What is the main language in Amazon?

The main language used at Amazon depends on the department, team, and service being developed. However, Java is widely considered the primary programming language across Amazon for many backend systems and large-scale services. Here's an overview of the most commonly used languages at Amazon:

1. Java (Most Common)

Java is one of the most prominent languages at Amazon, especially for building backend services and large, distributed systems. Its scalability, stability, and performance make it a popular choice for handling the massive infrastructure at Amazon.

• Used For: Backend services, microservices, Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, and e-commerce platforms.

2. Python

Python is also extensively used at Amazon, particularly for automation, data science, and machine learning projects. It’s favored for its simplicity and rich ecosystem of libraries, making it ideal for tasks that involve data analysis and machine learning on AWS.

• Used For: Automation, AWS Lambda, machine learning (with SageMaker), data science, and scripting.

3. C++

C++ is used in high-performance, low-latency systems, particularly in AWS core services where efficiency is critical. It's also used for services that need close-to-hardware performance, such as networking and cloud infrastructure.

• Used For: Performance-critical applications, low-level services, AWS infrastructure.

4. JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js)

JavaScript and TypeScript are widely used for both frontend and backend development, especially for web-based services and APIs. Node.js is often used in building APIs and serverless applications.

• Used For: Frontend applications, APIs, serverless architectures with AWS Lambda.

5. Go (Golang)

Go has been gaining popularity at Amazon, particularly for building microservices and scalable cloud-based applications. It is favored for its simplicity and concurrency model, making it suitable for cloud-native services.

• Used For: Microservices, cloud-native applications, and services requiring high concurrency.

Summary:

• Java: The most common language used for backend services and scalable systems.
• Python: Popular for data science, automation, and AWS-related tasks.
• C++: Used in performance-critical areas like AWS infrastructure.
• JavaScript/TypeScript: Used for web-based services and serverless applications.
• Go: Increasingly used for microservices and cloud applications.

Preparing for a Role at Amazon:

If you're preparing for a technical role, focusing on languages like Java and Python is a great start. For coding interviews, Grokking the Coding Interview is a valuable resource to help you master coding patterns frequently asked in interviews. If you're aiming for senior roles, Grokking the System Design Interview can help you develop the system design skills necessary for building large-scale, distributed systems.

Knowing Java and Python, in particular, will give you an edge, as these are highly used at Amazon across various services and teams.