Choose a programming language

• Define your project scope and requirements

To ensure that you get the best experience developing your website or application, you will need to determine from the outset which programming language is most suitable for it. This involves defining your requirements, the project’s technical scope, and the features you will develop. While many languages offer similar possibilities, some will be much more effective than others for covering specific development needs. You will find more details below.

• Assess the available resources and skills

Do you have programming skills, or know a developer in your network who is fluent in various programming languages? It’s obviously easier, cheaper and quicker to work with technologies you already know and have experience with. If your project’s requirements mean that this is not an option, you may need to train your teams in new programming languages, or contact freelancers who can work with these languages on a daily basis. Sometimes a specific part of a project may require a different programming language. In this case, it is better to outsource the work to freelance developers who will deliver code on an ad hoc basis.

• The importance of web hosting

Once your application has been created with your chosen programming language, it then needs to be put online. To do this, you can opt for a managed hosting plan, which offers many advantages. By adopting this approach, you do not need to manage a complex architecture, based on an infrastructure that also requires monitoring — our experts do it for you. With our all-inclusive plans, you can ensure you don’t risk exceeding your budget, and you also get a high-availability infrastructure. Get optimal simplicity, so you can focus on what is most important — developing your project. All of these advantages are available with our wide range of OVHcloud web hosting solutions.

With so many different programming languages to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one will be best for your project. Some have stood out over the years, and their popularity is proof of their versatility. When a particular programming language is commonly used, it evolves thanks to its community — and this also represents a great support to assist you in your development projects. Some of the most widely-used languages are:

• Ruby

With object-oriented programming, Ruby stands out for its atypical formalism and its principle of ready-to-use packages, referred to as ‘gems’. This language is easy to use, and flexible enough to suit most projects. The Ruby On Rails framework, based on the Ruby language, will offer many options without complexity.

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• Node.js

Node.js is a software platform based on JavaScript. Its power lies in the fact that it allows you to use JavaScript for both the front-end (client) and the back-end (server). Node.js-related frameworks, tools and APIs are varied, and are used to build multi-platform applications.

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• Python

The Python language offers a high degree of versatility, which makes it a great option if you want to start learning about web development. Python is compatible with most platforms, such as Windows, Linux, MacOS, and even iOS and Android for mobile application development — which makes it suitable for most projects.

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• PHP

PHP is a language based on HTML script. It is open-source, and is used to code dynamic web pages. Its greatest strength lies in its flexibility: it can be used with all major operating systems. It works by supporting a high volume of different databases, which is why it is mainly used for website creation.

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Not familiar with terms like compilation, algorithms, databases, libraries, source code, interpreter, binary, from scratch or open-source? When you’re starting out with computer programming, it is easy to feel lost because of the overwhelming choice of coding languages out there, their uses, and their technical nature.

If you want to experiment with computer development, you can learn a language through programming training. There are hundreds of online courses to self-train and learn a language through concrete practice.


Before you begin, you will need to decide whether you want to perform client-side (front-end) coding — which is what the user will see — or whether you want to focus on server-side (back-end) coding, which is the core of the application. Are you feeling particularly ambitious, and keen to master both aspects of web development? While both sides often involve developing knowledge of very distinct languages, there are alternatives. 
Some languages are more versatile than others. For example, the Node.js framework uses JavaScript to develop both the user interfaces and your system’s core features (API, back-end).

While a basic understanding of programming is certainly useful for developing and publishing your website or e-commerce store, it is no longer a must-have skill. Instead, you can build your website using a CMS (Content Management System), a turn-key web content management system. CMS tools are designed for users to create webpages, websites and even online stores without requiring any knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP or JavaScript. The most well-known CMS for building both personal and business websites or creating a blog is WordPress. PrestaShop is more adapted to e-commerce projects. It is also worth noting that with its plugins, WordPress also offers an e-commerce building block. To help you choose the best CMS for your project, we recommend referring to our comparison of CMS tools for building your website.

Once you have built a website to fit your brand, all you need to do is reserve a domain name and order an easy-to-use web hosting plan.