Imo TIOBE makes no sense, what so ever, as they compare apples with bananas, where, from my point of view, a programming language is capable of producing a more or less self-contained result, that can either be compiled into a binary, or run under an interpreter.
But TIOBE list SQL as a language, which is utterly nonsense, as SQL only is the "connection" between the language, and the database (yes, yes, one can use stored procedures, but still).
Also JavaScript is number 8, but JavaScript is so definitely not at that position because people like it, but out of sheer need, as this is more og less the only way to include some functionality in a browser.
JavaScript is the most horrible "language", as it is like trying to program a rubber band, counter intuitive casing, lose typing, impossible to debug, etc, etc.
But still JavaScript is claimed as oh-so-popular, and the most mentioned language on StackExchange - but hey, of course it is so "popular" on StackExchange as people after spending hours trying to figure out how to do a banality which could be done easily in 2 minutes in Lazarus/FPC, gives up, and turns to StackExchange crying for help.
I see Lazarus/FPC (and in old Windows days Delphi) as the most productive language, logically designed, easy to understand, and easy to read, which ends up in that it is much faster programming in Lazarus/FPC than nearly all other languages - and one do not need to end in a pointer hell.
With regards to databases, my recommendation is to use ZeosLib, it makes life a lot more easy, and makes it much simpler to switch database.
BUT there is allways a snake in the paradise, and one of the things that occasionally gives me (more)gray hairs, is the lack of consistancy.
As I have mentioned in this tread:
http://forum.lazarus-ide.org/index.php/topic,41763.0.htmlthe behaviour of TDataset (I guess, as it is difficult exactly to pinpoint the problem) have changed from an older 32bit version of Lazarus to a never, meaning I can not trust the results any more.
I have taken the consequence of that, and simply stopped using TDataset, and instead use parameterised SQL sentences instead - but there is a lot of code I have to alter, to avoid this behaviour.
So a very, very important thing to bear in mind is, that backward compatibility to the users sourcecode may never be broken.
However this does not change my opinion, that Lazarus/FPC (and partly Delphi, but only partly, as it is Windows only) is the most versatile and productive programming environment/language what so ever, and even though I occasionally experiences mishaps as mentioned above, I feel no need for spoiling my life with C'ish pointer hell, or strange indents as in Python - it is more than enough that my life have to be poisoned with JavaScript i cannot avoid in my webprograms.
Maybe there ought to be another list than TIOBE's, namely a list stating (usable, stand alone) programs made by this or that programming language - I am quite sure that Pascal/Delphi then would be in top five.