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Python is much more limited as an introductory language than JavaScript. JavaScript is very versatile. Need to write server-side logic? Use JavaScript and Node.

Python is much more limited as an introductory language than JavaScript. JavaScript is very versatile. Need to write server-side logic? Use JavaScript and Node. Need to write a native iOS app? Use JavaScript and React Native. Need to write a command-line utility? Use JavaScript and Node again. Need to make your web page interactive? Use JavaScript in the browser. Python is versatile as well, but not to the extent of JavaScript. JavaScript, when type-checked using TypeScript also scales better to larger projects and development teams. The one area where Python shines is in machine learning, where Python is a de-facto standard. But here too, Python is facing stiff competition from Julia.

nojito 5y ago
None of these are requirements for a intro class Python excels as a teaching language.
- flowerlad 5y ago
  The introductory course is not taken by just CS students. In most colleges, introductory programming courses are open to all majors. For many students this will be the only programming course they will ever take. Why wouldn't you teach a language that is not only well designed, but also versatile, instead of just being a good "teaching language"?
  - sigzero 5y ago
    You are describing Python.
  - maleldil 5y ago
    > not only well designed JS, and its multitude of foot-guns, is not something I would call 'well designed'.
- thrdbndndn 5y ago
  Can confirm. As someone who never formally learn programming, the moment I learned Python I never touched C# or Javascript again at will. The syntax of Python is just way, way more straightforward. I do agree it may be a disadvantage for serious software engineering, but as a hobby? I will pick Python over others all day every day.
maleldil 5y ago
It's an introductory course. The goal isn't to train students to be able to do all those things. I'd wager most professional programmers aren't able to do more than a couple of them well. There's more to front-end/back-end/CLI/mobile than just the language. > But here too, Python is facing stiff competition from Julia You severely overestimate the significance of Julia in this field. It's a great language, and I wish it were more popular, but Python still dwarfs it.
deleted 5y ago
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6gvONxR4sf7o 5y ago
You seem to have limited visibility into python’s versatility. It’s much much more than you describe, and I’m saying that as someone who hates python with a passion (and has been gainfully employed writing python for most of my career).
imiric 5y ago
Out of the use cases you mention only server-side and browser are a good fit for JavaScript, and Python does quite well on the backend. Writing mobile apps with JS is a frustrating experience at best, and requiring Node for a CLI app is not great UX, unless you bundle Node in an executable. Students should learn early to use the right tool for the job, not reuse the same one just because it's already familiar. IMO Python is a better first language because it's more approachable, and doesn't have the prototypal inheritance and other quirks unique to JS (not that it doesn't have quirks of its own, but most aren't important early on).

nojito 5y ago

None of these are requirements for a intro class Python excels as a teaching language.

flowerlad 5y ago
The introductory course is not taken by just CS students. In most colleges, introductory programming courses are open to all majors. For many students this will be the only programming course they will ever take. Why wouldn't you teach a language that is not only well designed, but also versatile, instead of just being a good "teaching language"?
- sigzero 5y ago
  You are describing Python.
- maleldil 5y ago
  > not only well designed JS, and its multitude of foot-guns, is not something I would call 'well designed'.
thrdbndndn 5y ago
Can confirm. As someone who never formally learn programming, the moment I learned Python I never touched C# or Javascript again at will. The syntax of Python is just way, way more straightforward. I do agree it may be a disadvantage for serious software engineering, but as a hobby? I will pick Python over others all day every day.

maleldil 5y ago

It's an introductory course. The goal isn't to train students to be able to do all those things. I'd wager most professional programmers aren't able to do more than a couple of them well. There's more to front-end/back-end/CLI/mobile than just the language. > But here too, Python is facing stiff competition from Julia You severely overestimate the significance of Julia in this field. It's a great language, and I wish it were more popular, but Python still dwarfs it.

deleted 5y ago

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6gvONxR4sf7o 5y ago

You seem to have limited visibility into python’s versatility. It’s much much more than you describe, and I’m saying that as someone who hates python with a passion (and has been gainfully employed writing python for most of my career).

imiric 5y ago

Out of the use cases you mention only server-side and browser are a good fit for JavaScript, and Python does quite well on the backend. Writing mobile apps with JS is a frustrating experience at best, and requiring Node for a CLI app is not great UX, unless you bundle Node in an executable. Students should learn early to use the right tool for the job, not reuse the same one just because it's already familiar. IMO Python is a better first language because it's more approachable, and doesn't have the prototypal inheritance and other quirks unique to JS (not that it doesn't have quirks of its own, but most aren't important early on).