Programming Languages Suitable for Unleashing the Power of IoT

The Internet of Things is in its growing stage and the buzzword of the moment. According to Cisco's annual Visual Networking Index, by 2022, machine-to-machine (M2M) connections that support IoT applications will account for more than half of the world's 28.5 billion connected devices. IoT is the biggest platform that mixes the real world and the virtual world with ease. It ensures better security, saves money and time, and makes life easier for people. Combining devices over the internet is what IoT does primarily. It also lets them communicate with humans, applications and each other. The benefits of IoT are significant for many businesses today, and enterprises can heavily maximize their ROI using this value-driven technology. Global companies, enterprises, government organizations are trying hard to tap in the opportunities offered by the Internet of Things.

The Ecosystem of IoT

IoT deployment is also associated with machine learning, image recognition, neural-network driven decision-making and natural language processing. The main purpose of this technology is to make our businesses, homes and cities work better. The widespread adoption of Machine Learning and the Internet of Things will force new business models. The IoT has a large potential in developing economies as the business-to-business applications will probably capture more value and reap near-term cost savings.

The Potential of this New-Age Technology

Thanks to smartphones and advances in Internet connectivity around the world that paved the way to move data processing closer to its source. From smart homes and cities to smart business models, from retail to healthcare- IoT affects every industry. It could prove to be a game-changer for the digital transformation of modern civilization. The range of existing and potential Internet of Things devices is enormous and much more common. The goal of this new-age technology is to analyze, collect and measure data to enhance productivity for better customer experience. The next phase of IoT is all about what we do with the connections and how accurately IoT devices are programmed. Having a good inventory will be important as the number of IoT devices grows.

Programming Languages to Pick for IoT Projects

With an endless parade of new programming languages hitting the market every year, selecting a language for IoT projects is a Herculean task. There are always options, and there will still be confusion for the developers to decide what programming language to work in. There are a few key metrics that we can investigate in our search for the fittest programming languages for IoT development.

JavaScript for IoT Development

The technology of Internet of Things connects different devices and helps them getting smarter and better equipped for use. Event-driven application where every connected device listens to other various events and draw a proper response to the concerned events are the core of the IoT ecosystem. Being an event-driven language, JavaScript perfectly fits the bill in this aspect and has enormous potential in the ever-expanding sector of IoT. 

Node.js is the most popular offshoot in IoT development. Whether it’s by Wifi boards or custom Bluetooth, Arduino or Pi, more devices become connected through Node.js every day. As the main conception of IoT is to communicate to a larger range of devices, using JavaScript makes sense. JavaScript is used for all the HTML and web browsers, and developers can easily move on to IoT development without learning a new language.

JavaScript developers in IoT have sophisticated frameworks and engines specifically designed for constrained devices such as:

• js
• CycloneJS
• Duktape
• Jerry Script

Every part of an IoT system like user interface, servers and devices can be programmed using JavaScript. It is also ideal for creating or connecting to web-services as well as to cloud services. IoT is comprised of a wildly diverse range of device types, many of these systems are still vulnerable. JavaScript provides the much-needed security needed to safeguard IoT-enabled devices.

Python for IoT Development

With the precise readability and syntax, Python programming language has made great strides in IoT development over the last couple of years. Database arrangement and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring any external intervention are the most crucial part of IoT projects. Python’s clean syntax and database arrangement are the right choice available. It’s convenient in more powerful gateways, edge devices and even the cloud.

Small smart gadgets have limited computational power and developers needed the edge to insert maximum functionality using fewer codes. Python gives this edge to the developers and no wonder quickly becoming the most-preferred programming language. The ability to send and/or receive information makes things smart. Using this language a developer doesn’t require to maintain complex codebases. It is the quintessential factor that makes Python a language to rely on for all types of IoT undertakings. Raspberry Pi, one of the finest microcontrollers in the market is built on Python. It shows the flexibility this language offers to the developers.

PHP for IoT Development

Even a few years ago PHP was considered suitable only for developing web applications. Now, it has become increasingly clear that PHP could prove to be a simple programming language to power IoT projects. Powerful technology features along with its advanced concepts have made PHP more flexible than C or Java for the IoT development.

While executing the code, PHP runtime plays a valuable part. Amazing features of PHP along with the ease of use has turned this language a powerful programming language for IoT development. This language supports numerous programming paradigm and renowned for its excellent prototyping capabilities that can play a pivotal part in any project related to IoT development.

Final Thoughts

Developers are often left mystified about the type of programming language that is ideal for the Internet of Things. In the current scenario where IoT usage is rapidly increasing, picking up the programming language for an IoT project requires in-depth thinking about the target environment. Whether it is JavaScript or Python or PHP, all the top contenders have their unique benefits and use cases. In order to get the best match for your IoT requirements, it is highly important to understand the existing IT trends and select the programming language accordingly.

You may also be interested in: