If you’re looking to start a new software project, it’s likely difficult to know where to begin, especially if you are working for yourself, or are a beginner or amateur in software development. There are an endless number of factors to consider, from the very beginnings of idea generation and early blueprints of the idea in action, right the way through to the software being finalized and released for use by companies or the general public.
Getting ideas from a loose representation on paper to a living, breathing and working software is a task that has many aspects, and undoubtedly has many stages of development that will take some time to complete. At some point, though, there has to be a transition from working in blueprints and hypotheticals, to beginning to build the structure on which the software will operate once it’s complete.
One of the most critical aspects of making this transition happen is the programming language. A programming language is the format in which the code that makes up the software operates, and it has a wide-ranging number of implications for the project as a whole.
Read on to find out more about which factors are important to consider when choosing a programming language, and how they will influence your decision.
Type of application
Of course, software by no means falls under one umbrella, and there are huge ranges of applications that perform very specific functions – and maybe on particular platforms, too. Both of these factors mean that sometimes, a specific coding language is required in order to create something that works on a certain device or perform a particular task.
For example, specific programming languages are required to make applications for the Android operating system and the IOS operating system, meaning that programmers have no choice but to learn these if they want to utilize both those platforms.
In a more general sense, developers may learn Ruby as it shows proficiency in reducing the amount of code required per function.
Complexity of the project
As well as the application of the software, the complexity of the software development project has a large influence over the programming language chosen for the final build. Not all software is needed for as complex a function as the next, meaning there are layers to the amount of coding required.
For example, low complexity websites can be created using the most basic of programming languages, which are often in the form of CMS (content management systems). This makes it relatively simple to add and adjust the elements and content of a website. While in other cases, where e-commerce or the Internet of Things are involved for example, there are additional layers of complexity.
Security
In the modern world, security has to be at the top of every business owner’s priority list. It’s an important consideration when choosing the programming language for any software. Often, when software is built with a specific industry in mind, that industry has requirements that ensure standards of software security are met, which some programming languages may be able to implement better than others.