There are a number of reasons a developer may choose to learn a new tool, technology stack or programming language, be it pure curiosity, wanting to add to their skill set or interest in popular languages and tools they have read about online.
Packt’s latest SkillUp 2017 Survey, which is based on 4,731 respondents from 43 countries, has revealed the top tools and languages developers are currently using, and more importantly the new tools and technologies they want to learn this year.
In it, it’s been revealed that a developer’s number one reason for learning a new tool, technology or language is because of a particular problem that needs fixing which they don’t know how to, or knowledge of the right tool or technology to do so.
We’ve taken a further look at the results from the survey, listing some of them, including the 5 top developer tools and languages that have made the popularity list below.
Top 5 developer tools and languages;
Python
Python sits comfortably at the top spot of popular technologies used and remains consistently popular across job roles. The key to its success lies in its accessibility and flexibility and the fact that you don’t need to be an expert in programming to learn it, but, you do need to be keen on problem-solving.
Git
Git’s popularity lies in its branching capabilities, as unlike other centralised version control systems, Git branches are cheap and easy to merge. The feature branch workflow is popular with many Git users as it provides an isolated environment for every change to your codebase.
Visual Studio
This year Microsoft released a simpler and nimbler integrated development environment in the form of Visual Studio 2017. It has proved to be a popular tool, working faster and supporting more programming languages and platforms out there.
Eclipse
Eclipse is a Java-based tool that allows developers to create a customised development environment from plug-in components. As an open source platform, Eclipse allows IT departments to mix and match development tools rather than committing to a single suite of development products. Written in Java it also supports plug-ins that let software professionals develop and test code in other languages.
Java
Java is a popular programming language for developing enterprise applications. This is because java applications that are compiled into bytecode can run on any Java virtual machine regardless of the computer architecture, making it a piece of cake in enterprise environments. Java’s other key attribute is its ability to run on everything from laptops and data centre servers to game consoles, IoT devices and super computers.
Perhaps you’re looking to learn a new tool or language that you’ve heard about for a while or only recently discovered, or maybe you and have a problem that needs fixing and need to get up to speed with the right tool or technology for the job. It can be difficult to decide on which to add to your arsenal next.
While you weigh up options best for you, we run through the 5 top developer tools and languages that according to Packt’s SKillUp survey, tech professionals are looking to learn this year;
Docker
According to the survey results, Docker is having a big impact on the tech landscape as the tool holds a significant position when it comes to being used and learned across a number of job positions. This is due to its easy deployment of any application as a lightweight, portable and self-sufficient open source tool that can virtually run anywhere. Docker is also a great tool to learn if you are looking to eliminate environment inconsistencies, this is because Docker containers are responsible for the actual running of the applications and include the operating system, user-files and metadata.
Python
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Python tops the bill for most top programming language being used currently. In a modern world where automation and speed are becoming essential to tech professionals and their organisations, Python with its powerful scripting is a very valuable language to learn this year.
Angular JS
This JavaScript framework is used for rich, single page applications that helps to easily implement MVC design pattern, which is a great help no matter what stage of your developer journey you are on. AngularJS can also be very useful for developing applications where the user has multiple interactions on a single page view and makes it easier for developers to create interactive dashboards and apps with great interactive features.
Visual Studio
Visual Studio is another one that tops the list of current popular tools and a top technology to learn this year. As an integrated development environment (IDE) Visual Studio can also offer developers debugging support, intelligence, refactoring tools and more. It’s also a great tool for developers to have in their arsenal as it gives you more tools to help you through mundane tasks and increases productivity.
Jenkins
As an open source continuous integration tool written in Java, Jenkins is great for testing and reporting on isolated changes on big code bases in real time. It’s a great tool to know as it can help you solve defects in a code base rapidly and to automate testing of your build.
They say, no developer is an island, and in order to help you succeed in learning these 5 top developer tools and languages you can easily reach out to tech professionals who are willing to share their experience and knowledge.
The tech community has a vast group of developers and tech professionals that are passionate about their tool and technology stack and with some of the most popular tools and programming languages you can easily find sample code, examples, tutorials and more so you can find out more to help you in your learning process.
What’s your opinion on these 5 top developer tools and technologies? Are they on your popularity list? We’d love to know!
Sources
–https://www.packtpub.com/skill-up-2017
–https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/why-git#git-for-developers
–http://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/Eclipse
–http://www.theserverside.com/feature/Why-Java-is-the-most-popular-programming-language
–https://www.quora.com/Why-should-a-developer-learn-Docker
–http://www.skilledup.com/articles/5-reasons-learn-angular-js-today
–https://www.quora.com/Is-AngularJS-worth-learning
-https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/2nfaes/should_i_use_visual_studio_as_a_beginner/
–http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/Jenkins