Programming Languages Likely to Fade Away: Nine Declining Languages

Technology constantly evolves, and programming languages are no exception; with the rise of artificial intelligence, developers are increasingly concerned about which languages will remain popular and which will become obsolete.

Multi‑purpose languages such as Python, Java, and JavaScript continue to dominate the market, while many others are slowly fading.

GitHub's yearly ranking of the top ten languages shows JavaScript, Python, and Java consistently occupying the top five positions.

The following nine languages are identified as likely to disappear from mainstream use:

1. R – Once a leader in data analysis, it is being overtaken by Python and now ranks only 21st in the TIOBE index.

2. Visual Basic – Launched in 1991 for Windows, Microsoft announced in March 2020 that it will no longer develop or add features to VB, making its demise almost inevitable.

3. Haskell – Previously favored for financial programming, its slow response times and lack of recent updates have led developers to prefer more flexible languages like Go and Python.

4. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) – Used for automating Microsoft Office, VBA may eventually be replaced by JavaScript despite a gradual transition.

5. Fortran – A 62‑year‑old language for numerical computing and scientific models; although still used in niche areas, it ranks 10th in TIOBE and shows little sign of growth.

6. COBOL – Once popular in the 1960s, it is now being replaced by modern technologies; despite some legacy usage, its future prospects are bleak.

7. Perl – Previously a hot choice for web development, Perl's usage is declining as more efficient languages like Python and JavaScript gain traction.

8. ActionScript – Adobe's ECMAScript variant used for Flash applications; with Flash's demise, ActionScript usage has also dwindled.

9. Pascal – Once popular in education, it has been superseded by newer languages such as Delphi and shows little innovation.

In summary, programming languages evolve with changing technology demands; no single language can satisfy all needs forever, and developers must continuously learn and adapt to stay relevant.