Who Is Behind the Success of Multiple Programming Technologies?

Introduction:

When we look at the world of programming and modern technologies, we see many languages and frameworks that have gained global popularity. But who is really behind these successes? The secret lies in the strong backing of major companies. The support of these large corporations plays a crucial role in the success or failure of any programming technology. Without consistent and powerful backing, there’s a high chance that the technology will either collapse or lose its popularity over time.

The Importance of Support from Major Companies:

The success of modern technologies like Flutter, React, and Rust would not have been possible without the support of major corporations. For instance, had Google not backed the Dart language, Flutter wouldn’t have succeeded as a cross-platform framework for mobile development. Similarly, without Meta’s (formerly Facebook) support for React, this framework wouldn’t have achieved the massive success it enjoys in web development today. Likewise, Rust—which is supported by Mozilla—has become one of the most powerful modern languages and is now competing with C++ in various fields.

A Harsh Personal Experience:

In the early 1990s, I witnessed a major technological revolution in the field of software that incorporated images, video, and animations into applications. At that time, Macromedia, which was later acquired by Adobe, was a pioneer in this field with programs like Flash and Macromedia Director. However, there was another program called GRASP, which I used to develop educational and productivity applications. This language was based on DOS, and I invested a lot of time in learning and working with it.

In 1995, GRASP’s ownership transferred to a British company, and they updated it to work on Windows 95. I developed a program about the city of Al-Madinah, which became widely popular. The language continued to evolve, adding support for DBF databases, allowing me to develop several market-oriented programs. When the internet reached our city in 1999, I created an Arabic website directory program, which gained wide recognition in computer magazines and newspapers. I also developed a competition program in early 2000, which communicated with the internet backend or microservices in a simple way, with the web applications developed in ASP, later converted to PHP for database connectivity. Tens of thousands of Arab users interacted with these applications.

However, in 2000, the unexpected shock came. The company owning the language announced that it had sold the intellectual property to an American company, which legally took control and stopped further development. The lead developer of the language moved back to California, attempting to start something new, but even today, the site is full of broken links, and no one is actively maintaining it. This experience was disheartening, as I never found another scripting language as specialized as GRASP for its purpose.

Lessons Learned:

This personal experience taught me an important lesson: relying on programming technologies backed by strong, reputable companies is crucial. Learning a language or framework without strong backing can be a huge risk. Today, I prefer working with technologies like Flutter, React, and Rust because they are supported by giants like Google, Meta, and Mozilla, or working with open-source technologies, which continue to evolve with the support of the developer community.

Conclusion:

When choosing a programming technology, it is important to consider its sustainability and the support it receives from major companies or the developer community. Investing in a language or framework without strong backing could lead to disappointment and a waste of time and effort. My advice to programmers is to choose technologies that are backed by major companies or supported by open-source communities to ensure continuity in their learning and development journey.

Wishing everyone the best in selecting the right programming technologies!