The following table compares general and technical information for the most popular programming languages as determined by the TIOBE Programming Community index. Less popular programming languages may be added as well. SAS, PL/SQL, Visual FoxPro, and VB.NET are among the most popular and will be added as soon as possible. Please see the individual products' articles for further information.
| Language
|
General model of execution
|
Influences
|
Principal paradigm
|
Typing discipline
|
Introduced
|
Popularity[1]
|
Usage trend[2]
|
| Ada
|
Compilation
|
Algol, Pascal, C++ (Ada 95), Smalltalk (Ada 95)
|
multi-paradigm: concurrent, distributed, generic-programming, imperative, object-oriented
|
static, strong, safe, nominative
|
1983
|
18
|
0
|
| C
|
Compilation
|
Algol, BCPL
|
imperative, flow-driven
|
static, weak
|
Early 1970
|
2
|
-1
|
| C++
|
Compilation
|
C, Simula, Algol 68
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented, generic
|
static, weak
|
1979
|
3
|
+1
|
| C#
|
Compilation
|
Java, C++
|
object-oriented
|
dynamic, strong, both safe and unsafe, nominative
|
2001
|
7
|
0
|
| COBOL
|
Compilation
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
1959
|
15
|
-1
|
| ColdFusion
|
Compilation
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
1995
|
16
|
+9
|
| Common Lisp
|
Interpretation
|
Lisp, Smalltalk
|
multi-paradigm: functional, object-oriented
|
dynamic
|
1994
|
?
|
?
|
| D
|
Compilation
|
C++
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented, generic
|
?
|
2000
|
19
|
+8
|
| Delphi/Kylix
|
?
|
Pascal
|
?
|
?
|
1995
|
10
|
-1
|
| Java
|
Interpretation/JIT compilation/Dynamic compilation
|
C++, Objective-C
|
object-oriented
|
static, strong
|
1996
|
1
|
+1
|
| JavaScript
|
Interpretation
|
C, LiveScript
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented, functional
|
dynamic
|
1997?
|
9
|
+2
|
| Mathematica
|
Interpretation
|
Lisp
|
Multiple paradigms
|
dynamic, strong
|
1986
|
>50
|
?
|
| Objective-C
|
Compilation/JIT compilation
|
C, Smalltalk
|
object-oriented
|
dynamic, strong
|
1986
|
49
|
?
|
| Perl
|
Interpretation
|
C, shell, awk, sed, Lisp
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented
|
dynamic
|
1987
|
6
|
-3
|
| PHP
|
Interpretation
|
Perl, C
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented
|
dynamic, strong
|
1995
|
4
|
+1
|
| Python
|
Interpretation
|
ABC, Perl
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented, functional
|
dynamic (duck), strong
|
1990
|
8
|
0
|
| Ruby
|
Interpretation
|
Smalltalk, Perl
|
multi-paradigm: imperative, object-oriented, functional, concurrent
|
dynamic (duck), strong
|
1995
|
20
|
+10
|
| Scheme
|
Interpretation
|
Lisp
|
functional
|
dynamic
|
1970s
|
14
|
+1
|
| Smalltalk
|
JIT compilation
|
Sketchpad, Simula
|
object-oriented
|
dynamic
|
1971
|
35
|
?
|
| Visual Basic
|
?
|
QuickBASIC
|
event-driven
|
?
|
1991
|
5
|
+1
|
- ^ From the first column of the May, 2006 TIOBE Programming Community Index. Languages are ranked sequentially from most popular to least popular based on the world-wide availability of skilled engineers, courses, and third party vendors. Google, MSN, and Yahoo are used to calculate the rank. In determining popularity of a language, the language may include or exclude certain dialects or languages. See what languages are included or excluded in the Groupings and exceptions chart below or here.
- ^ From the Delta in Position column of the May, 2006 TIOBE Programming Community Index. This number indicates the language's change in popularity over the last year. In determining the usage trend for a language, the language may include or exclude certain dialects or languages. See what languages are included or excluded in the Groupings and exceptions chart below or here.
Exceptions and inclusions used in determining popularity and usage trend
| Language
|
Exceptions/Inclusions
|
| Awk
|
Included: awk, gawk, mawk, nawk
|
| C#
|
Included: C#, C-Sharp, C Sharp
|
| ColdFusion
|
Included: ColdFusion, Cold Fusion, CFMX, CFML
|
| D
|
Exception: "3-D Programming"
|
| Delphi/Kylix
|
Included: Delphi, Kylix
|
| IDL
|
Exception: "corba"
|
| Lisp/Scheme
|
Included: Lisp, Scheme
|
| Python
|
Included: Python, Jython, IronPython (Jan Persson)
|
| T-SQL
|
Included: T-SQL, Transact-SQL
|
| Tcl/Tk
|
Included: Tcl/Tk, Tcl, Tk
|
| VB.NET
|
Included: VB.NET, Visual Basic.NET, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic 2005, VB 2005
|
| Visual FoxPro
|
Included: FoxPro, Fox Pro, VFP
|
