Programming languages are more than tools—they shape how we think about and solve problems. As software evolves, so do the languages and paradigms we rely on to build it. This track explores how programming languages are adapting to address the challenges of modern software engineering, from improving developer productivity to solving complex real-world problems.
We'll dive into emerging trends in language design, lessons from managing massive legacy codebases, and the philosophies driving simplicity and innovation. You’ll hear from experts working with diverse languages and paradigms—uncovering what’s possible today and what’s on the horizon. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or curious about the future, this track will leave you with fresh ideas and practical insights to bring back to your team.
From this track
Moving Your Bugs Forward in Time: Language Trends That Help You Catch Your Bugs at Build Time Instead of Run Time
Tuesday Nov 19 / 10:35AM PST
As we grow as engineers, one of the key realizations that we inevitably come to is that the maintainability of our codebases is of paramount importance to their long-term success.
Chris Price
Software Engineer @Momento, Previously Launched New Video Streaming Services @AWS, 10+ Years in Engineering Leadership at Software Startups
Refactoring Stubborn, Legacy Codebases
Tuesday Nov 19 / 11:45AM PST
At Stripe, we manage a codebase of tens of millions of lines of Ruby. Like any large codebase, people have no shortage of complaints about it, and it's our job to fix those complaints.
Jake Zimmerman
Tech Lead of Sorbet @Stripe
Getty Ritter
Ruby Infrastructure Engineer @Stripe
Platform Engineering: Evolution, Trends, and Future Impact on Software Delivery
Tuesday Nov 19 / 01:35PM PST
Platform Engineering is frequently hailed as the latest paradigm shift enabling developers to ship code faster - but is it simply a return to the pre-DevOps era of siloed teams focusing on narrow parts of the software lifecycle?
Paula Kennedy
Cofounder & COO @Syntasso, Previously Senior Director Platform Services @VMware and @Pivotal, 20+ Years in the IT Industry
Clojure 2024
Tuesday Nov 19 / 02:45PM PST
In 2007, Rich Hickey introduced Clojure with a clear mission: to offer the simplicity of functional programming with the practicality of languages like Java and C#.
Jordan Miller
Sociotechnical Staff Engineer @Nubank, Co-Founder of Clojure Camp, Host/Producer of Lost in Lambduhhhs Podcast, Co-Author Clojure Brain Teasers, Co-Orga Heart of Clojure EU
Unconference: Programming Languages
Tuesday Nov 19 / 03:55PM PST
Taming the Configuration Beast with Pkl!
Tuesday Nov 19 / 05:05PM PST
Infrastructure-as-code has revolutionized the way that infrastructure and applications get managed, increasing velocity and scalability. However, this same philosophy has introduced its own problems.
Dan Chao
Software Engineer @Apple
