Programming Laguages to Know

I tend to get a chuckle when I read on Medium articles on which programming language you should learn. Why is this pertinent today? During the weekly department meeting, we talked about our supported tech stack.

As an ERP Programmer/Analyst for a Community College, there are some things that I am expected to know:

Languages that I must be aware of or at least be able to fake it.

Other tech concepts

• Linux (I use Currently use Windows Linux Subsystem. I no longer have time to geek out on dedicated boxes or Virtual Box)

• Shell (Bash and Ksh)

• Ssh and key management

• REST

• JSON (To me, it is a lightweight object serialization). Mostly for API calls

• CSV Many people would like to have CSV dead. When it comes to disparate systems

• Single sign-on (both SAML and CAS)

• I need to be a subject matter expert to the population I serve.

I included that TIOBE index ranking because not everything is the latest or greatest. Not everything is what the cool kids want to do. It is the languages that pay my bills probably for the next 10 years.

Why do I need to know this? I work at an Oracle Linux shop. My job, for the most part, dictates what I use. Can I use other technologies? Yes, but I will not have a backup. If I get sick or want a vacation, I hurt my employer because my counterparts may not have the skill set to solve things quickly.

PL/SQL, SQL, SHELL are just musts. I cannot even do the job without it. I use SQL Developer for PL/SQL and SQL. It saves my college money. Python was something that I picked up because a vendor that I was exporting data from Oracle made libraries in Python.

Bottom line, what is the Programming Laguage to know? It is the one that will pay your bills. Everything else is a hobby. (Please note: hobbies are not bad, they keep you relelevant so that when technologies change, you are ready).

References

“Index | TIOBE - The Software Quality Company.” TIOBE Software BV, www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index. Accessed 29 Jan. 2022.