Programming Languages and Frameworks You Should Learn in 2016
The 2016 programming languages and frameworks trend appears to be driving frontend development more than backend development. Below is just a simplified list of what to take note of and consider improving your knowledge.
Languages and platforms
PHP 7 is the latest version of PHP. Big websites like Facebook, Google, and Apple use PHP. PHP 7 is also twice as fast as version 5.6 above; this will have a great improvement on CMS systems like WordPress and Drupal.
JavaScript also has a new update called ES2015 (previously ES5). Some awesome sites that use JavaScript are Lost Worlds Fairs and Cascade Brewery Co.
Python 3.5 was released in 2015 with some cool features like Asyncio. Almost all libraries are available for Python 3, so it might be a good time to update your legacy code base now.
Node.js has the largest ecosystem of open source libraries in the world. Node.js is always a good studio option, and with its long-term support version, it provides additional stability in the future. LinkedIn and Walmart use some aspects of Node.js on their websites.
Swift 2 launched earlier this year and is growing rapidly (it is the fastest growing programming language in history!). It is open source and has already been ported to Linux, which means that it is now possible to create backends and server-side software. It’s built by Apple (not the Granny Smith apple) and they have big plans for it, so it would be nice to take note of that as the popularity grows.
HTML5 is the last and certainly not the least. It’s the one you should keep in mind! YouTube switched from Flash to HTML5 this year and Adobe Animate exports now default to HTML5. It’s also one of the fastest growing job trends on Indeed.com, proving its popularity. HTML5 is probably one of the best long-term languages to study in the next 3 years. Some sites that use HTML5 are Ford, Peugeot, and Lacoste; they are really cool.
Frontend frames (CSS frames)
These comprehensive frameworks offer features like icons and other reusable components for navigation, form sets, stylish typography, buttons, pop-ups, alerts, and more.
Bootstrap has become very popular in 2015 and this popularity will only increase in 2016 as it is becoming a web development standard. Version 4 will be out soon and will integrate with SASS. It is quite easy to learn and it also comes with some interesting extensions and examples.
Foundation is an alternative to Bootstrap. In 2015 they released Version 6, which focuses on modularity so you can only include the parts you need for a faster load time and is also built with SASS.
Skeleton is a sexy model (there is no other word to explain it) for responsive and mobile friendly development. Skeleton is a small collection of CSS files that help you quickly and beautifully develop sites that look amazing on all screen sizes.
Backend Frameworks
The backend frameworks or application layers are the “brain” of the website. It’s how the website works and the logic behind it. You are developing the ‘brain’ while in Frontend, you are creating the ‘face’.
Depending on the language you prefer, there are many options. Below is a list of some languages with some of their frameworks:
PHP: Symfony, Zend, Laravel, Slim, Codeigniter and CakePHP
Node.js: Express, Hapi, Sails.js and Total.js
JavaScript: Angular.js, Vue.js, Polymer, React and Ember.js
Ruby: Rails and Sinatra
Java: Play, Spring and Spark
Python: Django and Flask
Frames can be very useful, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be useful to you. Ultimately, it is up to the developer whether or not to use a framework. This will depend on several factors depending on what you want to achieve. Go through each frame and see if it lines up with what you want to achieve before you start using it.
CMS (content management systems)
This article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning 2 popular CMS like WordPress and Drupal. Both are written in PHP and with the new version of PHP 7, it is even faster.
WordPress has evolved from a dry blogging CMS to a full CMS / Framework with plugins that make almost everything possible. Thousands of developers make their living as WordPress developers by creating premium themes or plugins. You can also use WordPress as a REST API backend.
Drupal 8 was released in 2015. It uses Symfony 2, Composer packages, and the Twig template engine. Some websites that run on Drupal are: Johnson & Johnson, BBC Store, and World Economic Forum. Drupal is ideal for content-heavy websites.
If you are in doubt about where to spend time studying in 2016, we’ve put together a list of 5 frames that we think you should spend your time on:
- Ear
- Angular.js
- Ruby on Rails
- HTML5
- Laravel
As a sixth recommendation, we recommend that you add Git to your list of what to learn in 2016. It is growing like crazy and it is only going to grow in popularity. Companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and LinkedIn use Git.
This is just a short summary of the programming languages and frameworks that we think you should learn in 2016. Of course, there are hundreds of other languages and frameworks, but I hope this is of value to you.