Top Coding Languages in Developer Coaching

The Top Coding Languages section in LinearB’s Developer Coaching feature shows a developer’s primary programming languages based on Git activity over the past six months. This visual summary helps engineering leaders understand a developer’s technical focus, language fluency, and growth opportunities—at a glance

How It Works

LinearB analyzes each developer’s Git activity—including commits, code changes, and pull requests—and ranks the top three programming languages by lines of code added, removed, or modified.

• Icons for each language are displayed alongside the percentages, making it easy to quickly identify JavaScript, Go, Python, and other familiar technologies.
• The data reflects the last six months and updates automatically as developers work across different repositories.
• Percentages represent a relative distribution of language usage based on total Git activity.

Why It Matters

Understanding the languages a developer works in most helps:

✅ Identify technical strengths and specializations

✅ Plan for project staffing based on actual code activity

✅ Guide career development and cross-skilling

✅ Enable better mentoring and collaboration across the team

Use Cases for Engineering Leaders

• Spot frontend vs. backend focus using language patterns
• Support career growth by identifying underused or emerging languages
• Facilitate pairing between team members with complementary strengths
• Balance language knowledge within and across teams

Tip: Use Language Mix to Infer Stack Focus

A developer’s language breakdown can offer clues about their role in the stack:

• Frontend-heavy developers often work in JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, or CSS
• Backend-focused contributors may show higher usage of Go, Python, C++, or Java
• Full stack developers typically exhibit a balanced mix across both ends

Combined with Knowledge Areas, this view helps leaders better understand team distribution and strategically expand capabilities.

Example View

Developer A:

•  C++ – 72%
•  Python – 12%
•  Swift – 5%

The language icons alongside each percentage make it easy to visually scan and interpret a developer’s focus areas.

Combine with Knowledge Areas for Full Context

Use Top Coding Languages with Knowledge Areas to gain deeper insight into:

• Where developers are contributing (repositories)
• What technologies they’re using to do it (languages)

🔗 Explore Knowledge Areas

Related Resources

🔗 Developer Coaching Overview

🔗 Development Experience Metrics

🔗 Using Project Filters in LinearB