List of the Top 7 Programming Languages in New Zealand in 2026

Delphi stands out as the premier IDE for developing cross-platform applications that are compiled natively. Are you prepared to design the most impressive user interfaces of your career? Our VCL framework, alongside the FMX visual framework for Windows, lays the groundwork for creating stunning and user-friendly interfaces that function seamlessly across all platforms, including Windows, macOS, and iOS. You can craft your primary UI layout just once and effortlessly adjust views that cater to specific platforms or devices, eliminating the need to replicate your design work. Take advantage of our visual designer to easily drag and drop both visual and non-visual components into your project. The LiveBindings Designer offers a way to visually link your user interface elements directly to data sources, enhancing your workflow. Additionally, the Live On-Device Preview feature enables you to check your designs in real-time and share them with multiple devices at once. Implementing responsive design is a breeze, thanks to resolution-aware components that adapt to desktops, tablets, and phones. For an enhanced user experience, consider utilizing native controls that are tailored to each platform, ensuring that your application feels right at home on any device. This powerful combination of features makes Delphi an exceptional choice for developers aiming to create high-quality applications.

Visual Basic, which is an object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft, facilitates the quick and easy creation of type-safe applications within the .NET framework. This version specifically focuses on improving the Visual Basic Runtime (microsoft.visualbasic.dll) for .NET Core, making it the first version designed exclusively for that environment. Upcoming revisions are expected to integrate aspects of the Visual Basic Runtime that depend on WinForms technology. The .NET framework itself serves as a dynamic and open-source development platform suitable for building various application types. Regardless of the specific application being developed, the code and project files retain a uniform structure and functionality. This consistency allows developers to utilize the same runtime, application programming interfaces (APIs), and language features throughout all of their projects. A Visual Basic application comprises standard components, with a solution hosting one or more projects; each project may include multiple assemblies, which are compiled from several source files. This organized approach not only helps streamline the development process but also empowers developers to efficiently handle the complexities of their applications. In essence, the framework’s cohesive design fosters a productive environment for developers to innovate and bring their ideas to fruition.

X# is an open-source programming language tailored for the .NET framework and is rooted in the xBase language. It comes in multiple versions such as Core, Visual Objects, Vulcan.NET, xBase++, Harbour, and Foxpro, among others. Developed on the Roslyn platform, which underpins contemporary Microsoft C# and Visual Basic compilers, X# features a wide array of enhancements. A newly introduced options page (tools/options/text editor/X#) permits users to customize the suggestions offered by the editor in the general code completion list. The code completion functionality is crafted to present pertinent namespaces, types, and members after a colon or dot, while suggestions following AS or IS are geared towards types and namespaces. To strengthen compatibility with FoxPro and Xbase++, several preprocessor enhancements have been integrated, including the introduction of the #if and #stdout commands. Additionally, various minor tweaks within the RDD system have been executed to improve its compatibility with Visual Objects, XBase++, and FoxPro, thereby ensuring a more fluid development process. These refinements are a testament to our dedication to ongoing enhancement and responsiveness to user input, as we continually strive to meet the evolving needs of developers.

AMPL is a powerful and intuitive modeling language crafted for articulating and solving complex optimization problems. It empowers users to formulate mathematical models with a syntax akin to algebraic expressions, which facilitates a clear and efficient representation of variables, objectives, and constraints. The language supports a wide array of problem types, encompassing linear programming, nonlinear programming, and mixed-integer programming, among others. One of AMPL's notable strengths lies in its ability to separate models from data, offering both flexibility and scalability for large-scale optimization challenges. Moreover, the platform seamlessly integrates with various solvers, including both commercial and open-source options, allowing users to choose the most appropriate solver for their specific needs. In addition, AMPL is compatible with several operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, and offers a variety of licensing options to meet diverse user requirements. This adaptability and user-centric design render AMPL an outstanding option for both individuals and organizations engaged in tackling sophisticated optimization tasks. Its extensive features and capabilities ensure that users are well-equipped to handle a broad spectrum of optimization scenarios.

In Visual Studio 2022, the default target framework for .NET Core projects is set to version 6.0, whereas for .NET Framework projects, it typically defaults to version 4.7.2. You can easily locate the selector for the .NET Framework version on the project configuration page during the new project creation process. It is important to note that C++/CLI is not included by default when you install the C++ workload in Visual Studio. If you want to add this feature after installation, you can access the Visual Studio Installer from the Windows Start menu and search for the relevant option. After launching the installer, click the modify button next to your installed version of Visual Studio, navigate to the Individual components tab, and scroll down to the section for compilers, build tools, and runtimes to enable C++/CLI support for the latest v143 build tools. Once you have made your selections, simply click modify to download the required components and update your Visual Studio environment. By leveraging C++/CLI, it becomes possible to create C++ applications that utilize both .NET classes and native C++ types, providing a powerful tool for developing console applications. This capability enhances the interoperability of managed and unmanaged code, significantly improving the overall functionality and versatility of your projects. Consequently, developers can take full advantage of the extensive features provided by both C++ and .NET frameworks.

Clojure is recognized as a practical, efficient, and adaptable programming language that features a comprehensive set of tools, forming a cohesive and powerful toolkit. This dynamic and general-purpose language combines the accessibility and interactivity typical of scripting languages with a robust structure suitable for multithreaded programming. While Clojure is classified as a compiled language, it retains its dynamic nature, ensuring that all its capabilities remain available during runtime. The language allows for smooth integration with Java frameworks and includes optional type hints and type inference that enhance Java calls by circumventing reflection. As a Lisp dialect, Clojure advocates for the code-as-data concept and provides an advanced macro system. Primarily designed for functional programming, it offers a wide variety of immutable and persistent data structures. In cases where mutable state is necessary, Clojure incorporates a software transactional memory system and a reactive Agent system, rendering it a versatile option for diverse programming challenges. Furthermore, the language's focus on concurrency and simplicity makes it particularly attractive to developers seeking efficient and effective solutions in their projects. This combination of features establishes Clojure as a compelling choice for anyone serious about programming.

Ada stands out as a sophisticated programming language that is widely adopted by development teams around the world for a variety of software projects, ranging from microkernels and streamlined real-time embedded systems to large-scale enterprise applications and beyond. The compelling advantage of using Ada lies in its capacity to empower developers to write reliable and efficient code, thereby ensuring functionality while effectively reducing time and resource expenditure. A notable feature of Ada is its effectiveness in identifying and addressing bugs early in the software development process, which is when rectifying these issues is the most economical. The success of many applications that function under strict constraints for time or space underscores Ada's capability to facilitate the development of software that is not only dependable, safe, and secure but also focused on performance. Furthermore, Ada boasts comprehensive features typical of a modern programming language, including strong support for concurrent programming and multicore processing, which enhances its versatility and strength as a development tool. By choosing Ada, teams can experience a significant boost in productivity alongside the delivery of high-quality software solutions, ultimately fostering a more efficient development environment. This combination of reliability and advanced technical capabilities makes Ada a preferred choice for many developers looking to tackle complex projects.