Java is closing in on C++, C is the lone top-five language with a positive annual rating change, and Rust faces close pressure at No. The TIOBE Programming Community Index tracks programming language popularity using search results related to skilled engineers, courses, and third-party vendors. Caption: Historical trends trace the popularity of programming languages over decades. C also ranks one place higher than it did last August, when C++ occupied No. Jansen also says MATLAB has evolved more slowly than languages such as Python, C++, and Rust, which continue to add newer features and programming approaches.