12 New Programming Languages Every Programmer Should Learn

TL;DR: Focused on 12 new programming languages developers and programmers can learn throughout 2023, this article starts off with a quick definition of the types of programming languages that exist and expands on the most common ones. The article lists 12 new languages to learn with a brief description of background, programming language functionality, and highlights on use.  

30 years ago, the IT market was overexcited by the invention of a handful of programming languages. Yet, from Fortran to Java, Python, and C++, an entire generation of new programming languages reigns over the current market. 

Despite continuous change, one fact remains constant: senior developers and programmers always need to stay on top of the latest programming language trends to constantly update themselves with new programming languages in the IT industry. Any can come in handy and be needed at any point in their careers! To help with that continuous learning curve, we’re giving you a list and information on 12 new coding languages developers and programmers should learn in 2023, along with a brief basic guide on the types of programming languages and their respective categories.  

What Are the Different Types of Programming Languages? 

Before jumping to any conclusions, we’d first like to clarify how each programming language really falls under a broad umbrella, which creates a more or less consistent and logical categorization of different types of programming languages altogether.  

To begin, let’s quickly go over the most common categories that exist for programming languages, as promised: 

#1 Procedural Programming Languages 

Procedural programming languages were introduced to the tech market around the 1950s and 1960s via Fortran, ALGOL, COBOL, PL/I, and BASIC. These languages leverage a step-by-step problem-solving approach, whereby coders write a sequence of instructions to tell the program what actions it needs to take. 

#2 Object-Oriented Programming Languages 

Object-oriented programming languages are based on the concepts of classes and objects, which refer to the items that contain both data and methods to modify and manipulate said data. This type is quite complex but more structured and easier to learn as it offers more flexibility and reusability. Popular examples include Java, C++, Python, Ruby, C#, TypeScript, and PHP. 

#3 Functional Programming Languages 

As the name suggests, functional programming is a paradigm. According to it, programs are created by applying and composing mathematical functions and avoiding changing states and mutable data. Functional programming languages like Haskell, Lisp, and Erlang enjoy an extremely verifiable code structure, even in their stateless functions. 

#4 Scripting Programming Languages 

Scripting programming languages often overlap with other types, but in terms of functionality and use cases, they’re typically used for advanced automation tasks and data interpretation. Most scripting programming languages like JavaScript, PHP, and Python are also highly popular options for ​web ​development, system administration, and testing. 

Now, for the juice of this article, let’s move on to the coveted list of new languages any programmer should learn this year.

 A Programmer’s World: New Languages to Learn in 2023 

As an expert and tech professional, you’re probably already staying updated on new tech trends and all there is to know about new technologies in 2023. But deciding on what languages to learn requires a bit of a futuristic vision, if you will, to fully grasp which technologies will be most marketable in the coming years. Here’s our starting point for 12 new language suggestions for you: 

#1 F# 

F# is an open-source, cross-platform, functional programming language that was developed by Microsoft and has them as one of their contributors. It was introduced to the market in 2005, almost 18 years ago. After about two decades, F# has proven to be one of the simplest, most efficient, and most expressive languages, relying on data-oriented programming, which makes it perfect for developing complex algorithms. It’s also a part of the meta language (ML) family.  

#2 Clojure 

Clojure is a dynamic and functional dialect of the Lisp programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine. Immutability and persistent data structures are probably the most attractive features of Clojure, which allow developers to have a more efficient web development and data analysis experience while also managing the complexity of large-scale applications. 

#3 Elixir 

Elixir is a functional, concurrent, high-level, and general-purpose programming language that runs on the Erlang Virtual Machine. If you’ve worked with Ruby, Elixir will be a smooth transfer for you, as they share a lot of common characteristics, including their similar syntax pattern and their meta-programming, making both extremely scalable and fault-tolerant. 

#4 PureScript 

PureScript is a strongly typed, purely functional programming language that compiles JavaScript. PureScript is quite easy to learn, which is a huge plus for beginner coders, but it’s also very popular among senior developers who need a language with an expressive type of system, instant error identification design, and easy-to-understand syntax structure. 

#5 Go 

Go, or Golang, is an open-source programming language developed by Google that’s designed to be simple to learn, easy to use, and straightforward to work with. Google first unveiled the Go programming language in 2009, but it was constantly improved to deliver high-end results and to be optimized for developing web applications, microservices, and system tools. 

#6 Dart 

Dart is another programming language developed at Google by Lars Bak and Kasper Lund that’s used to build web, mobile, and desktop applications. As an object-oriented language, Dart offers a wide range of useful Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) features like hierarchy, abstract classes, interfaces, and mixins, making it an ideal solution to building complex user interfaces. 

#7 Apache Groovy 

Apache Groovy is a Java-syntax-compatible object-oriented programming language that has been admired by the web development community for its incredible flexibility and powerful structure. Apache Groovy is a perfect choice when it comes to developing web applications, as it supports functional programming, metaprogramming, and efficient processing of XML and JSON data. 

#8 Java 17 

Java is probably among the top three most popular object-oriented programming languages that have been around for more than two decades now. Java 17 is the latest version of Java that reached general availability in September 2021. It offers new features and considerable improvements compared to previous versions, especially in terms of robustness and scalability. 

#9 Crystal 

Crystal is a high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that immediately became a primary contender among other object-oriented languages like Swift, Python, and Rust. Crystal has a syntax very similar to Ruby and phenomenal performance that’s often compared to C, making it a primary option to build high-performance web applications. 

#10 Pony 

Pony is a relatively new object-oriented, actor-model programming language that uses classes and objects, like Python, Java, and C++. Pony is highly concurrent and offers advanced reference capabilities, such as automatic memory management and data race detection, which allow the compiler to ensure data safety and create high-performance, concurrent systems.  

#11 TypeScript 

TypeScript is “a syntactic superset of JavaScript which adds static typing”. As a free and open-source high-level programming language developed and maintained by Microsoft, it builds on JavaScript. TypeScript has gained incredible popularity over the past couple of years due to its ability to optimize large-scale JavaScript applications and make them much easier to maintain and modify.  

#12 Python 3 

The last on our new programming language list for 2023 is Python 3, the latest version of the popular Python programming language, which has revolutionized the IT world. Python 3 offers better Unicode support, better handling of exceptions, and improved syntax, making it a great option for beginners and experienced developers who want to develop websites and software. 

The Best Programming Language Updates for 2023 

Our new list of some of the best programming languages you can learn in 2023 is designed to help IT professionals keep their edge in a competitive market and also equip them with the latest knowledge and skills that are dominating this industry. Each of the chosen languages has unique features and strengths, which we put together so you can quickly jump on the next programming project without hesitation. But, as usual, the final choice on which programming language to use depends on your experience, goals, and the specific project needs for the goals you’ll be tackling. 

Since programming languages and technologies are constantly evolving, it’s essential to keep learning and staying up-to-date with the latest tech trends and new technologies in 2023. In that sense, make sure to follow our blog and subscribe to our TechRemote newsletter on LinkedIn. 

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