A study of computer programming language adoption for information systems development projects

Abstract

This research examines the main issues surrounding the adoption of a computer programming language for information systems development projects. The adoption of a particular language for any given project is an important strategic business and technical decision. Committing to a particular programming language is a major decision which may have long term implications. As most software systems evolve over time, the programming language used for implementation may have an impact long after the initial systems development phase is over. The purpose of this study was to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that are significant to the adoption of computer programming languages for information systems' development projects in industrial practice. The primary objective of this research was to develop and test a generalised set of language characteristics which highlights the main technical and non-technical factors in programming language adoption and the relative significance of these factors in explaining the adoption of a particular programming language for a given software development project. This paper presents the results of a series of interviews and group exploratory sessions conducted with software project managers, business managers and software development staff on their attitudes, opinions and experience in making important computer programming language decisions. Further, it analyses these factors in the context of best practices and the current state of the relevant literature and proposes an initial set of language characteristics for use by organisations when making important computer programming language adoption decisions.