Introduction
Deciding on the right programming languages to build modern websites is one of the most critical decisions a developer or business can make. The right programming language doesn’t only impact performance and scalability but it also influences how efficient website maintenance, updates, and enhancements can be. The internet is constantly evolving, and new tools, frameworks, and programming languages come to the forefront on a daily basis. So, how can you figure out which languages are best suit for modern web design in cardiff?
Web development can be generalized into two parts: front-end and back-end. Both layers have their respective tools and languages that are best suited for specific tasks. With the increasing popularity of full-stack development many languages and frameworks are now inundating the space with cross-competency.
This article examines the major languages that you can use to build modern websites including their function, pros and cons, and ideal use cases. This article breaks down what you need to know, whether you are a new developer looking to start your journey or a business owner trying to understand the jargon your development team is using.
We can get to the main languages that are taking shape in the web today:
HTML: The Foundation of Every Website
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is at the core of every website. It structures the content, letting your browser know how to display text, images, links, and other content. Although HTML isn’t a traditional programming language, no modern website exists without it.
HTML5 has added numerous new elements including audio and video tags, new semantic elements and improved form controls. These recent additions definitely make HTML more powerful and flexible with the current trends of multimedia-based websites.
It’s important to note that HTML is simple, but you must learn it first. HTML is the essential first step to learning development for the web, and it is part of the foundation of many things. Without it, styles and scripts won’t have a place to be attached to. It is also very important with respect to accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO), and performance.
These days, building web applications and websites will often include the use of frameworks or libraries that help generate your HTML for you dynamically. Regardless, you need to understand the syntax and semantics of this language so you can write clean HTML, and so you can write HTML that performs well.
CSS: Bringing Style to the Web
Cascading Style sheet (CSS) is what takes basic HTML and adds visual interest, making websites aesthetically pleasing. CSS allows developers to style elements, control layout and provide responsive design to ensure the websites look great on any screen size.
CSS has come a long way since its introduction. Design features such as Flex box and CSS Grid have made handling a more complex layout easier.
Tools such as SASS and LESS shift the perspective of CSS to be more program-like, allowing for functions such as variables, nesting and mixings. These tools are not replacements for CSS but simply better the maintainability and scalability of CSS and projects. There are also frameworks available such as Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS allowing for a quick and easy application of great designs without building something from the ground up.
While CSS may seem like the less-fun part of programming, effective UX relies heavily on good CSS. The appeal of a site can attract or detract users from engaging and this all largely depends on the quality of CSS.
JavaScript: The Language of Interactivity
JavaScript is the programming language that allows websites to offer dynamic, interactive content. This includes dropdown menus, form validation, modal/pop-up boxes, and loading dynamic content. JavaScript runs in the browser and is what makes a web page work and interact with a user!
Modern JavaScript (known as ES6 and beyond) introduced syntax that allows for features like arrow functions, async/await, and modules. These features make coding more readable and efficient. These updates bring ease when writing clean and maintainable code.
Frameworks and libraries are also changing the way that developers are working with JavaScript. Using React, for example, developers can create reusable components, speeding up your workflow and scaling your work.
Furthermore, the JavaScript ecosystem is huge. It started as a front-end framework, but thanks to Node.js and other technologies, JavaScript is a full-stack language. Building a modern website will almost always entail using JavaScript as part of your toolkit.
Python: A Growing Star in Web Back-End
While Python may not be the most common programming language associated with web development, its popularity for web development is steadily growing due to Python’s ease and flexibility in usage. Developers really appreciate the simplicity of the syntax and benefit from its different frameworks, like Django or Flask.
On the one hand, Django is a high-level Python web framework that allows developers to create web applications quickly and with clean and practical design aesthetics. It gives developers nearly everything they could need to build a web application out of the box (User authentication, tinplating, etc.).
On the other hand, Flask is lighter and can be used more modularly, giving developers more freedom over how they structure their applications. Flask is preferable for micro services or something smaller and more targeted.
Finally, if you are creating a modern website, Python would lend itself well to the backend technology for a web application that utilized data science or machine learning capabilities. If you require predictive services or data analytics in your latest website builds, Python would be an excellent server-side programming choice.
PHP: Still Going Strong
In spite of its predicted end, PHP still runs a good portion of the web including some of the largest players in the space like Word Press and Face book. It continues to be particularly popular in content based sites.
PHP has come a long way and modern versions of PHP offer a nice combination of faster performance, stricter types, and improved error handling. The next generation of PHP frameworks, like Laravel, has modernized PHP and introduced MVC architecture, routing, and tinplating systems that have made PHP development far more organized.
While not necessarily the “coolest” technology, PHP is still a pragmatic one for many development projects, especially where budget and timing requirements come into play. It’s a great technology to host, has pervasive infrastructure, and has a massive community.
Typescript: JavaScript, But Better
Typescript is a sublanguage of JavaScript that adds static typing. This allows the developer to catch errors while developing instead of after a project has been deployed. This can also make managing large programming code bases much easier.
Typescript is especially popular in enterprise applications where organizational needs will include strong tooling in environments that require manageable scale. Many latest generation frameworks including Angular are also being developed with Typescript in mind.
At first, using Typescript can feel like overhead, however, the payoff comes in the form of better documentation, safer code, and improved developer experience. Typescript is quickly and rapidly becoming the norm for professional JavaScript development.
SQL: Managing Data with Precision
Structured Query Language, or SQL, is necessary to work with databases. You will encounter databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite, but don’t let that distract you. SQL allows developers to interface with data by inserting, updating, retrieving, and deleting records.
Modern web applications contain dynamic content, usually guided by an input from the user. That data is being stored and accessed using SQL. The ability to formulate perform ant SQL queries and build a properly structured database is a key skill if you’re concerned about performance and scale.
Since ORMs such as Sequelize (JavaScript), Eloquent (PHP), and Django ORM (Python) hide some of the complexities of SQL, knowing the language itself is still important. It gives developers more control and allows for performance optimization if needs.
Node.js: JavaScript on the Server
By enabling JavaScript to run on the server-side, Node.js altered the web development landscape. Developers could use JavaScript on both the front and back end, thus streamlining their workflow.
Its non-blocking event-driven architecture is well suited for real-time applications like chat applications, collaborative work applications, and real-time dashboards. With Express’s, a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework, Node.js can build some API to full-on stack applications.
The enormous nap ecosystem contains a package for just about anything you’d ever want, allowing you to get started and scale quickly. The jump from JavaScript to server-side development with Node.js as a developer is as natural of a progression as any on your developer’s journey.
Go: The New Contender
Go or Golan (generally referred to as Go) is a programming language created by Google that is growing in popularity because of its ease of use and performance. Go is a compilation language that features easy concurrency patterns which allows it to be a good fit for web servers, APIs, and micro services.
Go is recognized for its speed and low memory use that make it excellent for building high-performance web applications. The structure and syntax of Go are simple and easy to learn, and resemble Python to a degree, with the added benefit of being statically typed and compiled.
There are some very good web frameworks now such as Gin and Echo that make building web applications in go easier than in past years, though it has never been as popular as JavaScript or Python. Go is quickly becoming the go-to platform for projects that require efficiency and scalable architecture.
