A. SKILLS A WEB DEVELOPER SHOULD HAVE GOING FORWARD TO A NEW ERA

2020 and 2021 were unprecedented years in recent human history. Humanity had not experienced a global pandemic like COVID-19 in the last century. It has affected all the countries, sectors, and almost all the individuals on our planet. The good news is that we have vaccines on our doorsteps and finally can embrace the upcoming year 2021 with lots of optimism and hope. With remote work being the trend, 2020 and 2021 were significant years for the Software Development industry with lots of tangible breakthroughs in many areas. Just like any other industry, the IT ecosystem is based on tech pillars. Within technological terms, these pillars take the form of basic computing languages. What is a programming language? Well, it’s a set of strings that translates the digital binary into something you can read on-screen. Programming Language is the most important prerequisite for almost every discipline whether it be Web Development, Machine Learning, Data Science, or any other. Every year, we see how the ranking of these Programming Languages fluctuates in accordance with their demand & popularity among the developers. The pandemic has sped up the digital transformation significantly, and the trend will be greater in 2022. Here are a few programming languages that are currently popular in the industry and used by tech giants.

B. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES – ON THE RISE

1. Python

As per the RedMonk Ranking report for the year 2020, Python outranked JAVA and become the second most popular programming language. The language has experienced tremendous growth of around 18-19% in the last 5 years. At the PYPL index, Python ranked at #1 position for December 2020 index. It also ranks among the most popular programming languages in several other popular platforms such as Stack Overflow and GitHub.

The compatibility of Python with upcoming AI, ML, and AR technologies makes it more popular among developers. Python has become the favorite language of almost every individual who is just starting with the programming domain for the last many years. The primary reason behind this is a simple syntax that makes it easy to read, learn, and use. The language is extensively used for web development, software development, task automation, data analysis, data visualization, and with several trending technologies such as Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, etc. The language offers some enriching features such as rich library support, automatic garbage collection, easier integration with other languages, GUI Programming support, and many more. Several popular Python frameworks that make things more efficient & convenient are Django, Flask, Pyramid, etc.

Since it’s relatively easy to learn, Python has been adopted by many non-programmers such as accountants and scientists for various everyday tasks, like organizing finances.

To know more about Python, check out: https://www.python.org/

2. R

R is another emerging name in the Programming world! It is an open-source programming language that is widely used in Data Science, Statistical Analysis, and Machine Learning and provides you with a huge set of libraries and frameworks. R has seen an exponential rise in its ranking on various reputed indexes for programming languages. Various big tech companies like Facebook, Google, Uber, etc are using the R language for their businesses, and considering the rapidly increasing demand for data science and machine learning trends, learning the R programming language is surely worthwhile for your future career endeavors.

The language is very much suitable for GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows. Also, it can be easily integrated with several data processing technologies like Hadoop & Spark. Some of the other prominent features of the R language are cross-platform compatibility, highly extensible, strong graphical capabilities, distributed computing, etc. making it a more preferred language among the developers.

To know more about R, check out: https://www.r-project.org/about.html

3. Kotlin

In the present day, whenever there is a talk of android app development – the name ‘Kotlin’ undoubtedly comes first. Though, a huge inclination of developers towards Kotlin is noticed after Google declared it as its preferred language for Android application development. The Stack Overflow survey states that Kotlin ranks #4 among the most loved programming languages. Kotlin can be used for any kind of development, be it server-side, client-side web, or Android.

Kotlin is a statically typed general-purpose programming language that supports object-oriented as well as functional programming features. The best thing about the language is that it is completely interoperable with Java and supports all Java libraries. Also, the language is quite easier to learn, and alongside Android development, it can be used for web development and desktop application development as well. Javalin, KTor, and Vertex are some of the popular frameworks for Kotlin, and companies like Pinterest, Uber, Netflix, etc. are giving various job opportunities for the Kotlin developers. Is known to everyone that the market of Android is not heading for retirement anytime soon hence learning Kotlin can lead to worthwhile career opportunities in the future.      

To know more, check out: https://kotlinlang.org/docs/faq.html  

4. Go

Though Go is not that much-hyped programming language, in the last few years it has witnessed a considerable increase in its demand & popularity among the developers. According to the Stack Overflow reports, Go falls under the list of top 5 most loved languages. Tech giants like Uber, Google, etc. are working with the Go language and you can choose to learn Go for your development and upskilling.

Go is a statically typed programming language, developed by Google, and has a syntax similar to C. It provides numerous enriching features such as garbage collection, dynamic-typing, type safety, high performance & efficiency, and many more. The language supports multithreading and can be used in the Distributed system, Cloud Computing, etc. The best thing about the language is that it resolves several major issues like slow compilation & execution, and unavailability of the rich standard library.

To know more about Go, check out: https://golang.org/

5. Scala

Several tech giants like Netflix, LinkedIn, eBay, and Twitter are using Scala for their respective platforms & products. Beginners are strongly recommended to opt for Scala because of its easy-to-learn nature. As many other companies are looking forward to incorporating Scala into their businesses and considering its significantly growing demand among the developers, it has the potential to be one of the most sought-after programming languages soon. The language was primarily designed to resolve the issues that developers face with another language, Java. Over time, it has cemented a strong position among the developers. Scala is a general-purpose programming language that supports both – object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. It provides some distinguishing features such as lazy computation, string interpolation, type inference, great scalability, and many others. Also, the Scala code can be converted to byte codes and can be executed on Java Virtual Machine. The language is being widely used in Web Development, Data Science, and Machine Learning.

