Top 6 Programming Languages for Cloud Computing

Feb 8, 2023
06 mins 59 seconds

Author: Haziqa Sajid

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Cloud computing is becoming an integral part of IT infrastructure for businesses of all sizes. According to recent research by Synergy Research Group, the global cloud infrastructure market hit $126 Billions in Q1-2022 and is projected to continue growing. With the advent of a cost-effective cloud computing framework, enterprises can handle massive datasets, incorporate flexible working models, and drive innovation through optimized resource allocation. A scalable cloud solution can promptly fulfill increasing bandwidth requirements, eliminating the need for a cumbersome and costly upgrade to on-premise IT infrastructure.

With the exponential growth of cloud services and the increasing demand for high-performance applications, it has become crucial for developers to understand the best programming languages to develop cloud applications. The choice of programming language is the fulcrum of cloud infrastructure performance, impacting everything from development time to scalability and security.

This blog explores the best programming languages for cloud computing. Let’s discuss this in more detail.

Programming Languages for Cloud Computing

The most popular cloud platforms, such as V2 Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), support a range of programming languages, including Java, Python, JavaScript, etc. Below are the most opt-for and industry-leading programming languages that support cloud infrastructure development.

Java

Java is an all-in-one developers’ toolset to develop websites, desktop applications, android, iOS, and games. The language offers a resource-rich library to support all programming tasks. The standard preference among cloud infrastructure developers for developing large-scale, enterprise-grade applications is Java. Java offers robust security features, a large developer community, and excellent compatibility with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and V2 Cloud.

It offers a range of valuable features, including:

  • Being an object-oriented programming language, Java can produce reusable programs and modules (functions, objects, and classes) with varying dependencies.
  • Cloud applications developed on the Java framework are easily supported by all operating systems, including Windows, iOS, Linux, etc.
  • It’s widely used for headless computing due to its compatibility with various operating systems, security features, and support for multithreading.
  • Java features AOT (ahead-of-time) compilation for various serverless computing frameworks, optimizes the performance by pre-compiling the code and reducing the distribution size and cold start latency.

Enterprise-grade security, high performance, and simplicity make Java a perfect language for cloud computing.

Python

Python has emerged as one of the leading languages for cloud computing due to its ease of use, performance, open-source development, third-party integrations, and popularity among developers. Python developers can quickly automate workflows and implement headless computing because of its extensive resource libraries. It is widely used for data analytics, machine learning, game development, image processing, natural language processing, and for the development of complex scientific applications. Upskilling yourself with Python and its libraries can significantly increase your chances of landing well-paid jobs and joining the community of cloud computing professionals.

Supported by AWS Lambda, Python is used for serverless computing in AWS Cloud. It offers dedicated libraries to automate cloud-based workflows, perform data analysis, and build cloud-native apps. It includes:

  • Boto3 SDK – This AWS SDK (Software Development Kit) for Python allows developers to access various AWS services via a simple API.
  • Apache Libcloud – An all-rounder cloud computing library in Python that offers a unified API to interact with different cloud vendors, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
  • OpenStack SDK – A complete user-oriented SDK package including all open-stack python libraries to automate cloud-based workflows such as creating virtual machines & managing network configurations.
  • Pycloud – A pipeline for cloud computing to implement complex data analytics on the cloud with pCloud API.
  • Google Cloud Client Library – A python library to access Google Cloud services, including Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Datastore, & Google Cloud Pub/Sub.

.NET

ASP.NET or .NET, introduced by Microsoft, is widely used programming for web development and cloud-native applications. The language is known for its wide-scale adoption due to its easy-to-use development of dynamic web pages.

A large community of .NET developers and available resource material make the onboarding and development journey easier for entrants and experts. Its significant features include:

  • Allowing developers to create complex applications without writing too much code.
  • Offering a platform-agnostic and user-friendly approach.
  • It implements a separation of concerns (isolation of logic & content) to streamline application development.
  • It utilizes integrated Windows authentication for secure application access.

