Let's gaze into the software development crystal ball and see what may lay ahead...
Prediction 1: Programming languages
We will confidently put money on JavaScript, Python and SQL still dominating the most popular Programming Language lists. We can of course add HTML and CSS to this list (ok, ok - they aren't strictly programming languages per se; but there you are!). No surprises there then!
However, things get interesting when we take a look at the desired languages that developers have in their sights. Less-popular languages often dominate here - in the past, Java was often one of the most widely used, but one of the least desired languages! Currently languages such as Rust and Go tend to do very well in the ‘desired’ list but are less in demand (at least in the commercial world). We'll have a flutter on Rust for this one.
Within the ‘desired’ list there can also be some far more unusual languages such as Zig and Lua. Zig is a general-purpose programming language that aims to be readable and simple to work with alternative to C++. Currently it is not very widely used, but those who do use it tend to really like it. Lua is an embeddable scripting language, that allows programs to be written in several different programming paradigms including functional, object oriented, and data driven. Lua is popular with developers due in part to its gentle learning curve and ease of embedding into other applications. Currently, it is not widely used outside of the gaming, finance and embedded Internet of Things (IoT) domains but might just get its day.
Prediction 2: Databases
As with programming languages, the old stalwarts will probably dominate the database section of the survey. By that we mean Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and Oracle. However, PostgreSQL, which only entered the developer survey in 2018, but has come to dominate the charts, will continue to do so. Of course, NoSQL databases such as MongoDB and Redis will also remain popular.
Perhaps the two things to look for will be the continued adoption of cloud native databases, with increased multi-cloud adoption taking place. It is also likely that AI powered databases, which integrate ‘intelligent’ search and query optimization into their systems, will also feature.
Prediction 3: Cloud Platforms
We mentioned Cloud Platforms in the previous section, as you might expect Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud are likely to still dominate this section.
One trend to look for in the StackOverflow survey is the rise of AI-Driven Cloud Services. For example, cloud vendors are already making extensive use of AI within their cloud management systems. AI can be used to automate systems management, improve security, understand the behaviour of complex cloud services, help with the provisioning of new services across multiple supply chains, using different technologies (and potentially different cloud vendors) etc. All the cloud vendors are in a technology arms race to integrate AI within their cloud infrastructures, and some are likely to do it better than others.
Prediction 4: Edge Computing
Edge Computing will increase in importance. Edge Computing is the idea that data processing functions should be placed closer to the source of that data rather than in some remote processing facilities. The source of the data may well be devices such as smart vehicles, domestic home products or other devices which might be labelled as part of the Internet of things (Iot). Thanks to IoT, Edge Computing will increasingly be a focus of attention and will probably be highlighted in the StackOverflow survey.
Prediction 5: IDEs / Editors
There will be no surprises we believe in the IDE section where Visual Studio Code (or VSC as most people know it) will again dominate the StackOverflow survey results. The rise and rise of this relatively simple IDE seems to know no bounds. It continues to be used by more and more developers. When this writer first used VSC they did not see the allure; indeed, it felt a step backward from its contemporary IDEs at launch. How wrong we have been, VSC is now by and far the most widely used IDE for w huge range of programming languages and indeed technological tasks.
Of course, VSC does not have things all its own way, within specific languages other IDEs are also very widely used. For example, the JetBrains IntelliJ derived family of IDEs are also hugely popular with PyCharm being one of the most widely used for Python (along with VSC) and IntelliJ IDEA being a particularly popular IDE for Java, Scala and Kotlin.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the editor / IDE lists will be the continued prevalence of ‘old school’ style editors such as Vim and Neovim. Vim (and its predecessor Vi) have been around forever and were widely used back in the 70s and 80s (where there was the constant Vi versus Emacs ‘wars’). Unlike its contemporary Emacs though, Vim is still widely used. In fact, it is not just widely used it is often beloved by its users. Neovim is aims to be a more extensible and more user friendly than the original Vim. It is also widely loved though perhaps not as widely used.
The wide variety in IDEs and Editors that are loved or desired by developers just highlights the diversity within our modern technological world.
Prediction 6: AI
This is perhaps the elephant in the room, and we have intentionally left it to last. You will see a significant emphasis on AI in the survey and its results. This is in part due to the survey itself now including a large number of AI related questions (nearly a quarter, based on some accounts). You could argue that this is an unfair bias, but you only have to look at the mainstream media to see the prevalence of AI in the modern technology world. So, it really should be no surprise to find that the StackOverflow survey will have a significant element related to AI.
We expect that survey respondents will show that their use of AI tools and services will have grown and show a fairly steep upward trend over 2024's results. Whether that is through the use of Generative AI (Gen AI) services such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini or DeepSeek or tools integrated into their respective IDEs, many will now be using AI in some form or other - whether this is to generate tests, help write code or understand / generate documentation.
What intrigues me is the sentiment towards these AI tools. You only have to cast an eye over sources such as Stack Overflow's own community boards, Hacker News and myriad programming Subreddits to see that criticism of "AI as a silver bullet" is rife. This supports our own view that it will be quite some time until true creative software development is replaced by Gen AI - if ever - and that to benefit from code gen and testing tools, you still need to have a good understanding of what is happening under the bonnet (yes, that was a plug for our training courses delivered by highly experienced humans!)
In summary
Will there be any really surprising revelations in the StackOverflow survey? If I really was a gambling man I'd say not. But that's in part because the survey by its very nature is largely retrospective. Will the survey confirm our suspicions? Let's see, shall we?!