Every year, JetBrainsthe maker of development tools like IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm, compiles its “State of the Developer Ecosystem Report” and the 2024 edition offers plenty of information for the tech community to dissect.
Based on input from more than 26,000 developers worldwide, this year’s edition highlights key trends in programming languages, tools and processes, with a particular focus on the adoption of AI, career changes, and the state of developer experience (DevEx).
The growing acceptance of AI in development tools
Leading the way in the 2024 report is the reduction in fear about AI among developers.
While the rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and Google Gemini initially sparked widespread concern about their employment and ethics implications, the report suggests developers are increasingly paying attention . adopt these technologies.
AI tools are already paying productivity dividends. Specifically, “73% of developers have tried and 56% regularly use ChatGPT for coding and other development-related activities. »
GitHub Copilot, the second most popular tool, has been “tried by 42% and is regularly used by 29%” of developers. This adoption coincides with perceived benefits such as “less time spent searching for information” (67% of respondents) and “faster coding and development” (58%).
Developers estimate that these tools save a lot of time, with nearly 60% reporting they save between 1 and 4 hours per week. However, adoption remains contested in the workplace, with only 29% of companies allowing the use of third-party AI tools for all projects.
A slightly lower percentage (26%) allows AI tools for certain projects only, while 25% admit to having no policies governing the use of AI. Only 11% ban AI completely.
Of course, concerns remain about AI-based technologies. “new era of slop” for things like safety reports.
JavaScript reigns while TypeScript and Rust surge
JavaScript maintains its position as the world’s most popular programming language, used by 61% of developers worldwide to build websites, according to findings from JetBrains. However, TypeScript and Rust are leading a new wave of languages emphasizing security, performance, and developer satisfaction.
“Will TypeScript replace JavaScript? the report asks rhetorically – and answers: “The shortest answer is NO! JavaScript is one of the most popular and fundamental technologies in the software development industry, and it’s safe to say that it’s not going away any time soon.
Instead, TypeScript is increasingly seen as a complementary extension to JavaScript. The language, which introduces static typing to improve error detection and maintainability, has grown rapidly from an adoption rate of just 12% in 2017 to a significant 37% this year.
Rustmeanwhile, set a new usage record among popular languages. Known for its strong memory safety guarantees and concurrent programming capabilities, the report notes that as Rust’s user base grows, it aspires to “replace C++ with its strict security and proprietary mechanisms of memory”. In fact, one in six Go developers surveyed are considering adopting Rust as their next skill.
The report also features the JetBrains Language Promise Index, which combines factors such as audience growth and developer intent to adopt or switch languages. TypeScript, Rust and Python dominate this new index, demonstrating a promising future for all three.
Python, in particular, continues its steady rise: it is now used by more than half (57%) of the world’s developers thanks to its versatility in areas such as AI, data science, and web development. The report notes Python’s impressive rise, from “a 32% share in our first survey seven years ago” to its current position as an indispensable tool for coding professionals.
Split between desktop development and mobile development
Challenging the notion that mobile development has overtaken desktop, JetBrains believes that desktop applications still have the advantage.
According to the 2024 Developer Ecosystem Report, 38% of developers now target desktop platforms for their work, compared to 32% for mobile. Similarly, developers run their code primarily on browsers (58%), but desktops are not far behind at 53%. This balance highlights the continued relevance of desktop computers in areas requiring greater computing power or specialized tools.
Testing has become more robust and accessible over the years, thanks to tools like Playwright, Selenium, and JetBrains Aqua. Unit testing is the most popular type (used by 78% of developers), followed by integration (63%) and end-to-end (48%) testing. Only 5% of those surveyed admitted that they bypassed testing altogether.
As for databases, the usual suspects continue to dominate. MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite and Redis remain at the top of the most used databases, demonstrating little disruption in the ecosystem. Open source solutions seem particularly well established as the backbone of current applications. Interestingly, PostgreSQL has steadily gained market share, reaching 45% of developers this year.
Developer experience gaining ground
The concept of developer experience (DevEx) – referring to developers’ satisfaction with their tools, environments and workflows – is gaining traction, according to the 2024 Ecosystem Report.
Nearly half of tech leaders say their company actively measures some aspect of developer productivity and experience, with 16% employing specialists or dedicated teams for this purpose. While team leaders are the main players in assessing productivity (67%), specialized platform engineering teams are also working to improve developer satisfaction.
Factors that influence DevEx include both technical and non-technical considerations, such as streamlined tools and clear communication channels. As DevEx is increasingly associated with creating effective development cycles, organizations are prioritizing its evaluation.
Demographics, salaries and unnecessary meetings
Developer salaries continue to vary widely by region. The highest median annual salaries were reported in the United States ($144,000), followed by the United Kingdom ($82,200) and Canada ($80,100).
At the other end of the spectrum, developers in India and the Middle East reported median figures of just $18,000. For the highest paying languages, Scala, Go, Kotlin, and C lead the pack, with developer preference steadily increasing for these. sought-after skills.
Gender disparities remain in high-paying positions. Only 31% of the highest paid employees (defined as those with incomes in the top quartile in their region) are women, suggesting that significant work remains to be done to achieve pay equality.
Developers report spending the majority of their work time directly tackling code, with 46% spending more than 60% of their work hours on coding activities. However, meetings, work-related chats, and emails still compete for attention.
Although effective communication is essential, 33% of respondents spend between 10 and 20% of their time on these activities. Frustrations with unnecessary meetings were also highlighted.
Overall, JetBrains’ 2024 “State of the Developer Ecosystem Report” once again highlights key trends among developers, including the growing acceptance of AI tools like ChatGPT and developer experience (DevEx), which is becoming a priority for companies seeking greater satisfaction and efficiency.
As we head toward the end of the year, we look forward to tracking these trends through 2025 and beyond.
(Photo by Brooke Cagle)
See also: Linux Foundation releases open source “Census III” report
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