The C language has been a programming staple for decades. Here’s how it stacks up against C++, Java, C#, Go, Rust, Python, and the newest kid on the block—Carbon.

About 22 percent of all software programmers used C++, and 19 percent used C as of 2023, according to Statista, making them less popular than JavaScript, Python, Java and a few others.

C: A programming language often used in app and system development. Its syntax is similar to other popular languages, making it a useful branching-off point for beginner developers.

It was also the top language respondents wanted to learn. However, IEEE Spectrum earlier this year ranked Python as the top language, ahead of C, Java, C++, C#, R, JavaScript PHP, Google's Go, and ...

News C Leads, Java Slips, C++, C# and R Climbing Fast in TIOBE Rankings By John K. Waters September 8, 2020 The results of the September TIOBE Programming Community index are in, and the C language ...

Java was ranked top in April 2020, its highest position since 2001, and dropped to number 4 in September 2023, its lowest position (since 2001) after being overtaken by C++, C, and Python.

Java showed a dramatic decline of -3.92% on TIOBE’s system. While the programming language still sits at number four, Jansen notes that C# has never been this close to catching up to Java.

It’s taking some time for them to adapt their knowledge of C++, C, or Java to C#. They are productive within a month or two, and fully adjusted in less than a year.