Which language is best for front-end development today?

Which language is best for front-end development today? To answer this question, let’s remember that a programming language is how we “communicate” with computers - by writing a set of instructions using one of many such languages, which computers can then execute.

In the case of front-end web design and development, everything we can see and interact with on a website or web application was created using one or a few front-end programming languages. Their primary purpose is to make the design a reality and add a smooth user experience accomplished through responsiveness and high-quality performance.

Before we move on to our list of best programming languages used for front-end development, a little reminder of our blog serving you other handy articles, such as why order a custom front-end or what a web development company does exactly to create beautiful web products.

Best front-end programming languages in 2022

So, what languages do front-end developers use? Any front-end expert, including our team members, has a few favorite languages to work with. The following are seven must-learn front-end coding languages for a modern website creator.

1. HTML

HTML, with the latest version being HTML5, is one of the most frequented front-end development languages used to create a structure for websites and web apps, which are all those elements that inhabit web pages, such as headers, paragraphs, bullet points, etc.

Being a tag-based hypertext markup language, it determines how everything should be displayed or loaded. HTML is responsible for the functionality and is a core basis for every website, which then gets layered with dynamic features created using the next languages on our list.

2. CSS

The second member of the fundamental front-end developer languages trio is a Cascading Style Sheets. Being responsible for the website’s stylistic features, CSS is more of a design language, making everything presentable for users, easily understood, and formatted the way browsers can display it.

The fact that the style sheets are cascading is a great help for web pages incorporating loads of different content. The styling itself has many variations and features, from fonts and sizes to colors. CSS is layered on top of HTML, alleviating some of the load on the initial code.

3. JavaScript

For those of you wondering - is JavaScript a front-end language? Yes, and it’s yet another one of the essentials. 98 out of 100 websites use it on their client side, and it’s typically the third layer after HTML and CSS, used to add even more advanced functionality, such as frequent content updates, maps, animations, and other dynamic visuals.

Apart from interactivity, JS is also used for task automation in web pages, backend, video games, etc. With the addition of numerous handy libraries like jQuery or Angular, this high-level scripting language can get even easier to work with.

Two of the next four are technically more of a framework or a library than a typical programming language because they were created using one of the languages above as a base. Yet they are still considered a front-end language and are treated as such.

4. React

Initially a JavaScript library that works within JS to boost usability, React is also a programming language for data rendering in browsers and creating modern user interfaces. This open-source tool’s main advantages are easy syntax, extensive documentation, a component-based approach, a smooth learning curve, and SEO support.

5. Elm

Elm is one of the more recent front-end web development languages today and is very beginner-friendly, with a few code restrictions, which, in turn, accommodate fewer errors. Elm is very scalable, has predictable inputs and outputs, and is one of the closest JS alternatives today, along with being used in conjunction with it.

6. TypeScript

TypeScript serves as both its own language and a JS superset, syntactically speaking, which means it’s highly compatible with JS code. What makes TypeScript a great fit for front-end developers is its support for object-oriented design, JavaScript XML, and strict typing, as well as its optional static code typing and easy bug detection.

7. Swift

And last but not least on our list of best languages for front-end development is Swift - a hybrid programming language created by Apple to make applications for Apple, whose products are so widespread now that not at least dabbling in Swift programming, which recently got support for Windows as well, would cause you to miss out on a large audience.

Wrap-up

Anyway, all the languages listed above serve a particular purpose in front-end development. Some add interactivity to web pages. Others work with styles or help with user interaction.

All in all, what language you should add to your front-end stack next solely depends on your current needs and skill set. The first three languages on our list are a must for a total beginner.

As your skill level progresses, the latter four front-end web developer languages will become an excellent continuation in your journey, enabling you to broaden your front-end horizons and establish yourself as a modern developer.