How can you choose the best programming language for ROS?

1 ROS supported languages

The first thing to consider when choosing a programming language for ROS is whether it is officially supported by the ROS ecosystem. Currently, there are two main languages that are fully supported by ROS: C++ and Python. These languages have the most comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, tutorials, libraries, and tools for ROS development. They also have the largest and most active community of ROS developers and users, which means that you can easily find help and support for your projects. Additionally, some ROS features, such as message generation and actionlib, are only available in C++ and Python.

However, this does not mean that you cannot use other programming languages for ROS. There are also several experimental or community-driven projects that provide bindings or interfaces for other languages, such as Java, Lisp, Ruby, Rust, and more. These projects may have varying levels of maturity, stability, and compatibility with different ROS versions and platforms. Therefore, if you want to use a non-supported language for ROS, you should do some research and testing before committing to it.

2 Language features and performance

The second factor to consider when choosing a programming language for ROS is how well it suits your application requirements and preferences. Different languages have different features, strengths, and weaknesses that may affect your development process and performance. For example, C++ is a low-level, compiled, and statically typed language that offers high speed, efficiency, and control over memory and hardware. However, it also has a steep learning curve, complex syntax, and requires more code and debugging than higher-level languages. On the other hand, Python is a high-level, interpreted, and dynamically typed language that offers simplicity, readability, and productivity. However, it also has lower speed, higher memory consumption, and less control over memory and hardware than lower-level languages.

Therefore, you should choose a language that matches your goals, skills, and preferences. For instance, if you need to write fast and efficient code that interacts directly with hardware or low-level libraries, you may prefer C++. If you need to write simple and readable code that integrates with high-level libraries or frameworks, you may prefer Python. Of course, you can also mix and match different languages in your ROS project, as long as they can communicate using the ROS interface.

3 Language availability and compatibility

The third factor to consider when choosing a programming language for ROS is how easy it is to install and use on your target platform and environment. Different languages may have different dependencies, versions, and packages that may affect their availability and compatibility with your system. For example, some languages may require a specific compiler, interpreter, or runtime environment to run. Some languages may have different versions that are not compatible with each other or with certain ROS features or libraries. Some languages may have limited or outdated packages that do not support the latest ROS standards or conventions.

Therefore, you should check the availability and compatibility of your chosen language before starting your ROS project. You should verify that your language can run on your target platform, such as Linux, Windows, or Mac OS. You should also verify that your language can work with your target ROS version, such as ROS 1 or ROS 2. You should also check the availability and quality of the packages and libraries that you need for your project, and make sure that they follow the ROS best practices and guidelines.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?