Application developers nowadays have more options for which language to utilize when coding something than they did in earlier times. This provides an increased degree of convenience, but also brings with it quite a lot of troubles.

It is no longer how well-structured or how clean the code looks that sets a good programmer apart from the rest. Sometimes, it could come down to knowing which languages are better at which tasks, since code has an unusual tendency to look unintelligible to those who don’t have the training. With that in mind, software development companies will want to know just what tasks and functions are certain languages best at before taking a project on.

As the languages become more diverse and all-purpose, it can be surprising that many of them still have their own specialties, areas where they excel. Some trace this back to the origins, to the design decisions that were the root of their initial development. The history is of little practical use to software development companies, though it can help the programmers themselves pick out which is best for what task.

Java – one of the “cores” of the upcoming version of Windows – is a very useful language for applications designed for networking. It commonly sees use in Java applets meant for the Internet, though it has also caught on in the making of cross-platform programs – OpenOffice is arguably one of the best examples of this. The syntax resembles C and offers a high level of reusability, but it can be extremely difficult to write efficient code for. The speed has increased in recent years and new features have been added, but most developers find it “a pain” to code for.

Two of the most commonly used languages for industrial applications would be C and C. In particular, C has a very strong presence in the gaming industry. Programs built with C code run faster on most machines, though programmers have noted C is easier to write code for. C has repeatability and greater flexibility on its side, but C generates programs with superior performance. Proponents of C have also noted that, if necessary, one can code using C-style structures in C. Whether or not this makes up for the difficulty involved is debatable.

Scientists and some research groups still rely on the power of Fortran, largely because it allows for an ungodly – by most standards – number of variables of any size. This feature is limited only by the memory of the machine it is run on. It is one of the “go-to” languages for engineers because of how well it handles mathematical models and ability to compute values with extreme precision. However, it is not often a choice for software development companies because of its lack of flexibility and the strictures placed upon the structure of the code itself.

PHP, much like Java, is primarily used on the Internet. The difference, however, is that PHP is meant for webpage design and was never meant to be used to create software. It is simplistic as a language, with a set of components that allows even amateurs to pick it up with minimal instruction. Designed for rapid website deployment, many have found that it lacks utility for any other purpose.

Pascal is often seen as a “student’s language” because of its simplicity, which has led to a very low number of programs written with it industrially. It is easier to use than most other languages, but handles advanced techniques and concepts poorly. However, a more robust version called Delphi has received a push as language that can be used for industrial-grade programs. » Read more: A Comparison of Traditional Programming Languages