5 best programming languages for Web developers

USA: The Internet industry has revolutionized our lives. You can gain access to different services and products that you might require online. The Internet industry has itself changed in the past two decades. During its initial days, it was all about having a website and HTML (Hyper-Text Mark up Language) was the primary language used for building websites.

However, the Internet market has transformed from simple static web-based HTML sites to sophisticated dynamic websites developed on different platforms.

Static websites are used to represent pre-defined set of information such as a company profile. Dynamic websites interact with the user and show dynamic information depending upon the inputs of the user such as online railway reservation website.

The first question that comes in every developer's mind is to choose a programming language for the project. One must understand that every language has its limitations and the key is to choose a language depending upon your requirements. Some of these factors are:

* Server platform (such as Windows or Unix-based OS).
* Server software (IIS: Internet Information Services for Windows and Apache for Unix-based OS and other OS).
* Programming experience.
* Budget of the project.
* Choice of database (SQL server, MySQL).

Here are some of the most extensively used programming languages for web application development in the current Internet industry.

Java
The Sun Microsystems developed JAVA is one of the most popular programming languages on the internet. Java is an open-source language, which means it is available free-of-cost. It can be used for developing a stand-alone program as well as individual applets used in complex websites. It uses MVC (Model View Controller) model frameworks such as Spring and Struts. It benefits from both object-oriented paradigms and functional programming characteristics. It is suitable for financial sector development, enterprise applications, and small software business.

PHP
PHP is used to signify the PHP Hypertext Processor language and it is an interpreted script language. It is best suited for server-side programming that includes repetitive server-tasks performed during the development of your website. It is an open-source language and it is compatible with both Windows and Unix-based operating systems. It is a fast-prototyping language and it is best for developing web-based applications that require maximum functionality with minimum code. It is suited for advertising apps, media, agency, small software business, and startup business owners. Programming PHP By Rasmus Lerdorf, Kevin Tatroe, 2002 will help you learn the basics of PHP language.

Python
Python is a dynamic language, which means that the developer can write and run the code without needing a separate compiler for the purpose. It supports multiple programming paradigms such as object-oriented programming, structured programming, and even functional programming to a certain extent. It can be easily embedded into existing applications which require certain programming interface.

Python is extensively used as a scripting language (language supporting written programs for the special run time environment and offer automatic execution of code). It is an excellent language for scientific, academic and research level applications that require a quick-execution and accurate mathematical calculation.

Ruby
Ruby was developed in the year 1993 by Yukihiro Matsumoto as a programming language to offer a balance of functional programming along with imperative programming. It is a dynamic programming language and supports multiple programming paradigms such as functional, imperative, and object-oriented model. It is quite similar to Python and offers a programmer friendly interface for development. It is an object-oriented language and has somewhat similar syntax like that of Python and Perl. It is an excellent choice for creative designs and small business software.

.NET
.NET is a framework developed by Microsoft in 2000 and it is used as a framework for several software and web-based applications. It is mainly a Windows based framework. It supports the Common Language Infrastructure (open specification describing executable code and suitable runtime environment for the .NET framework) and uses different CLI languages such as C#, F#, J#, Visual Basic .NET along with numerous other languages. It is an excellent framework for enterprise solutions and applications developed for the financial sector. Microsoft online repository is the best place to learn this language.

It is important to understand that no language is perfect in itself and it is best to consider your requirements and choose a program accordingly. You should re-evaluate your programming requirements before choosing a language for your project.

Source: FromDev, by Sachin, USA.