The JetBrains’ State of Developer Ecosystem 2023 survey provides a comprehensive glimpse into the prevailing trends and dynamics shaping the software industry.
This concise summary provides comments and insights from industry experts at TechRepublic, guiding you to translate the survey results into actionable steps for navigating the constantly shifting landscape of software development.
Python maintains its popularity and widespread utility among developers
Despite the fast-paced evolution of programming languages, Python continues to maintain a firm grasp on developers’ preferences, as reflected by the responses. One key observation is the consistent growth in Python’s adoption across various domains such as data analysis (47%), machine learning (42%) and web development (40%).
Rob Gravelle, a freelance writer for TechRepublic, believes that this versatility underscores Python’s applicability across scientific research, machine learning applications and web-based projects. This broad scope of application demonstrates Python’s resilience and adaptability, making it a go-to choice for developers working across different industries.
Another noteworthy trend highlighted by Gravelle is the synergy between Python and its associated frameworks and libraries. The survey reveals that Python developers frequently utilize frameworks such as Django (40%) and Flask (39%) for web development, while also leveraging data science tools such as NumPy (64%) and pandas (59%) for data analysis. This cross-utilization has highlighted Python’s seamless integration with specialized tools, enabling developers to address specific challenges effectively.
Respondents showed a high interest in learning new languages, with Python (27%) leading the list of languages they have started or continue to learn. Over 50% of those who are learning new languages do it out of interest, while 44% and 43% of learners are motivated by personal projects and keeping up with the latest trends, respectively. Python’s popularity is confirmed by the TIOBE Index. Furthermore, TechRepublic Director of Content Tamara Scott regards Python as a useful language for any developer considering the ongoing explosions in AI, automation, data analysis and data visualization needs across many organizations.
Based on the 2023 survey results, Gravelle expects Python’s enduring appeal as a versatile and adaptable programming language to be capable of powering a wide array of applications and benefiting from a rich ecosystem of frameworks, libraries and development tools. Python’s widespread adoption and continued growth further emphasize its relevance in the ever-evolving landscape of programming languages.
React continues to dominate the JavaScript ecosystem
At the forefront of the JavaScript framework landscape, React’s towering usage share of 58% showcases its continued dominance. Gravelle believes that this high adoption rate speaks volumes about its appeal as a robust and versatile front-end solution. Likewise, React’s popularity is a testament to its efficient component-based architecture, which empowers developers to build sophisticated user interfaces with ease.
Vue.js also emerged as a noteworthy contender with a 32% share. Gravelle deems that Vue’s rise over the years reflects its approachable learning curve and flexibility, making it an ideal choice for developers working with JavaScript.
The rise of Typescript
According to Gravelle, TypeScript’s 38% presence as a preferred language alongside JavaScript highlights the industry’s shift toward static typing and developer-friendly tooling. While JavaScript remains the cornerstone of web development, TypeScript’s rise suggests a growing recognition of the need for enhanced type safety and robust development workflows.
Gravelle explained that this interplay exemplifies how JavaScript has evolved beyond its initial implementation as a loosely typed scripting language. By pairing JavaScript with TypeScript, it now appeals to a broad spectrum of developers, ranging from those who appreciate dynamic scripting to those who embrace the rigor of type systems.
Terraform is no longer used in configuration management
TechRepublic freelance writer Scott Matteson found it interesting that nobody participating in this survey is using Terraform anymore — at least not for configuration management — and they now seem to be using nothing, whereas over a quarter of last year’s respondents were. While Terraform has lost ground in the configuration management space, 25% of respondents are still using it for infrastructure provisioning.
Test engineers are urged to cultivate proficiency in coding
Organizations are becoming better educated on the importance of testing, especially automated testing, so it’s probably no surprise to learn that the number of organizations where more than half of QA professionals do only manual testing is just 27%. With this, William J. Francis, a freelance writer for TechRepublic, anticipates that test engineers may need coding skills in their toolbox, especially since the majority of organizations (73% of respondents) staff 1-3 QA per 10 developers. Even at a 3-10 ratio, leveraging code and automation to multiply test coverage is becoming essential.
JUnit aced Postman in testing tool preference
QA professionals rely on testing tools and frameworks. In the 2022 JetBrains survey, the most popular testing tool for professionals was Postman, followed by the frameworks JUnit and Jest. This year, JUnit has surpassed Postman in popularity, now being used by 33% of respondents — as opposed to just 31% in 2022. Postman is generally associated with the testing of APIs, while JUnit is a framework for unit testing, usually the business layer. Based on these results, Francis concluded that the automation focus has shifted away from the API and user interface, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Flutter and React-Native are leading the cross-platform frameworks
Francis reported, “Gone are the days of stiff, clunky-feeling cross-platform applications.” Modern frameworks such as Flutter and React-Native are able to create immersive native-like experiences, so it is no surprise these are the number one and number two cross-platform frameworks in use by survey participants: 47% of respondents reported developing applications with Flutter and 36% using React-Native.
Francis further emphasized that both of these frameworks are likely to feel familiar to web developers. With the popularity of web applications in general and a rise in full-stack web developers, Flutter and React-Native are natural choices.
Despite the rise of cross-platform frameworks, Francis pointed out that those who are planning to hire a mobile developer may be surprised to learn that it is still not that common for developers to be proficient on both Android and iOS. In this survey, just 39% of respondents reported that 2–4 developers on their team were working on iOS and Android simultaneously. Francis explained that this is because, even when using cross-platform frameworks, developers still need to know and make a number of platform-specific calls, and both Android and iOS have hundreds of platform calls to learn, and those calls can change with each new version of the operating system.
Conclusion
The results of the State of the Developer Ecosystem 2023 survey, supplemented by insights from our industry experts, highlight the vital value of being up-to-date on the newest developments in software development. The rapid development of programming languages, as well as shifting preferences in tools and frameworks, all underscore the industry’s dynamic nature.
These trends must be recognized by developers and organizations as guideposts, revealing not only the present state but also the future trajectories of software development. In an era of constant advancement and technological breakthroughs, staying informed and adaptable is not only desirable but also necessary to effectively cope with this ever-evolving landscape.
