Blink, and you might just miss the invention of yet another programming language. The old joke goes that programmers spend 20% of their time coding and 80% of their time deciding what language to use.

When Ned first opened up the can o’ worms of “which programming language is the best,” it seemed like a fine opportunity for an argument, Monty Python style.

Which programming language should I use? A guide for early-career researchers Computer scientists and bioinformaticians address four key questions to help rookie coders to make the right choice.