When we hear about programming, we already know that we are talking about the set of activities and techniques that allow you to write code, which is interpreted by a machine to perform certain actions. Each programming language is in all respects an artificial language created to communicate instructions to a computer. The programming languages are really numerous, mentioning them all is practically impossible (considering that new ones are born almost every day): for convenience in this guide we will only talk about the programming languages most used for creating apps (for mobile devices and for some apps on Windows 10) and the most used languages to create Web pages .
The goal of this article is to provide general indications and resources for those who want to understand which language to learn for the future, so as to find a safe professional outlet.
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Main programming languages for apps
The languages dedicated to creating apps for smartphones and tablets are not few, but some languages are definitely more used than others. Here below we can find the most requested or most popular ones within companies or on dedicated job advertisements:
- Java / XML : Java is the best known programming language ever. It is an object-oriented language, highly flexible and widely used both for creating PC programs and for creating apps for Android (where it predominates). To create the latter, it is necessary to integrate the Java language with XML, a "markup" language that allows you to label and organize the data necessary for running the apps, in a readable way for both Java and humans. If we want to learn this language, we recommend that you purchase the following book on Amazon -> Java. The complete guide (56 €).
- Swift / Objective-C : Swift is the reference programming language for creating apps dedicated to Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac). It is an object-oriented language inspired by Objective-C, a much older programming language (dating back to 1983), used until recently to write programs and apps dedicated to Apple's operating systems. Also in this case we can deepen this language by reading the following book -> Ios Programming (58 €).
- C # / Visual Basic : both are programming languages developed by Microsoft and used for the majority of programs dedicated to Windows. Applications called "universal" (or Universal App) that can run on modern Windows operating systems (Windows 10 for computers, Windows 10 for Xbox One and Windows 10 for smartphones) are made almost entirely in C #.
If we are looking for a simpler method to create apps for Android, we recommend you read our guide on how to create Android applications for sites and blogs (free and easy) .
Main programming languages for websites
For the creation of websites and web portals things get slightly more complicated: to create a site that is also simple but well structured it is often necessary to combine several languages together, each of which designed for a different "function". In the list below we can find the essential languages for every website creator:
- HTML : it is the fundamental language on which the creation of websites is based. It is a language "derived" from XML, which is used to define the elements of a Web (text areas, images, buttons, paragraphs, chapters, forms and so on). HTML is an interpreted language, which must not be compiled and sent in execution, but which is understood as shown by the programs compatible with it (such as browsers, for example).
- CSS : it is the language that goes hand in hand with HTML and allows you to define the style of a Web page (color, format and arrangement of the text, image size, paragraph structure and other elements etc.). It is not a programmed but interpreted language, the code of which can be defined both within HTML sheets and in empty text files (imported later). If we want to deepen HTML and CSS, we recommend you read the following book on Amazon -> HTML and CSS. Design and build websites (€ 33).
- PHP : another language widely used on the Web, PHP is a "action" oriented scripting language, which allows you to create real "programs" within Web pages and to alter their content based on the input of the user (which happens, for example, in the personal pages of the platforms accessed by username and password). PHP is a server-side language, which acts on the web server and not on the browser. To learn more about this language, we recommend reading the following book -> Php & Mysql: Server-side Web Development (€ 42).
- JavaScript : although it works in a profoundly different way, JavaScript is also a language aimed at influencing the behavior of a Web page based on user input and what happens in the meantime: for example, through JavaScript, dynamic advertising banners are created . JavaScript is a client-side language that acts directly within the browser. Although the name is reminiscent of Java, they don't actually share much. To become good at this language immediately, we recommend reading the following book -> JavaScript & JQuery. Develop interactive web interfaces (€ 33).
Other programming languages
In addition to those mentioned in the previous chapters, we recommend that you also learn the following programming or management languages:
- MySQL is another fundamental component included in the installations of the standard webserver, those that are bought when we open a new site. MySQL is not really a programming language but a free and open source database management system. MySQL is actually a command line language to manage and extract data or even to create automatisms. There are some GUI tools like PHPMyAdmin to manage databases more easily. The MySQL database feeds WordPress blogs so that all articles can be stored in an orderly manner in the database.
- Python is an object-oriented programming language, easy to use and great for learning. Python is open source and is also used by Google, Yahoo and, above all, by Youtube precisely because it is simple to read and modify to make updates and maintenance. For a Java or C programmer, learning Python should be easy.
- ASP.net is the programming language for websites placed on servers based on Microsoft resources. Asp.net is used to create dynamic and interactive content and is mainly used in corporate environments where Windows servers are used, therefore, learning it could bring different job opportunities. Usually ASP content is written using VBScript (Visual basic script).
- Perl is a programming language widely used in the past for websites, while it is now less used in favor of PHP. Perl is also used for CGI webserver technology.
- Ruby is a language used by famous sites such as Groupon, Shopify and Twitter. It is a fast and less repetitive language, which is interpreted by the server and then sent as a complete HTML page to the browser (as is the case for PHP).
Unfortunately, most hosting services don't support Ruby so you should know how to set up your own webserver.
Conclusions
Knowing all languages is the goal of every good programmer, given that these days more and more preparation and skills are required by those who program by profession or for those who develop projects related to apps or websites.In this regard, we recommend that you also read our guides on the best sites with HTML and CSS guides, tutorials, code examples and online editors and a basic guide with the basic HTML tags to know .
On Javascript, we can read the resources indicated in the article on HTML, CSS and Javascript synthesis schemes .