To know more about Scala, check out: https://www.scala-lang.org/

C. HOW TO BE MOST PRODUCTIVE AS A WEB DEVELOPER

If you’re thinking about becoming a remote software or web developer, be prepared to work in a diverse team. The process of understanding the functionality of the code you write, and how it connects to existing code is a big part of a software development job. So, while writing code and achieving bug fixes might be work you do by yourself at a computer, it will usually collaborate with others and the mission to achieve a greater goal. Thus it is important to stay on track with the fast-moving and ever-changing world of software development. There are many options when it comes to deciding on which software development tools to use for your daily tasks at work, and to build working software efficiently, the following software development tools will make your life a lot easier.

D. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS FOR WEB DEVELOPER

1. Quixy 

Quixy is a completely visual and easy-to-use No-Code Application Development platform. Businesses can automate processes across departments using Quixy. It will help you to build simple to complex custom enterprise applications faster and with lower costs without writing any code. Quixy helps eliminate manual processes and quickly turn ideas into applications making business more innovative, productive, and transparent. Users can start from scratch or customize pre-built apps from the Quixy app store in minutes.

Features:

• Build the app interface the way you want it by dragging and dropping 40+ form fields including a rich text editor, e-signature, QR-Code scanner, Facial Recognition widget, and much more.
• Model any process and build simple complex workflows be it sequential, parallel or conditional with an easy-to-use visual builder. Configure notifications, reminders, and escalations for each step in the workflow.
• Seamlessly integrate with 3rd party applications through ready-to-use connectors, Webhooks, and API Integrations.
• Deploy apps with a single click and make changes on the fly with no downtime. Ability to use on any browser, any device even in offline mode.
• Live actionable Reports and Dashboards with the option to export data in multiple formats and schedule automated delivery of reports through multiple channels.
• Enterprise-ready with ISO 27001 and SOC2 Type2 Certification and all enterprise features including Custom Themes, SSO, IP filtering, On-Premise deployment, White-Labelling, etc.

Industries where Quixy is used:

• Banking and Finance Sector
• E-commerce industry
• Engineering
• Food Processing
• Education
• Energy
• Manufacturing
• Supply Chain and Logistics

2. Embold  

Fixing bugs before deployment saves a lot of time and energy in the long run. Embold is a software analytics platform that analyses source code and uncovers issues that impact stability, robustness, security, and maintainability.

Features:

• With the Embold plugins, you can pick up code smells and vulnerabilities as you code, before making commits.
• Unique anti-pattern detection prevents the compounding of unmaintainable code.
• Integrate seamlessly with Github, Bitbucket, Azure, and Git and plugins available for Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA.
• Get deeper and faster checks than standard code editors, for over 10 languages.

Industries where Embold is used:

• Automotive Industry
• Banking and Finance Sector
• E-commerce Industry
• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Supply Chain and Logistics

3. Linx

Linx is a low code tool to build and automate backend applications and web services. The tool accelerates the design, development, and automation of custom business processes, including easy integration of applications, systems, and databases.

Features:

• Easy-to-use, drag-and-drop IDE and Server.
• Over 100 pre-built plugins programming functions and services for rapid development.
• One-click deployment to any local or cloud server.
• Input and outputs include nearly any SQL & NoSQL databases, numerous file formats (text and binary) or REST and SOAP Web services.
• Live debugging with step-through logic.
• Automate processes via a timer, directory events or message queue or expose web services, and call APIs via HTTP requests.

Industries where Linx is used:

• Financial services include
• Banks,
• Insurance companies and
• Investment managers
• Retail
• Property management
• Media
• Non-profits

4. GeneXus

GeneXus offers an intelligent platform for developing applications and systems that enable the automatic creation, development, and maintenance of programs, databases, and mission-critical applications in multiple languages and on different platforms. All applications modeled with GeneXus can be easily adapted to changes in businesses, as well as generated in the newest programming languages and automatically deployed to any major platform in the market. With over 30 years of success in the market, GeneXus provides a unique platform that captures the needs of users and generates applications for present and future technologies, without the need of learning each new technology. It allows pragmatic developers to evolve quickly, responding to market and technological changes in an agile way.

Features:

• AI-based automatic software generation.
• Multi-Experience apps. Model once, generate for multiple platforms (responsive and progressive web apps, mobile native and hybrid apps, Apple Tv, chatbots & virtual assistants)
• Highest flexibility. The largest number of databases supported in the market. Interoperability capabilities for system integrations.
• Future-proof: Evolve systems over long periods of time and change between technologies and platforms automatically.
• Business Process Management Support. Digital Process Automation through integrated BPM modeling.
• Deployment flexibility. Deploy apps on-premises, in the cloud or in hybrid scenarios.
• Application security module included.
• No runtime for generated applications or price by developer seat.

Industries where GeneXus is used:

• Technology Industry
• Manufacturing
• Finance and Banking
• Automotive Industry
• Education
• Food and Consumer Goods

5. Zoho Creator – features

Zoho Creator provides a low-code application development platform to build enterprise applications. It involves building applications with minimal coding which drastically reduces app-development time and effort. It also provides key features like Artificial Intelligence, JavaScript, Cloud functions, third-party integrations, multi-language support, offline mobile access, integration with a payment gateway, and more. With over 4 million users worldwide and 60+ apps, the platform enhances business productivity.

Features:

• Create more applications with less effort.
• Connect your business data and collaborate across teams.
• Create insightful reports.
• Gain instant access to mobile apps.
• Uncompromising security

Industries where Zoho Creator is used:

• Sales
• Marketing
• Finance
• Accounting
• HRM
• Customer Services

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