New figures have claimed that C++ is among the top three most popular programming languages used by developers today.
The TIOBE index (opens in a new tab), which promises to check more than a billion lines of code every day in an effort to keep up with usage, noted that Python remains the most popular coding language, offering a 16,66%. rating, slightly ahead of C in second place, which stands at 16.56%.
The percentages are not calculated on market share, but "based on the number of qualified engineers worldwide, courses and external providers." Being in the top three gives each programming language the highest distinction, which represents growth, confidence, and even your commitment to development.
The three main programming languages.
While these continue to change from year to year, Java's December 2021 third prize was contested in the latest set of numbers as it fell 1,7% to fourth. Knocking Java off its podium, C++ saw substantial growth of 4,21%, but in reality, at 11,94% and 11,82%, the two programming languages are still incredibly tight as they are still the favorites of developers around the world.
This could be a milestone in the development of C++, with TIOBE Software CEO Paul Jansen noting that it is the "first time in the history of the TIOBE Index" that it has outperformed Java.
C# rounded out the top five at 4,92%, with JavaScript at 7th, PHP at 12th, and Apple's Swift coding language at 15th, up from 10th in the same period from last year.
What defines a successful programming language varies within the industry, and TIOBE's metrics are just one way to measure it. Earlier this year, CirlceCI's State of Software Delivery 2022 report (opens in a new tab) found a different set of preferred programming languages, including TypeScript, JavaScript, and Ruby. Python ranked fourth, and C and C++ didn't even make the top 10.
Still, what we can gather from the latest issues of TIOBE is that there is a very clear quartet of favorite programming languages that will likely continue to fight for the top spot unless another language sees a significant increase in popularity.