The choice is wide and large for developers to choose from to cater to the specific programming needs

Programming languages evolve with respect to syntax and features as systems and their applications change. The choice is wide and large for developers to choose from to cater to the specific programming needs. However, some languages keep continuously topping the popularity charts due to certain features other languages do not hold. TOIBE and PYPL are two indices where you can check for the popularity of any programming language. However, GitHub, an online community for programmers ranks programming languages based on the data generated by its millions of users and repositories. Let's have a look at the top 10 programming languages that were doing well in the last five years, according to GitHub 2.0.

1. JavaScript: JavaScript is gradually emerging as one of the most powerful languages because of its performance and universal acceptance, adopted by almost half of the developers. It is a light weighted programming language that can be easily integrated with other frameworks/languages.

2. Python: Python is the most popular language according to almost all indices. With a large data ecosystem that is only growing, is considered a perfect language to develop data pipelines. From Python wrappers for Keras and Tensor Flow to machine learning packages, it is a versatile language finding its place on the top.

3. Java: Java is known for its independent platform, where programs can be run on different types of computers with Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed. It is a robust language that its objects do not hold references to data external to themselves. With an English-like syntax and minimum special characters, it can be learned easily and quickly.

4. Go: Considered Google's internal language, it comes with unique as well as common features when compared to other languages. Its ability to run multiple features concurrently, statically typed syntax and universal Garbage collection features have made Golang a popular language with developers.

5. C++: It is a general purpose language generally applied for game and web development, machine learning, and data mining applications. Often used for system programming and building applications with resource constraints, it is the go-to language whenever you have a large buffer and in cases of high concurrency and need minimum latency.

6. TypeScript: TypeScript's popularity can be gauged by its doubling downloads, which run into millions, every year on npm, the world's largest software registry. This is because it is a popular extension of JavaScript, that adds a type layer on top of existing JavaScript syntax. Though it is largely considered as a compiler, i.e., the syntax, it is a language tool too that works as an editor integrator.

7. Ruby: Used for object-oriented programming, it is a general-purpose, dynamic, interpreted language for object-oriented programming. Its syntax resembles English and even noncoders can pretty much understand the code written in Ruby.

8. PHP: It is the most frequently used programming language for web development. According to W3Techs, 78.8% of websites have PHP programming on the server side. Its popularity lies in its easy-to-use slap-dash code to develop common applications.

9. C#: Developed by Microsoft, C# has gained huge popularity all because of .NET developers. C# has been the preferred language for backend architecture and Windows applications for decades.

10. C: It is a simple-to-understand portable language and serves as a base for learning other programming languages. With a standard C library and structured programming option, it is rightfully considered an evergreen language.