Languages and Frameworks For Programming in 2023
Languages and Frameworks For Programming in 2023
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Frameworks For
Programming in 2023
Written by: Katie Horne, Backend Design Expert
Updated August 31, 2022
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You may think that you need to learn programming languages to create a
website. While learning about the various programming languages and
frameworks is helpful for some projects, it is not always necessary.
It’s essential to understand when you need to program a site or app or simply
use the existing tools. On this page, you’ll gain a great understanding of this
topic, including answers to things like:
Do I Really Need to Know How to Program to Make a Website?
Why are there So Many Different Languages?
Do I Need to Know More than One Programming Language?
What are the Most Popular Web Languages?
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What is a Framework?
Do I Need
Language? More Than One
As you can see, there isn’t a way for you to do everything you need to do
without utilizing multiple languages.
Gone are the days when you can throw a simple website on the internet
without focusing attention on the way it looks or its interactive features.
Luckily, the high-level languages in use today are friendlier to developers than
the high-level languages frequently used in the past.
Different Focuses of
Programming Language a
Each programming language has a certain focus, which affects how it is used
and what types of use cases make it the best option.
Website and Application Development
For example, PHP is designed to be embedded into HTML documents. This
makes it particularly useful for building websites and web applications.
The C programming language and its derivatives (C#, C++) provide access to
low-level hardware manipulation, which makes it particularly useful for
foundational software like operating systems and language compilers.
Specialist Purposes of a Language
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There are also programming languages that are specifically geared for a
number of different types of specialty domains. Some of these include
command-and-control, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and graphics
processing.
You can use a language for any purpose, but there are downsides to doing so.
We cannot make a categorical statement on what the ramifications of such a
choice are, but they may include a sub-optimal feature set, lowered levels of
performance, and so on.
Client-Side Languages
If you are doing any type of client-side web or front-end development work,
you will likely be using the following programming languages. Even if you do
not plan to become an expert in them, you will need to have some degree of
proficiency when working in web development.
If anything, these are commonly used in conjunction with server-side/back-
end languages, not instead of such languages.
HTML — Hypertext Markup Language
CSS — Cascading Style Sheet
JS — JavaScript
HTML — Hypertext Markup Language
Website pages and documents are written in HTML, which consists of base
content combined with inter-linear tags that provide semantic information
about the content they enclose.
CSS — Cascading Style Sheet
CSS provides a set of detailed instructions to the browser (or a printer) about
how the content of an HTML document should be displayed. CSS includes
details like font declarations, sizing, color, on-page placements, and layering
precedence.
JS — JavaScript
JavaScript is a scripting language that can be used to provide rich web
interaction inside a browser. JS is event-driven, responding to actions taken by
the user (such as clicking, mousing, hovering, and typing).
JavaScripts have full access to the document structure of their associated
web page. Do not confuse JavaScript with Java, however. They are wholly
different languages and have little to do with one another.
Java is to JavaScript the way grapes are to grapefruits.
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Almost any programming language (C#, Objective-C, etc.) can be used to build
server-side applications, but a handful of specific languages have come to be Popular Web Languages
especially popular for doing so. Client-Side Languages
Server-Side Languages
Some of them were designed for the web (PHP, ASP), while others began as Other Notable Server-Side
general-purpose languages that have been extended with a set of Languages
standardized tools for doing web development. Other Web Languages
Should I Pick a Specific
ASP Language?
Java
Does Programming Language
PHP Affect My Web Hosting
Choices?
Python Summary
Ruby Framework Options and
Hosting
ASP Common Features of
Framework
ASP.NET. What Makes a Good
Framework?
ColdFusion Frameworks and Architecture
Model-View-Controller
Technically an application development platform/framework, ColdFusion Choosing a Development
utilizes the scripting language ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML), Framework
ColdFusion is designed to make it easier for developers to connect HTML web Web Development Frameworks
pages to databases. by Language
Frameworks Utilizing Non-
Java Model-View-Controller (MVC)
Architecture Patterns
Java is a general-purpose, object-oriented language used for desktop, web, Summary
and embedded applications on a wide variety of platforms. Frequently Asked Questions
About Languages and
It has been used as a client-side scripting language, but this requires a Frameworks
browser plugin, so it is no longer common.
Its server-side usage has largely been replaced by the similarly named, but Related Posts
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Should I
Language?Pick a Specific
Generally speaking, you would try to avoid using such specific languages
(otherwise known as domain-specific languages).
The internet has certain de facto rules for which languages “should” be used
and which languages should be avoided.
There is never a time where you would pick a specialized language — we think
that choosing commonly-supported languages means that you will:
Have an easier time finding tools and services, such as web hosting, that
work well with what you have built
Have an easier time reaching a wide audience due to widespread support
and acceptance of popular languages and technologies
Summary
There are a lot of programming languages out there, even for a subset of
software engineering, such as web development.
Different languages have different strengths and weaknesses, so the options
that best fit your needs are dependent on what you are trying to do.
What is a Framework?
A web application framework is a generic web-based software application that
is extended and modified by developers to create a specific application.
The framework provides:
Generic functionality
Built-in solutions to a number of common programming problems
Structure for organizing code
A development philosophy or an architectural paradigm
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Common Features of Framework
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Model-View-Controller
Most web application frameworks follow some version of the Model-View-
Controller (MVC) architecture pattern.
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The MVC pattern is one of the simplest and most fundamental architectural
patterns around. It is particularly well-suited to the web, which is essentially a
network of user-interface clients.
Model-View-Controller is a way of organizing an application into three distinct
areas of concern:
Model: The data structure
View: The formatted output to the user
Controller: The connection between the model and the view, as well as
the application logic
Model
The model defines the data schema for your application. It usually takes the
form of a series of classes which specify the main items of interest to the
application, such as:
People
Blog posts
Orders
Products
Stores
In most web application frameworks, the model classes are used to generate
the database structure.
An underlying framework class (often called the active record pattern, of which
object-relational mapping is a subset implementation) communicates with the
database.
The model class and its underlying framework class provides a layer of
abstraction, which allows many framework options to be database-agnostic.
View
The View is usually a set of template files that determine how specific models
are displayed to the user.
There is usually at least one view per model, and in certain cases, there may
be several views per model — for example, there might be a set of data that
needs to be presented in three different ways.
Controller
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In the conventional MVC paradigm, the Controller is simply the glue that holds
the Model and View together.
But in many real-world situations, especially those with strong command-and-
control requirements (robotics, dispatch, traffic management), the controller
can become a very large part of the application.
The Controller can often be broken down into two distinct parts (though this
depends on the framework).
Application Controller
The Application Controller takes requests from the web server and calls the
models and views needed to fill the request. In MVC parlance, this is the
original meaning of controller.
Type-Specific Controllers
There can often be individual controllers that deal with specific types of
functionality, such as a forms controller, or an email controller.
Choosing
Frameworka Development
One of the problems in selecting a web application framework is that they tend
to be fairly similar, especially at the level of textual descriptions.
Most of them are MVC, most of them handle basic needs like session
management, most of them promise to speed up development, most of them
claim to improve developer happiness.
Are Many Frameworks the Same?
A big part of the reason for this is that success creates imitators. As the
various framework developers have seen what the others are doing, they have
each worked the best ideas into their own code.
There is a convergence of excellence which makes most popular frameworks
both very good and very similar.
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Should My Existing Programming Knowledge
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Determine My Choice?
The biggest determining factor when it comes to which framework you choose
is language. If you already know how to write Ruby on Rails, which has caused
many people to start learning Ruby.)
Beyond that, your best bet is to actually look at some applications built using
the frameworks you are considering.
Use Real-Life Examples as Guidance
Has someone built something remarkably similar to what you want to build?
Use the same framework.
Does one framework just seem to make more sense to you than the others?
Use that one.
Most frameworks provide remarkably similar features. So instead of trying to
find the framework that is right, try looking for the one that is right for you.
Web Development
by Language Frameworks
In the following sections, we will cover a variety of frameworks for some of the
most popular web development languages.
In addition to helping you get started with choosing the option that is right for
you, you will be able to see how different options are similar (or not) and how
developers have chosen to implement features and functionality.
PHP
PHP is a server-side language commonly used for scripts, but it has gained
popularity as a general, all-purpose language over the years.
Some of the PHP frameworks available include CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Laravel,
Symfony, Yii, and Zend.
CakePHP
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Symfony
Symfony is a performant, stable, and mature PHP framework. Though using
Symphony comes with a steep learning curve, there is excellent
documentation and support available.
Reusable Libraries and Components
Symfony emphasizes reusable PHP components and libraries since the overall
goal is to speed up the creation, deployment, and maintenance of PHP web
apps and websites.
There is somewhat of an enterprise focus, and developers are tasked with full
configuration control and decision making.
Symfony is heavily inspired by the Spring Framework, which is a framework
available to users of the proprietary Java programming language.
Yii
Yii is an open-source, a high-performance framework designed for
applications that need complex (yet quick-loading) web pages.
Yii is meant to be easy to use, and it is one of the oldest PHP frameworks that
is still actively maintained.
Zend
If you are looking for an enterprise framework, Zend might be the option for
you.
It is not ideal for rapid app development, but you do get top-notch security
features, high performance, and the ability to extend your platform as
necessary.
Its enterprise focus means there are a lot of components.
Zikula
Zikula is so much more than just a web app framework. You can almost think of
it as a combination content management system (CMS) and web application
framework.
Zikula is an extension of Symfony (covered briefly above). The biggest draws
of Zikula over Symfony are the increased features devoted to the development
of dynamic features, a theming system, support for rapid prototyping, and its
CMS-related features.
In a lot of cases, Zikula might be a bit much. However, if you are looking for a
full-featured framework that you are unlikely to outgrow, Zikula would be a
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Flask allows you to make the decisions as to how you want certain aspects of
your web application to behave.
