4 Key Takeaways from Stack Overflow Survey 2017

Last week, Stack Overflow released its 2017 Developer Survey results and a lot of the outcomes resonated last year’s result, but there are a very few things that I’d like to highlight as key takeaways.

1. i_am_most_wanted_language.py

Python has overtaken PHP as the fifth most popular programming language among the SO community following JS, SQL, Java, C#.

It’s not that Python has ranked up in the popular programming languages list, Python has also become the language that developers wanted to use the most.

2. I’m a beginner, Recommend me a way to learn <this language>

One of the most frequently asked questions in any community is ‘How can a complete beginner learn that the community is already familiar with — like a programming language?’ and SO Dev community’s top answer to it is: Taking Online Courses followed by the most conventional method — Buying Books and working out the exercises.

3. I’m already a dev (at least I call myself so), so How to Up my skills?

SO Community almost resonated the global developer community while answering the best way to Up skills one’s skills (who are already into development): Reading Official Documentation.

This may sound very trivial for newbies but it’s one of the most efficient ways to build expertise in technology, in fact, a newbie who builds this habit of going through official documentation while learning a new language can leverage this habit to become a subject-matter expert in that language.

Image Courtesy: https://priceonomics.com/stack-overflow-and-the-zeitgeist-of-computer/

And of course, the best companion of any developer — I mean REAL DEV — on this planet (only on this planet) is Stack Overflow Q&As, going through which, is a one of the practical ways of building up expertise. To start with, Pick up a SO Tag — like js or py, and going through the frequent and featured questions and understanding the best practices of questiong and answering on SO and getting on board with the community.

4. Developer + Data Science/Machine Learning == $$$$$

Data is the new oil and Industry’s hunger to extract valuable information out of Data chunk puts Developers with Data Science or Machine Learning skills in Unicorn club in terms of both demand and salary.

Check out the complete Survey Results here!