What will change in programming in the following year? What should one pay more attention to in order to kickstart a career in most promising programming fields? This article would help you to find out what’s going on in programming as well as discover the latest trends in the IT field in general.

The only thing you can be completely sure of is that this industry is full of changes: there are more and more talks about machine learning, artificial intelligence, chatbots, IoT and how these technologies are used on various projects among different industries.

1. Clean Code and Technical Documentation Is a Must

This is rather a serious issue because while the number of devs is constantly increasing, it does not mean that the share of highly skilled specialists is increasing. On the contrary, careers in programming attract a lot of newbies to this field but most of them never overcome the junior level.

Regardless of what programming languages you study, whether your goal is to master Python or become a skilled Android app developer, you need to learn how to write clean code. A clean and easy-to-maintain code that other developers have no difficulty in understanding, which can be easily maintained and filled with new functionality, is the key to success.

How to define a clean code? Although the exact definition depends on who is asking, one of the StackOverflow users offers the following checklist:

  • Be accessible to understanding.
  • Easy to modify.
  • Be easy to test.
  • Work properly.

Having the knowledge and experience to write code with comments that your colleagues can understand, you can get into the field of specialists to work on more complicated, interesting and better-sponsored projects.

2. JavaScript Keeps Growing in Popularity

JavaScript still holds the first position as the most popular programming language ​​in 2018, according to Statista. The popularity of JavaScript is more likely to increase even further, as it’s the best choice for interactive web pages and the only programming language supported by all major browsers.

While JavaScript is involved in creating the web interface, it also became the best choice for efficient server-side development through Node.js, an open source JS-based environment. We can say that JavaScript in tandem with Node.js opens up new horizons for developers with a view to development in the coming year. JS is also considered to be one of the best languages for ML (machine learning).

3. Functional Programming Is Back!

Functional programming is not a brand new term, but it makes a serious return in 2018. Not a surprise, because in 2017 it has already become one of the largest development trends in programming.

Currently, parallel data processing and work with large data streams or so-called Big Data brings up a lot of issues. By using different streams you can process different data at the same time and, as a result, get the desired result in a split second, which is very critical in the real world. Also, do not forget about decentralized (distributed) computing like blockchain-based technologies and others. This is exactly when the functional code is best suited due to all the principles of functional programming (such as pure functions, for example). The use of all the basic techniques of FP facilitates parallel code execution and support.

In addition, if earlier functional programming was used only for solving specific problems, now it is used even on classical projects. From which we can safely conclude: large IT companies do not have to doubt about the use of functional programming. Although functional programming is certainly advanced technology, it includes languages ​​such as Haskell, Scala, and Clojure

4. Material Design Skills Are in Demand

Every novice web developer should learn the tactics of design and user experience (UX), especially if there is interest in this. The best UI starts with the right approach to front-end development. In the majority of cases, the same specialist is doing both design and development unless the project is too comprehensive and time is a top priority.

In the case of this kind of design, user actions are the focus. All interactions occur in the same environment, interactive objects without interruption of the sequence are transferred from one medium to another. Now Material Design is a set of user-friendly design standards and was developed back in 2014. This approach is characterized by fashionable minimalism and flexible scaling for different screen sizes.

Material Design is a story about the functionality and each UI element meaning. According to this principle, it is important to focus on the main user interface elements in order to direct the user in the right way. Material Design focuses on usability, not just good design in general. Its principles can be the best starting point for creating an application that will conquer a huge audience with its grace and convenience.

5. Backend as a Service

Web developers face increasing demand to create attractive applications for multiple platforms at once: web, Android, and iOS, standalone Backend as a Service (BaaS) is becoming an increasingly popular tool for increasing efficiency. According to CenturyLink, the main prerequisite for BaaS is the development of “API-first”: an API is first created to serve as a basis for creating various mobile platforms (iOS, Android, etc.).

As for now, it is still unclear whether BaaS will become one of the main solutions for developing cross-platform projects. It actually depends on JavaScript, web and mobile app developers.

Be Prepared for Brand New Viral Trends

You can get acquainted with Gartner’s Top 10 Predictions For IT In 2018 And Beyond to get more insights on main tech trends. Some of the last hot tech trends are described below but you can never know what trends and technologies are yet to come.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency in the Banking Industry

Thanks to the implementation of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies, the banking industry will increase the value of the business by $1 billion before the end of 2020. The total global turnover of cryptocurrencies has grown to $155 billion in the past year. The market can grow even faster if banks would start applying new financial technologies sooner.

Gartner advises all businesses, not just banks, to take into account that crypto-money will soon reach the same level with fiat money. Analysts recommend starting the reform of payment systems, changing the approach to collecting taxes and setting prices for goods and services.

Internet of Things Is to Expand

The same Gartner’s report states that by 2020, the IoT will penetrate into 95% of electronic devices. Monitoring systems, smart sensors as well as cloud-based solutions will become more accessible and IoT will grow in popularity. For this reason, Gartner experts recommend investing in the development of IoT solutions right now. By 2022, half of the security-related expenses in the IoT segment will be used not on protection against threats, but on the elimination of consequent issues like product recalls and system recovering after hacks.

Final words

If someone tells you that programming trends are stalled, know that it’s actually vice versa. The year of 2018 has been especially significant for web developers. JavaScript, Node.js and the revival of functional programming – these are just a few promising directions in the industry. Being skilled in these technologies will help you to keep up with demand. During a serious shortage of technical talent, people with experience and relevant skills will definitely jump on the career escalator.

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