Why are there so many programming languages if most programmers use C, C++, Java, and PHP?

Every language have its own pros and cons If u want a light weighted website use php But if website is heavy then php will not support it should be in. Net If website needs to be secure like icicibank axis bank website then php. Net fails it should be in java So every language is usability factor read less

It is just that each language has its own strong points and using that language would be quicker than with others. C and C++ are a little hard when it comes to maintainability since the code base with such applications are really large. So people tend to go for more managed languages like C# and Java. For places where you need to quickly prototype applications or say newly developed algorithms, you could go for Python. Sometimes it is just the coupling to the OS. Good examples would be Apple’s programming language for Mac and iOS. They work really well due to some OS level performance tweaks. One could go on and on about the various strong points about each programming language. You could use any programming language in place of other (which has support) but it would just be time consuming if the later is better at the particular job than the former. In the end if you see there is just one “language” that the computer understands, Binary. Just for abstraction consider Assembly. If assembly is all you need to solve anything, then why was C invented. It just made a whole lot better. It is the same story for every programming language. read less