Unsurprisingly, Python dominated among big data developers that use Apache Spark analytics engine, with 66% citing Python as the language they use with Spark, followed by Java at 34% and Scala at 11%.

When you compare Java vs. Python application development in terms of simplicity, conciseness, security and performance, Java comes out on top in every category.

Python remains a firm favourite programming language among developers, but when it comes to the popularity -- or otherwise -- of Java and JavaScript, the answer depends on which coders you ask.

Java has a lot going for it, but it's not the top language for data science. Java professionals may want to familiarize themselves with Python or R for data science workflows.

JavaScript, Java, and Python skills are most in-demand by recruiters, according to a report published this week by tech hiring platforms CodinGame and CoderPad.