9 Bold Predictions Shaping the Future of Programming

Some scientists claim time moves at a constant rate, yet many believe that near‑light‑speed conditions will alter everything we know, a notion that fails to explain the accelerating pace of change in the tech world, which seems impossible to keep up with.

If you want to know which trends to bet on in the next five years, it feels more like a lottery than a technical exercise; predicting high‑tech futures is nearly impossible, and innovation renders many skills and tools ineffective, though occasional signs allow us to glimpse the programming horizon.

Below is a curated list of predictions for the programming industry's future, based on current transformation signals. While we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, most trends should emerge over the coming years and can serve as a roadmap for proactive planning.

Prediction 1: REST will dominate IoT—at least in the early stage

REST has long ruled the web and will further cement its role as thermostats, door locks, and kitchen gadgets become internet‑connected data objects. Apart from REST, these small devices are unlikely to adopt interfaces like SCSI, USB, or SATA.

Programmers love REST for its simplicity; its infrastructure makes it easy to understand and debug. Text‑based data can be inspected, revealing device status, and new security cameras, microwaves, or rotating hair curlers will be controlled by Nginx on port 80, reporting information via HTML and CSS.

Prediction 2: Binary protocols will rise again

While REST‑based JSON is simple compared to verbose XML, some developers seeking ultimate efficiency prefer raw binary strings to ensure compact transmission, especially for IoT where only tiny data packets are needed.

Developing binary protocols is challenging because HTTP is text‑oriented. Proprietary binary formats often require special libraries and may fall short of expectations. Nevertheless, the massive data generated by IoT will push for compact encoding, prompting programmers to explore more binary solutions.

Prediction 3: Video will shrink HTML’s relevance

Where once we surfed webpages, clicked links, and read text, today we spend hours watching videos, often searching for a season on Netflix. The internet is evolving into a TV‑ and streaming‑centric medium, diminishing static text.

Some even argue the internet will render traditional TV obsolete, with users preferring on‑demand clips. While live sports remain, most content will be accessed with a click, and future video apps may add new filtering layers. The decline of Flash and rise of HTML5 could enable tighter video‑HTML integration.

Prediction 4: Smartphones will do everything—except make calls

Smartphones have already reshaped habits; their microphones, cameras, and accelerometers are being repurposed for health monitoring, exercise tracking, and more, with data synced to the cloud for doctors to review.

Next‑gen smart devices will treat such functions as baseline, while navigation apps may control cars and fitness apps will monitor sleep, work, and health, possibly even adding playful ways to handle phone calls.

Prediction 5: Bigger, better databases will dominate

Beyond web search, new databases can index the entire world, powered by location‑aware apps and autonomous vehicles. Services like Waze track users in real time, providing instant updates on traffic, obstacles, or road construction.

Autonomous cars will need detailed data on streetlights, vending machines, and fire hydrants, while city planners can dynamically manage traffic flow. In the near future, databases may record every pothole nationwide, enabling robots to handle maintenance.

Prediction 6: JavaScript will persist, but developers won’t write it directly

If we stop writing JavaScript, transcode bots will generate it. Developers can code in any language, and robots will translate to browser‑ or Node.js‑compatible code, a trend already visible on GitHub.

Languages with many dialects, like CoffeeScript, have spawned dozens of variants. Translators now target Cobol, Java, Lisp, C, and more, converting familiar code into JavaScript‑runnable form, reducing the need to hand‑write JavaScript.

Prediction 7: PHP will make a comeback to challenge Node.js

Traditional PHP applications may need rewriting, but recent releases like PHP 7 and HipHop VM deliver impressive performance, potentially boosting WordPress and Drupal speeds by 30‑100%.

While JavaScript remains dominant for cross‑environment code, improved PHP performance could lure developers back, revitalizing the platform.

Prediction 8: Everyone will be able to code—but few will write “real” code

Widespread coding education aims to teach everyone software development; even former President Obama once spent an hour learning a line of code.

While many will grasp basic loops, only a minority will master complex algorithms and architecture, much like anyone can saw wood, but only carpenters build sturdy houses.

Prediction 9: Prepare for new frustrations

When universal coding training becomes reality, novices will start meddling with everyday tasks, prompting managers to question variable usage, constant suitability, and loop placement, leaving seasoned programmers to smile and endure the chaos.

Original: 9 predictions for the future of programming