GitHub's Four Most Popular Programming Languages Remain: JavaScript, Java, Python, and PHP

A recent TechCrunch article claimed to have identified the best indicator of programming language popularity: GitHub's annual 'State of the Octoverse' reports. So Austin-based technology reporter Mike Melanson explored the new verdict in GitHub's 2018 report:
It felt to me like the overarching theme of the numbers was one of quiet stasis for the year past, at least when it comes to those languages deemed the cream of the crop. One of the first graphics offered in the post shows the top languages according to the number of repositories created and we see that everything seems to be flowing along, just as it has for the last decade. While GitHub points to a 'steady uptick' for JavaScript after 2011, it looks like this list of languages hasn't changed much over time. [The graphic shows the four most popular languages -- every year since early 2014 -- have been JavaScript, Java, Python, and PHP.]

When we look at the top languages according to the number of contributors, we see a similar story, with the top four languages mirrored. In this chart, of course, we see that Ruby is on a steady decline, while Typescript is on a steady rise. The only surprise to be seen here is that C, after a brief uptick in popularity, has taken a bit of a nosedive over the past year. Either way, seven of 10 languages have the same exact ranking....
Finally, beyond the language rankings themselves, GitHub offers a wonderful analysis of just what it is that makes a particular language popular in 2018, boiling it down to three key characteristics: thread safety, interoperability, and being open source.
GitHub's report also identifies its fastest growing languages over the last year -- including Kotin, TypeScript, Rust, Python, and Go. 'This year, TypeScript shot up to #7 among top languages used on the platform overall, after making its way in the top 10 for the first time last year,' the report notes.

'TypeScript is now in the top 10 most used languages across all regions GitHub contributors come from -- and across private, public, and open source repositories.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.