Favorite and Recommended Programming Languages According to 15,000 Developers

We know it's an endless discussion, but for some strange reason we keep coming back to it: search for "the best programming language" and you'll most likely find a long list of comparisons and arguments (some of them very passionate). Victoriano Izquierdo, one of the founders of Graphext, took the time to compile and analyze the responses of 15,000 developers who described their favorite languages, the most hated, and the ones they recommend for taking initial steps in programming.

Ease of learning, availability of material, job opportunities, compatibility with personal projects, general usefulness... many factors define a language's popularity or rejection, but we must never forget the subjective component. Any developer can easily answer "I like it" or "I feel comfortable" and maintain that position; however... we want to know more, and when trying to get additional details from professionals and enthusiasts, very interesting patterns begin to emerge.

For example, in October 2019, Victoriano Izquierdo of Graphext decided to compile the responses of some 15,000 people around the globe who participated in a campaign on Twitter, sharing which are their favorite programming languages, which they hate the most, and something very important: what they recommend for beginners. Each node represents a user with their corresponding tweet, and Victoriano divided the results into four charts: "Most used", "Most loved", "Most hated", and "Best for beginners".

The most used, loved, hated, and recommended languages

• The first category is the most contested, placing JavaScript in first place, closely followed by Python, with Java closing the podium. The node cloud highlights extreme examples in JavaScript and R, but the general average favors the former.
• Among the most loved languages, Python's advantage over the rest is overwhelming. Even though it has 30 years on its shoulders, the creation of Guido van Rossum continues to be celebrated and requested around the globe. JavaScript is a distant second, and C# came in third.
• When analyzing the most hated languages, I think we are not so surprised to find Java in first place, but the most striking thing is that the rejection also manifests (to some extent) among those who use it frequently. Without going too far, the criticisms of Java have a dedicated article on Wikipedia…
• Finally, the "The best language for beginners" category reflects an overwhelming victory for Python. The second position is occupied by JavaScript, and it doesn't even reach a third of the recommendations. C appears as third, very, very far away.

Now, there are plenty of reasons to doubt a data compilation that uses Twitter as a source, but if we compare its results with those from portals like TIOBE and IEEE Spectrum, we can confirm that the main names are the same in all cases. Whether loved or hated, the attention is divided among JavaScript, Python, Java, and some flavors of C.