback, its future progress is still uncertain, as there are plenty of strong contenders in the market to challenge its position.
Pascal, as a language, was developed for teaching programming structures specifically. Hailing from ALGOL 60, the programming language helped create error checkers. The language gave birth to Object Pascal, another object-oriented language. Despite its offshoot, Pascal and even Object Pascal haven’t been able to create any ripples in the programming world.
Another drawback that has led to the language’s untimely death is its conservative structure and limited capabilities and features. The lack of features restricts the actual effect of a programming language required to remain strong in the current era.
Over time, its various spinoffs led to the creation of Delphi, thereby loosening Pascal’s hold in the technological space. If you haven’t started learning Delphi already, it’s time to do so, as it is paving the way to usher in the next generation of programming nuances with its super-affluent features.
Typically, a language gets replaced as soon as a newer, better version comes along. This may be the case with Objective-C, a language developed in the 1980s. It’s been in existence for 36 years and was one of the primary languages used by Apple to create its iOS-driven products. The language, on the whole, incorporates SmallTalk-derived syntax.
Even though Objective-C looked like it could make it as one of the top influential programming languages, it’s failed to retain its foothold in the development market. The imminent reasons for the eventual decline of this language will be the lack of security and a legacy structure involved within this language’s parameters.
In short, Apple is moving towards Swift 14 to develop its suite of products, which will make Objective-C redundant in the next few years. However, iOS programmers are still using the language, showcasing the language’s accessibility. But the main question is, between Objective-C and Swift, which language is ideal for your project? It’s an important question for Apple programmers, so take care to make a well-informed decision.
CoffeeScript became a hit in a short span of time. Since it compiles JavaScript, it provides excellent readability and functionality to JavaScript. Another set of unique traits includes assignment destruction and comprehension. Additionally, it adds syntactic sugar influenced by Haskell, Ruby, and Python, which adds a layer of brevity to the entire layout and structure.
Between 2013 and 2018, the programming language declined, mainly because of its compilation process and propensity to change. After 2018, the scripting language is no longer ruling the hearts of programmers. As a programmer, if you have the option to upskill and forget about CoffeeScript, it’s definitely time to do so.
SmallTalk language wasn’t the first programming language, but it was the first object-oriented programming, which gave the world a unique twist to this concept. Despite its USPs, SmallTalk could not continue its fight in the programming market ahead of its time.
The SmallTalk language offers no data types, not even basic ones like integers, characters, and booleans. Instead, it treats all types as objects. Given its computational prowess, it has inspired a variety of web applications, AI-driven applications, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other applications.
Despite its benefits, its inherent inability to cooperate with other languages, and poor execution performance have made the language more or less extinct.
Perl has enjoyed a good run in web development and network programming. Despite its multi-faceted usage dynamics, it continues to decline rapidly.
Its primary cause of decline includes its CPU-hungry nature, extensive memory requirements, and inability to support portability. However, the language’s usage hasn’t completely declined. It’s still seeing success in the web development and text processing fields.
Nonetheless, the emergence of other more vital, user-friendly web development languages like Python has given Perl a run for its money. It won’t be a surprise if the language eventually loses its charm in the next few years.
Like some of the older, legacy-based programming languages, even Haskell is old-school and is one of the oldest general-purpose, statically typed languages. It combines Clean, HOPE, Miranda, and a few other languages.
Haskell is ideal for designing and working with symbolic computations, and it’s well-suited for research and industrial computational applications. Some notable features include concise code, robust language ethics, and high reliability. These make it an exciting programming language that has turned heads in recent years.
Despite its enticing features, it has been losing its utility over time. While the last stable release was nine years ago, its static-typing and hard-to-master learning curve haven’t helped it retain its position in the world’s top list of programming languages.
The above languages are either dead, dying, or likely to fade away in coming years. You need to be proactive and on top of your game to improve your standing in the programming world and stay abreast of technological changes. Plenty of programming languages can help you rake in a decent pay packet, especially in cloud programming.
Depending on your area of expertise, you can choose a few languages, especially when working in the AWS cloud.
