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I think languages like Python (and IMO Javascript) are perfectly fine as first languages, since it's easy to setup and the basics are easy to learn which is imp
by colmvp 6y ago
I think languages like Python (and IMO Javascript) are perfectly fine as first languages, since it's easy to setup and the basics are easy to learn which is important in not discouraging people from hating coding. That's what I recommend to people who are interested in programming but have little to no experience doing so.
There's also a lot of fun tutorials out there which make learning the language feel fulfilling and enjoyable. And it can be hugely helpful in the job market.
However, I'd say I didn't really start leveling up as a developer till I spent time learning a statically typed language. In my particular case, I think it was partially because C++/Rust developers spent a lot of time discussing performance implications in podcasts/forums/lectures, which inevitably lead me down rabbit hole of how software interacts with hardware. I think that's harder to do in languages which abstract away some of the complexity.
- jinushaun 6y agoMy first language was C++ back in 1998, and that was possibly the worst language you could choose outside ASM for a newbie. In addition to basic programming concepts like variables, loops and conditionals, I also had to contend with types, pointers, memory management, memory leaks, compiling, command line, .h files, typedef, magic main function, char * instead of real strings, etc. The list goes on. It’s like learning triathlons before you can even crawl. I struggled for a long time not quite understanding and just copy and pasting. My coding fluency jumped dramatically when I learned JS and Python a few months later. Once I finally mastered C++, everyone switched to Java as the teaching language which I think is almost as bad.