It can't hurt to learn Java. There's a huge amount of Java code out there, and there are lots of Java jobs. It has a future, though the hype wore off it a lon

It can't hurt to learn Java. There's a huge amount of Java code out there, and there are lots of Java jobs. It has a future, though the hype wore off it a long time ago. That said, I can't say I particularly like Java, or find it fulfilling or interesting in the same way I like elegant and clever C++, or even Python. It's had all the sharp edges filed down, making it a pedestrian and mundane language. But that's of course why a lot of companies use it; it's a known quantity which you can have a team of people work with and get a working result in a planned timeframe. On the downside, there are too many people who only ever developed with Java, and can only think about design within the constrained limits of what Java allows, i.e. basic OOP. Definitely learn more than one language so you have a wider appreciation for what's possible. Personally, I'd recommend Python 3 as a first language to get started with today. You can rapidly get started doing interesting stuff with a minimum of fuss and vastly less unnecessary verbosity than Java. It's also less constraining with regard to design; it doesn't force the use of classes and OOP like Java, so you can experiment with different ways of doing things.