GoLang

Go, also known as GoLang, is another top pick of cloud developers due to its robust features like concurrency and package management. Created by Google, the Go framework offers a quick and seamless way to develop cloud-native applications.

Go is particularly common in the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It’s a perfect framework for developing cloud-based applications requiring real-time processing and low latency. It’s a fast, simple programming language with an easy-to-adapt syntax that boasts cross-platform compatibility. Moreover, Go offers a unique combination of robust performance like C/C++, Python’s simplicity, and Java’s efficient concurrency handling.

JavaScript

JavaScript, along with HTML and CSS, was instrumental in the development of the internet. Today, it has evolved into a high-level, multi-paradigm programming language and is the leading front-end language for web and cloud-native applications. It provides dynamic interactivity for web pages, including alerts, events, notifications, and pop-ups.

It is also well-suited for serverless computing as it allows experts to easily trigger and respond to events, such as changes in data or user interactions. All major cloud platforms, including AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions, support JavaScript.

Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is a web development framework known for producing a clean and streamlined codebase, making implementing new features more accessible. This framework is ideal for developing complex SaaS and marketplace platforms. Ruby is used for developing various SaaS products by Shopify, Github, and Zendesk. It offers a balance of functionality, a straightforward approach, and reliability, making it a top pick among cloud developers. From developing a high-end cloud infrastructure or a simple application, Ruby on Rails is the go-to place for all your cloud needs.

Its noteworthy features include:

  • Easy to learn and implement for entrants.
  • Open source and easily accessible extensive libraries from Ruby on Rails developer communities
  • Support Multi-threading to facilitate fast processing.

Which Programming Language is Best for Cloud Computing?

All the above programming languages offer industry-leading features to support cloud development in their respective domains. The best programming language for cloud computing among the ones discussed above is based on your experience, expertise, and existing & future requirements. The table below highlights the advantages and limitations of all these programming languages to help you make an informed decision while choosing a framework for your journey as a cloud developer.

Summary

LanguageAdvantageLimitation
Java
  • Java is widely used for developing cloud-based applications, providing a large community of experienced developers.
  • It has a relatively more verbose syntax than other languages. Therefore, writing and maintaining code in Java is more time-consuming.
Python
  • It offers Simple and easy-to-learn syntax, making it a perfect starting point for beginners.
  • Performance is relatively slower than other languages like Java or C++, especially for CPU-intensive tasks.
.NET
  • Offers high performance and scalability, making it well suited for developing enterprise-scale cloud-native applications.
  • It has a relatively steep learning curve compared to other languages like Python and Go, making it more challenging for beginners.
Go
  • Has a simple and concise syntax, making it easy to learn and maintain.
  • It has a relatively small developer community, making it more difficult to find answers to subjective queries.
JavaScript
  • It is widely used for front-end development and is well supported by popular frameworks such as React and Angular.
  • Not as well suited for server-side development as Java, Python, or Ruby, although the server-side capabilities are slightly improved after the advent of Node.js.
Ruby on Rails
  • Ruby offers a rich collection of libraries and tools for various applications, especially for web development.
  • Performance may not be as fast as other languages like Java or C++, especially for CPU-intensive tasks.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is a continuously evolving framework as businesses worldwide look forward to integrating cloud computing into their tech stack. Choosing a suitable programming language is essential for successful cloud deployment and future-proof projects. The programming languages discussed in this blog are some of the best options available that support different cloud services and are highly scalable. Java and Python are widely adopted options that offer all the dedicated resources and libraries to develop cloud-native applications. The one that best serves your needs is highly subjective to the specific requirements of your project. Explore V2 Cloud, a budget-friendly, secure, and fully managed desktop virtualization solution.

Written By: Haziqa Sajid

Freelance tech writer and content marketer for tech, SaaS, and AI companies | Helped 50+ tech businesses with engagement-driven content.