Top 10 Software Development Stories of 2023 (So Far)

In the first half of 2023, we've analyzed past trends and forecasted new developments, including the future of AI-generated coding, the dwindling of blockchain programming, and resilient job prospects for software developers amidst an uncertain jobs market.

1. 5 Software Development Trends to Watch in 2023

At the beginning of 2023, we forecasted trends in software development this year. Read more about the accelerating use of AI-generated code, the wind-down of blockchain development, a bumpy job market, and more in our trends-watch from January.

Related: App Dev Leaders Struggle with Rising Workloads, Limited Time for Innovation

2. Blockchain, JavaScript Most In-Demand Programming Skills

The demand for blockchain programming skills soared in 2022 despite crashes in the crypto market, according to DevSkiller's Digital & IT Skills Report 2023. The report listed JavaScript, Java, SQL, and Python as the most sought-after programming skills by hiring managers.

 3. Pros and Cons of Outsourced Software Development

Cost savings, access to specialized talent, and scalability stand out as reasons to outsource software development. But organizations should also consider the potential risks, including issues of software maintenance, quality, and communication. Our technical explainer from March gives an overview of outsourced development and its alternatives.

Related: Attracting Senior Software Developers: Salaries, Workplace Culture Matter

4. Looking Back: 5 Major Software Development Trends of 2022

Our retrospective look at the software development trends of 2022 reflected on changes in AI-assisted coding and open source licensing, while highlighting a growing resistance to shift-left development practices. Learn about which programming languages have faded in popularity and which have seen a surge in adoption.

Related: AI-Assisted Coding: What Software Developers Need to Know

5. Open Source, Cloud, and AI Tech Most Trusted by Developers

A Stack Overflow survey found that open source was the most trusted technology by developers, along with cloud computing and machine learning. Read about the promise respondents saw in AI-assisted technology and why developers see open source as the "north star" for technology professionals.

Related: 7 Open Source Tools That Benefit IT Operations Teams

6. Demand for Software Developers Still High Despite Cloudy Economic Outlook

While job postings for developers inched downward from a high in March 2022, developers remained optimistic about job prospects, according to CoderPad's global State of Tech Hiring in 2023 survey. The report cited the increasing reliance on cloud computing, cybersecurity expertise, and resilient growth in tech as reasons for optimism.

7. Why 'Build Once, Run Anywhere' Is a False Promise – And Always Will Be

While cross-platform languages like Java have made life easier for developers, software development will never truly be rid of the environment-specific variables that make "build once, run anywhere" impossible, according to ITPro Today contributor Christopher Tozzi. Tozzi reviewed the history of this idealistic premise and the reasons why it remains impractical in the world of software development.

8. Developer Interest in AI, NLP Grows, Driven by ChatGPT

The arrival of ChatGPT represents a major shift in developer interest in AI, according to a survey from O'Reilly. Read about the implications ChatGPT has on writing code and learning to program.

9. Microsoft Build: How AI as Copilot Gets Developers to Think Intuitively

Microsoft and OpenAI executives discussed how AI can benefit software developers. Learn about how AI can positively "copilot" designers in this exchange from Microsoft Build 2023.

Related: Microsoft Copilot: The Star of Microsoft Build 2023

10. How Are Modern Developer Machines Configured?

In this technical explainer, we guide readers through an overview of modern developer machines. Learn about recent advances, such as the ability to run Linux on Windows, the rise of containerization framework Docker, and the advantages of lightweight Kubernetes distributions.