With technological development and its expansion, a presence online is a must. It can be either through mobile apps or web applications. Anyone having a mobile app or web page knows that the application can be broadly divided into two parts: front-end and back end.

The front-end is the front-facing side of the app. The customer or user deals with it. On the other hand, the back-end is the platform that provides ready-to-use components to build a website. These are server-side languages that help make the website robust, secure, navigable, and user-friendly.

While developing an app, choosing a back-end language depends on many parameters. Project requirement, scope, performance, and learning curve combined with the popularity and demand of a language dictate the criterion for choosing a language.

Today we will discuss some of the popular back-end programming languages that are pretty popular in today’s date and time. If you are a new developer, you can consider learning these languages to enhance your skills.

JavaScript

One of the most popular languages to be used by the developers. According to a study conducted by various popular platforms like Stack Overflow and others, JavaScript has been termed as a preferred and popular language. One of the features that makes it immensely popular is that it can be used for both front-end and back-end development. It enhances the speed of the developing process.

JavaScript is an open-source technology which makes it hugely popular. It is going through constant improvement, making it bewitching for developers. It is also helpful in improving the developers’ coding efficiency, making app development faster and easier.

It also provides features for back-end development such as Dynamic Typing, OOPs support, Client-Side Validation, Lightweight Scripting Language, etc.

Websites using JavaScript: Facebook, eBay, Google, Netflix, LinkedIn, etc.

Python

Created in 1991, Python has emerged as one of the most loved languages for back-end operations. Though compatible with advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, etc., this language is also suitable for back-end programming. It provides a clean and easy-to-use back-end developing environment, making it one of the most preferred languages to be used by programmers.

According to a survey conducted in 2020, Python ranks third in the developer’s choice of language. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that even Google uses it as one of its three primary languages (JavaScript and C++ being the other two).

It is easy to learn as it provides a development language that is similar to writing English. This feature makes it popular. Python also has many libraries available that reduces writing thousands of lines of code. These libraries make Python cost-efficient and popular.

Additional features that make Python an attractive option for the programmers are better readability, portability, easier integration with other languages, GUI Programming Support, etc.

Websites using Python: Instagram, Spotify, Pinterest, Instacart, etc.

Ruby

Developed by Japanese experts in the 1990s, Ruby is a general-purpose programming language supporting various programming paradigms. With almost similar syntax like Python and Java, it is often used by beginners learning back-end operations. Its easy-to-learn features make it productive and speed up the development project.

Another desirable feature of Ruby that makes it attractive is metaprogramming. This feature allows the developer to modify data from other programs on the runtime. It has excellent automation facilities making it one of the most used languages for automation purposes.

The testing feature of the ruby also makes testing more accessible, giving a boost to the quality of the project developed. It is quick and reliable, increasing productivity by almost 40%.

Websites using Ruby: Fiverr, Airbnb, Shopify, SlideShare, etc.

PHP

PHP, the acronym for Hypertext Pre-processor, is one of the prominently used languages. PHP can run on significant platforms like macOS, Windows, Linux, and Unix as an open-source server-side scripting language. It does not need a compiler as it is an interpreted language.

It is easy to learn and use and can be used for purposes like database integration etc. Its cross-platform compatibility provides it with versatility making it one of the popular languages to be used. As a back-end development language, its built-in security makes it reliable and secure. 

Besides all these, it has other features like support to various standard databases like MySQL, SQLite, and OOPs features. It has a vast community of developers, making it one of the preferred languages for back-end operations. According to a survey, 79% of websites are built using PHP.

Websites using PHP: Flickr, Yahoo, MailChimp, WordPress, etc.

C#

Ranked as one of the top five programming languages for the last few years, C# (pronounced as C- Sharp) is one of the popular languages for back-end development. Apps built using C# can run on cross platforms.

C# is used in various areas of windows applications development or game development, etc. C# provides backward compatibility. It makes C# one of the preferred languages for the apps to be developed using older frameworks. 

C# also provides:

• The developer with various enriching features like faster compilation and scalability.
• Structured and component-oriented language.
• A rich library that helps in the more rapid and efficient development of the applications.

Websites using C#: YouTube, Firefox, GoDaddy, Stack Overflow, etc. 

Conclusion

The languages mentioned above are one of the most popular languages to be used for back-end operations. Though there are many other languages, choosing the language depends on the developer after considering different situations and the scope, feasibility, and goals of the project to be developed.