At the very start of your programming journey, picking a programming language is one of those choices you will have to make. While it may be easy for some people, others find it really difficult.
It can sometime be very difficult to choose a programming language when you’re just starting out, and this is true especially among potential developers who want to take the self-taught route.
Learning how to code is a commitment of time, effort and sometimes money. No one will want to waste whatever resources they have, just to end up learning something they are not sure is going to be useful.
So the big question remains: what programming language would be best to learn as a beginner? And my answer is a coin toss between python and javascript.
Here are my reasons:
Learning Curve:
As a beginner, learning should be your number one priority. Any programming language that is not going to help you learn quickly should not be taken into consideration. This is because, if the language is too difficult, you’re going to struggle with it and there is a higher chance you’re going to quit learning without achieving your goals.
Python and javascript are among the most easiest languages to learn. Python has a reputation for being really easy to read and both languages (javascript and python) have a huge number of libraries (reusable code written by other developers) that can help you out whenever you want to quickly get things done.
Popularity:
According to stackoverflow 2022 developer survey, 2022 marks javascript’s tenth year in a row as the most commonly used programming language, and according google trends, python is the most popular programming language.
When a programming language is popular, it means a lot of developers are already using it. And if there are a lot of developers already using these languages, it means you’re going to have an easier time looking for developers that can help you out whenever you get stuck in your learning journey.
Javascript and python have a lot of communities with active members, and finding help whenever you get stuck will be relatively easy.
Job Opportunities:
Part of the reason why some people go into programming, is because of the job opportunities they can find with it. If this is you, then learning javascript or python can open the doors to a lot of job opportunities. Especially learning javascript, as it is heavily used these days.
Use Cases:
As a beginner, if you still haven’t figured out where to specialize in as a developer, then going with a general purpose programming language is a great option. I think it is fair to be able to try out different areas of programming in order to at least get a taste of these other areas and also to be able to determine which area you will want to specialize in.
You can’t say you don’t like backend development if you’ve never tried it before, and as such, choosing a general purpose programming language as your first, is going to give you the liberty of trying out other areas of programming.
Python and javascript are both general purpose programming languages and they both give you the freedom to try out different areas of programming.
With javascript, you can try mobile development, frontend development, backend development and even machine learning. While with python, you can try automation, backend development, machine learning, and even game development.
Note: Aside from the use cases, the other reasons stated above can also be used as a way to determine which framework(s) would be best to learn as a beginner.
Conclusion:
A lot of beginners spend a lot of their time trying to decide which programming language is best for them to learn; others spend their time switching back and forth between languages without really learning anything.
One thing you should have in mind as a beginner is that, your number one priority is: learning, and should always be learning.
The process of learning how to code is one that teaches your brain how to think critically and understand technical concepts easily. Once you’re done with the initial phase of learning, things become easier, and you become better at understanding technical concepts faster.