Fortran was within the prime 10 of the TIOBE Programming Group Index in April and Might, prompting a query from the TIOBE group. Why is that this programming language, created in 1957, fashionable once more in 2024? In any other case, there hasn’t been a lot motion within the top 10 rankings in comparison with final month.
The TIOBE Programming Group Index exhibits tendencies in programming languages based mostly on search engine quantity.
Why Fortran is again in TIOBE’s prime 10
TIOBE Software program CEO Paul Jansen famous there are a number of explanation why Fortran is fashionable once more.
First, Fortran is very good at numerical evaluation and computational arithmetic. Numerical and mathematical computing is rising as a result of curiosity in synthetic intelligence is rising, Jansen instructed TechRepublic in an e mail.
“All those models need to be calculated,” Jansen stated.
Fortran has some benefits over the opposite programming languages that can be utilized in numerical and mathematical computing. Jansen wrote within the Might replace of the index: “Python: choice number one, but slow, MATLAB: very easy to use for mathematical computation but it comes with expensive licenses, C/C++: mainstream and fast, but they have no native mathematical computation support, R: very similar to Python, but less popular and slow, Julia: the rising new kid on the block, but not mature yet.” Subsequently, Fortran is a comparatively cheap, quick and versatile selection.
Second, Fortran is regaining reputation within the space of picture processing, similar to that utilized in gaming and medical imaging, he stated.
Fortran remains to be being up to date; the ISO Fortran 2023 specification definition was printed in November 2023.
The venerable language is “fast, having native mathematical computation support, mature, and free of charge,” Jansen stated.
Different modifications within the TIOBE Index in Might
Elsewhere within the TIOBE prime 10, Python, C and C++ comfortably maintain their spots within the prime three. Final month, Jansen predicted PHP’s reputation would fade, and he was proper. PHP sat at 1.09% reputation in April and 0.97% in Might, persevering with its downward development. PHP fell from quantity eight to quantity 16 over the past 12 months.