JavaScript
JavaScript is one of the three technologies that form the core of web app
development. It’s code was once used only for client-side applications, but the
language has since become a major player powering most websites today.
Client-side JavaScript is no longer the only way you can use the language.
There are many different implementations of JavaScript available.
Angular.js
Angular.js is a front-end web application framework put out by Google and
maintained by Google and a community of open source contributors. Its goal is
to simplify the development lifecycle of SPAs (specifically during the
development and testing phases), and it utilizes MCV, as well as the model-
view-ViewModel (MVVW).
Angular.js was originally launched to address issues raised by the development
of single-page applications, which are web apps or websites that rewrites
itself dynamically based on its interaction with the user, rather than that
reloading the page in its entirety with files from the originating server.
Such web apps/web pages are seen to behave more like a desktop application.
Express.js
Express.js is not, strictly speaking, a web application framework like many
others on this list are. Express.js is more like a server framework for web
applications, and you will frequently find it used as part of the MEAN stack,
which includes:
MongoDB
Express.js
Angular.js
Node.js
Express.js is inspired by the simplified Ruby framework, Sinatra. Express.js as a
whole is a very simple project, but users can easily add what they need using
plugins.
Node.js
Node.js is an environment that allows you to execute JavaScript code server-
side (remember, JavaScript was once exclusively the domain of the client
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side).
However, Node.js allows developers to run JavaScript on the server, product
dynamic content, and serve said content before the page gets sent the user.
Furthermore, apps utilizing Node.js are very fast compared to apps built with
PHP or ASP.NET. PHP or ASP.NET apps handle requests sequentially, so
waiting times greatly affect the performance of the app. Node.js, however,
handles thing asynchronously and eliminates the waiting period present with
traditional apps.
Node.js is extremely popular, and its community is large. There are thousands
of open source libraries available, as well as two large mailing lists, IRC
channels, and many developer-oriented conferences.
With Node.js, you can use JavaScript everywhere — you do not need to use
different languages for the front-end, middle-tier, or server-side.
React.js
React.js is not a framework in the true sense of the word — it is actually a
JavaScript library that makes it easy for developers to build dynamic user
interfaces.
Its strength is to allow developers to create pages that can be updated
continuously with data and changed, all without requiring a page refresh
(something that is typically less optimal, since users do not like interruptions).
If you have used Facebook, you will have seen React in action. React is a
Facebook product, and its use is most obvious in the Facebook Feed updates
— notice how new items show up at the top without your webpage ever
reloading.
In MVC framework parlance, React.js corresponds to the “V” (or view) layer.
React.js can easily be used in conjunction with other JavaScript frameworks.
Microsoft
Microsoft is one of the biggest players in the technology industry, and the
company has certainly contributed to the web app framework world.
ASP.NET/ASP.NET Core
ASP.NET is an open source, server-side framework that allows you to produce
dynamic websites, web applications, and web services. It is a successor to
Microsoft’s ASP and a part of the .NET Framework.
ASP.NET itself has been succeeded by ASP.NET Core, though you will still see
the former in use with some regularity.
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Note that ASP.NET Core is not Windows-specific — it will run using the .NET
Framework on Windows, as well as the cross-platform .NET Core.
ASP.NET Core features things like:
Continuous compilation
Modularity, using NuGet packages
Optimizations for cloud implementations
It is also host-agnostic, lightweight, and community-focused.
Silverlight
You are unlikely to see Microsoft’s Silverlight being used for new apps, but
there are certainly instances of it being used in legacy apps.
Silverlight, at one point, was a great option for those serving up media-rich
apps.
If you are working in the Windows ecosystem, you may come across Silverlight
often.
Frameworks Utilizing
Model-View-Controller Non-
(MVC)
Architecture Patterns
Most of the frameworks we have mentioned above follow the Model-View-
Controller (MVC) architecture pattern, but there are alternatives, including
MVVM and MVP.
Together, MCV, MVVM, and MVP are the three commonly used architecture
patterns in the field of web development.
MVVM
We briefly mentioned Model–View–ViewModel (MVVM) in the Angular.js
section above.
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React-Native
Summary
The choices you make with regards to the language and web applications
framework you use will affect your web hosting needs.
We firmly believe that there is a web host for every type of user, so figure out
what your needs are first, then seek the web host that will help you
accomplish your goals.
Frequently
About Asked
Languages Questions
and
Frameworks
How many programming languages are there? -
There are hundreds of different programming languages and new ones are
emerging every day. Some programming languages are even created as jokes,
although sometimes those jokes become serious. Programming languages
generally belong to language families, having taken aspects of a “parent”
language or influence from multiple languages. In such a way, you might look
at the history of programming languages as an evolving ecosystem. This
history is deep, starting with Fortran and BASIC in the 1950 and 1960’s, which
influenced most of the languages to ever exist. “C” was created in the 70’s
which is one of the most influential languages, resulting in C++ as one of the
most influential object-oriented languages.
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