Introduction

Hello, "I'm a Java developer"

Hey, "I'm a Python developer"

Yes, it's possible. Let's discuss the term "polyglot programming applications".

Programming languages have drawn lines within development; this specific programmer can only work on frontend or backend services and thus is dedicated to the specific language only, such as front-end developers who only work with HTML and JavaScript to design UI for applications, whereas coders prefer to work on Java or Python to develop logic for backend services. This causes them to excel in their work skills, and they become attached to the language they prefer or are interested in working with.

However, a recent research survey found that this trend is declining as people choose to use more than one programming language.

According to a 2019 StackOverflow [report], 51.9% of developers identify as full stack developers—meaning they're involved with implementing overall systems rather than just focusing on one component or another (this is a trend that's increasing at an exponential rate)

The point to remember here is that in 2018, only 48.2% of respondents identified as full-stack developers, with the backend outnumbering the front end at 57.9%.

People are becoming more adaptable in their use of languages when developing a product. They use multiple languages to create the best solution for producing high-quality products by combining frameworks, languages, services, and databases.

What is polyglot programming?

The term "polyglot" comes from the Greek words "poly" and "glot," which mean "to speak and write in multiple languages." This term first appeared in 2006, when people began to use it to demonstrate a specific person's understanding of multiple programming languages to solve complex and logical problems.

Polyglot programming is defined as "the practice of writing code in multiple languages to capture additional functionality and efficiency that a single language does not provide."

Why polyglot programming?

This is nothing new in the world of web application development, where there is a stack for frontend and backend development, but it means that multiple stacks are being adapted to develop the same product in specific organizations.

Previously, it was thought that having a single uniform working environment was preferable to using different languages and frameworks to implement the product because the technology was not widely developed at the time when considering day-to-day implementation. They believe that using the proper tools or technology will result in the desired outcome. There are now microservices that use multiple code blocks, separate deployable blocks, based on the requirement for the execution of blocks as per the language used to run a single product for a better experience via request.

Assume we use reactjs and nodejs to develop applications, which is a great choice, but we know that Python at the backend will be more efficient and optimized to perform tasks faster with platform-independent features.

ThoughtWorks strongly advised developers to use a polyglot architecture, stating that "promoting some languages that support different ecosystems is important for developers to have the right tool to solve the problem."

According to a 2018 [study] by CodingDojo, none of the top MNCs use a single language to develop products, with many using multiple back-end frameworks. Netflix has recently announced that it will accept polyglot programming.

Advantages of polyglot applications

• Faster response times: Delivering a soft and user-friendly experience with less response time through faster loading and processing.

• It helps your app scale well: Your application scales exceptionally well with data and is easily scaled to deploy as a single product or in modules that communicate with one another to perform tasks.

• A rich experience: The product created by combining and knowing multiple languages will be optimized and efficient in performing the task.

  Disadvantages of polyglot applications

• It requires you to hire people to integrate different languages: The organization has employees working on single technologies. If they decide to take an approach rather than provide time-consuming training to the existing ones, they must hire new candidates. It is preferable to expand with new technologies.

• Implementers need to learn different approaches: Teams must learn the methodologies for how one code will communicate with another and whether it is suitable for integration to achieve the best results.

• It requires resources to manage: Many resources are required to manage the product for the team, such as deployment, integration, backups, error resolution, and so on, which can be difficult for a team that only speaks one language.

• Testing can be tough: The testing of products that are built by integrating modules from various languages to perform a single task as a single product will be more time-consuming.

  How does polyglot programming benefit?

  Choices: When a team is capable of polyglot programming, they are given multiple solutions to a problem.

  Better Solutions: When faced with a problem, polyglot programming can provide developers with a more flexible approach.

  Increased Performance. Development time is reduced as time spent on selecting the best stack to solve the problem is reduced. The code base becomes simpler as development time is reduced.

  Full-stack Team: Polyglot programming aids in the blurring of the line between frontend and backend developers in your organization. They also have product development knowledge and flexibility.

Tools

Metacall

[Metacall] is an open-source, extensible, and embeddable cross-platform polyglot runtime. Polyglot programming is the practice of writing code in multiple languages to capture additional functionality and efficiency that a single language does not provide. Domain-specific languages (DSLs) have become commonplace in enterprise application development.

It supports NodeJS, Vanilla JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python—there are many other languages supported as well. Metacall makes it easy for developers to add serverless capabilities on top of existing application architectures. The platform is fully open source—making integration a breeze!

MARTINI AND POLYGLOT

[Martini] is a low-code platform that aids in the reduction of repetitive and redundant functions that are frequently required when implementing API services, manipulating data, and securing an application. Low code makes application development easier to manage by providing developers with a drag-and-drop interface for standard methods and functions.

However, low code can only do so much. Low code does not exist to replace native programming; rather, it exists to help developers make the most of their time building products. It is a solution that provides businesses with more opportunities to test their products in less time. Having said that, coding will still be required at times.

Martini now supports polyglot programming to further enhance its low-code capabilities. Martini v.1.2.0 now supports Java, Groovy, JavaScript, Python, Kotlin, and Bash thanks to this new integration.

Polyglot development can now be used by the entire development team:

• Mix and match talent on projects using a developer's preferred languages.

• Front-end developers can participate in the entire API development lifecycle, manage and manipulate data, integrate applications, or build workflows.

• DevOps can use public cloud APIs to automate tasks in Bash; data scientists can use Python expressions and functions to analyze and manipulate data for data streaming and machine learning applications.

• To execute custom functions, developers can use any language they are comfortable with.

  Conclusion

  Polyglot programming is about offering options rather than dictating a specific programming language. This option provides flexibility to both project developers and the IT manager who allocates resources to projects. With polyglot programming, the IT manager has more leeway in selecting resources from the talent pool to work on a new project. Meanwhile, the project team can select a programming language with which they are familiar that is best suited to carrying out a specific function or service.

• #MultilingualCoding #CrossPlatformDev #CodeFlexibility #SoftwareDevelopment