12-03-2019, 09:40 AM
I wanna get into coding but i dont really know where to start
Whats the best language to learn first?
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06-11-2020, 01:29 AM
Python is the new and upcoming hit tho. Try python. jupyter notebook can be used to visualize data which is like the in thing now. data visualization.
26-11-2020, 04:05 AM
With some simple JavaScript you can make some cool things happen quickly. Might be worth starting there.
04-03-2021, 09:15 AM
Well, it's quite an old thread - but - people seem to still look at it, and maybe someone one day will really take advice from here, and since I'm nearly 10y in the game, my opinion is...
... there isn't really any "best language to learn first" - If you are really a newbie, any language will be hard but worth it.
But since this isn't practical advice I'll give you a quick run-down of popular languages, which are often stated as beginner-friendly and then my personal tip to starters:
Python
Python is a programming language, which was designed to be easy-to-read, which makes it a popular choice to start programming. The best way, to explain python would be: It's the swiss-army-knife of programming.
The charm of python is, that it will give you libraries, with which you can achieve quite a lot with little effort*. But here is the downside of this approach: A lot of the most interesting and satisfying pieces of coding gets lost that way.
Also, imo the "need" to become a better developer isn't given in python, for example: Object-Oriented Programming is a huge deal in the industry, while in python it's not the most popular way of programming and also you don't get into it, except you are really trying to, but since most tutorials, etc on the web don't have a focus on it, it can be easily missed.
* At least little effort compared to what you have to do w/out those libraries. The focus shifts from "How do I do that thing?" to "What do I do with the information the library returns?" - and also "How does this stupid library work?!"
JavaScript
JavaScript is basically why your browser doesn't suck. As such, it's domain is usually the browser and nowadays also servers/backends in the disguise of node.js - While the language was a horror back-in-the-day since browser-producers made their own thing, with no care for the others, it is nowadays a language with a bad reputation which it does not deserve anymore.
Since website are fancy and something you can really see, JavaScript is often used by beginners and recommended to beginners, to have something to play around and to see, to keep you motivated, which makes sense generally speaking, but I think is often distracting of the "real work" behind programming, which isn't "changing a colour, so it's more pleasing to look at".
Java
While it sounds similar to JavaScript it is completely different, to the point, that it's a bad thing, that they share the first 4 characters, since people outside the IT world confuse them. It is the programming language in the work-field up to the point, that big projects often get the requirement to use Java, to ensure there are enough people who can work on the project.
As such, it is an interesting starting point, since the likelihood of encountering in the "wild" is nearly 100%. But there is a downside to it: Java is an Object-Oriented programming language which enfources you to progam in that paradigm. Which leads to bloated code, often with awkward solutions and a steep learning curve for beginners (if you don't know anything about (imperative) programming than you have nearly no change to grasp the idea behind a class with it objects, which have methods...).
Now what?
Now, to really learn programming: Simply start. It doesn't matter which language you choose. The best tip would be, look for a tutorial which is targeted at beginners, learn the absolute basics, and after that, try to accomplish something on your own, push your boundaries and learn something. The language is secondary, the way you approach programming is actually the thing, that matters. (One step at a time)
... there isn't really any "best language to learn first" - If you are really a newbie, any language will be hard but worth it.
But since this isn't practical advice I'll give you a quick run-down of popular languages, which are often stated as beginner-friendly and then my personal tip to starters:
Python
Python is a programming language, which was designed to be easy-to-read, which makes it a popular choice to start programming. The best way, to explain python would be: It's the swiss-army-knife of programming.
The charm of python is, that it will give you libraries, with which you can achieve quite a lot with little effort*. But here is the downside of this approach: A lot of the most interesting and satisfying pieces of coding gets lost that way.
Also, imo the "need" to become a better developer isn't given in python, for example: Object-Oriented Programming is a huge deal in the industry, while in python it's not the most popular way of programming and also you don't get into it, except you are really trying to, but since most tutorials, etc on the web don't have a focus on it, it can be easily missed.
* At least little effort compared to what you have to do w/out those libraries. The focus shifts from "How do I do that thing?" to "What do I do with the information the library returns?" - and also "How does this stupid library work?!"
JavaScript
JavaScript is basically why your browser doesn't suck. As such, it's domain is usually the browser and nowadays also servers/backends in the disguise of node.js - While the language was a horror back-in-the-day since browser-producers made their own thing, with no care for the others, it is nowadays a language with a bad reputation which it does not deserve anymore.
Since website are fancy and something you can really see, JavaScript is often used by beginners and recommended to beginners, to have something to play around and to see, to keep you motivated, which makes sense generally speaking, but I think is often distracting of the "real work" behind programming, which isn't "changing a colour, so it's more pleasing to look at".
Java
While it sounds similar to JavaScript it is completely different, to the point, that it's a bad thing, that they share the first 4 characters, since people outside the IT world confuse them. It is the programming language in the work-field up to the point, that big projects often get the requirement to use Java, to ensure there are enough people who can work on the project.
As such, it is an interesting starting point, since the likelihood of encountering in the "wild" is nearly 100%. But there is a downside to it: Java is an Object-Oriented programming language which enfources you to progam in that paradigm. Which leads to bloated code, often with awkward solutions and a steep learning curve for beginners (if you don't know anything about (imperative) programming than you have nearly no change to grasp the idea behind a class with it objects, which have methods...).
Now what?
Now, to really learn programming: Simply start. It doesn't matter which language you choose. The best tip would be, look for a tutorial which is targeted at beginners, learn the absolute basics, and after that, try to accomplish something on your own, push your boundaries and learn something. The language is secondary, the way you approach programming is actually the thing, that matters. (One step at a time)