5 Advancements That Will Shape the Future of Programming
Published: 2020-08-03 10:35:46

As many individuals turn to technology, the importance of programming becomes more apparent. While the concept of programming has been existing for half a century now, it shows no sign of slowing down as many developers continue to evolve and revolutionize the industry. In fact, it seems that more advancements happen every year, prompting coders to continually upskill to keep up. That is, after all, the only way for [programmers to avoid becoming obsolete](https://www.techslang.com/will-programmers-become-obsolete-because-of-ai/).

In this post, I rounded up five notable advancements that are likely to change the future of programming.

##1. Cloud-native will become the new normal.
When it comes to software development, the term “cloud-native,” is becoming the latest buzzword. For some, the term is just a temporary hype that would fade away after some time. For others, however, cloud-native technologies will define the future of programming. 

Cloud-native applications help developers auto-scale their creations. With today’s more dependable systems, it has become seemingly effortless for them to optimize program auditing and monitoring. As such, they can focus on other deliverables.

At present, the cloud-native concept is already bringing about positive changes, particularly in software development, deployment, and operation. Now, developers no longer need to decommission applications during system upgrades. A report, in fact, highlighted that shifting to cloud operations can increase business agility, enhance partnerships, and improve customer experience. By 2022, Gartner [predicts](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2018-09-18-gartner-says-28-percent-of-spending-in-key-IT-segments-will-shift-to-the-cloud-by-2022) that the transition to cloud-native applications will increase by 28%, led by big IT industries.

##2. Data will remain important.
All industries, regardless of size, rely on data to run their operations. That’s why data collection is not a brand new concept for many organizations. However, more and more are realizing the importance of data collection, use, and management.

As such, programmers should understand the importance of handling data, such as that found in databases, to make it useful for many. Data will remain an integral part of operations. Programmers who can develop intelligent databases with sophisticated report engines, like those used in business intelligence, would definitely have a place in the future of programming.

##3. Machine learning will continue to flourish.
We are far from the cusp of an [artificial intelligence (AI) winter](https://www.techslang.com/is-an-ai-winter-coming/) because, thankfully, tons of machine learning (ML) developments are keeping programmers busy. In fact, ML will continue to flourish in the years to come as systems are slowly integrated into our daily existence.

Developing ML algorithms for automation purposes can help advance a programmer’s career. Right now, ML relies heavily on coding and programming, which means that programmers can benefit by learning different languages, such as R and Python. They should prepare for the future of programming, though, where coding would be minimized due to the proliferation of ML. For now, programming remains critical in improving ML concepts.

##4. Programming codes and regulations will crop up.
One of the issues that somehow slows down technological advancements is the fear of producing something that can be abused and misused. Many fear the future of programming because code is easy to manipulate to serve the interest of a single entity.

That said, people are clamoring for regulators to come up with strict regulations to ensure that programmers stay within the bounds of the law and do not engage in malicious coding. I thus expect to see a future where programming will be at the mercy of regulators.

##5. Progressive web apps will become mainstream.
Today, more and more programmers are going mobile. In the future, I see them shifting to developing progressive web apps (PWAs), which brings together the positive features of web and mobile apps. PWAs will be the future. In fact, several organizations are slowly transforming their web and mobile apps into PWAs. Most are starting with frontend development, as this doesn’t require too many resources.

A notable example of PWA is Pinterest. When the app [became a PWA](https://medium.com/dev-channel/a-pinterest-progressive-web-app-performance-case-study-3bd6ed2e6154), its core engagement, ad click throughs, and user-generated ad revenue increased by 60%, 50%, and 44%, respectively.

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Programming will continue to evolve and radically change how organizations operate. Will the future of programming continue to improve? It’s hard to tell, but staying on top of the latest trends is critical for those who want to remain relevant and beat the competition.