No programming language is objectively superior to others. Moreover, a good developer should be fluent in several languages and at least superficially navigate in a couple more. But learning JavaScript, HTML, and Ruby all at once is a bad idea. Even very bad. You need to start with one thing.
Why learn programming at all
Even if it doesn’t come to anything serious (full-fledged income on application development or web design, for example, or starting your own project), learning programming is a way to create designs for not very smart, but very obedient machines - definitely costs. Firstly, it will make the brain work, and this is always good. Even the President of the United States talks about the benefits of learning to code.
Secondly, to all those who are somehow connected with technology by occupation. The rationale for choosing a programming language will be given by any website developer to the customer, any administratorcompany resource - copywriter. At least a general familiarity with the development environment in which colleagues work will allow you to quickly find a common language in the team and more successfully implement various projects.
Where to start learning programming
Choosing a programming language, especially the first one, is not an easy task. But it will be very difficult if you do not know English at least at the basic (school) level. Of course, some instruments are Russified, others are translated into Russian by enthusiasts, but the fact remains.
Yes, and in the future it will be much easier to find a job with knowledge of a foreign language. Here it is beneficial to teach English to everyone:
- employees who can get a job in a corporation with a worldwide reputation;
- freelancers who will be able to work on English-speaking exchanges, where there are usually more orders and higher pay.
Criteria for choosing a programming language
It will take hundreds of hours of practice before you can become any competent in your first programming language, so mindlessly learning anything is not worth it. The choice of programming language depends on the development environment in which you want to work, personal preferences, perspectives and much more.
First you need to decide on the goals. For example, what platform (in what environment) do you want to work on: web, mobile devices, games and 3D graphics or large corporations.
In web development, you have to choose from several areas of responsibility: front-end, back-end, full-stack. Front-end developers are responsible for site loading speed and correct code operation, back-end developers are responsible for writing server code, and full-stack specialists can fulfill all customer requirements alone. Full-stack developers are the most in demand in the labor market today.
The three pillars of a front-end developer are JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. In addition, you need to be aware of the latest Internet trends and be able to apply them in your daily work. PHP is the basic knowledge for back-end specialists. This is not the only tool, but the basis of all back-end development. As a second language, you need to learn Ruby or Python. Experience with databases, the basics of JavaScript and SQL will also come in handy. In addition to the programming languages themselves, you need to study all the attached add-ons.
Mobile application development uses JavaScript for Android and Objective-C for iOS. It is useful to visit the official resources for developers, and in the case of working with iOS, also get acquainted with the interface and functionality of Xcode, a free environment for creating applications. Games and 3D animation need C++.
Those who in the future want to get a job in one of the high-tech corporations and no longer worry about the well-being of tomorrow, performing their duties well, should proceed from the choice of this very corporation. Windows works with C, Google and Facebook work with Python, and Apple works with Objective-C.
The choice of programming language should be based on the following factors:
- Demand in the marketlabor.
- Ease of learning.
- Long term.
- What projects can be developed in this language (choice of language and programming environment).
If the last point - platforms and suitable programming languages are briefly listed above - everything is more or less clear, then what about the rest of the points? Indeed.com, the world's leading job search site, publishes job stats (offers to job seekers ratio) from time to time. It would be good to choose a programming language based on these data, but you should not be guided by dry statistics alone either.
So, there are 2.7 specialists for one Python, Java, Objective-C or PHP developer position. If you look at JavaScript data, you can see that this is definitely a seller's market - there are only 0.6 programmers per position. In addition, JavaScript is developing much faster than any other language, which offers excellent long-term prospects.
The rationale for choosing C++, C, Objective-C, PHP, or any other programming language is also based on ease of learning. A beginner, especially one who learns the language from books or courses, is unlikely to cope with complex C++ or Java. It is relatively easy to learn Python, JavaScript or Ruby. Ruby and Python are both readable and have some of the most active communities.
For those with no experience
If programming seems to be a very difficult task, you should start with something easier, such as HTML or CSS. HTML is not a languageprogramming in the full sense, rather it is a markup language for web pages. CSS is a more modern HTML "helper" that allows you to make pages more pleasing to the eye, play with fonts, add design elements to website design, and so on.
Anyone who's ever written freelance articles has probably come across HTML, and those who've tried blogging may be familiar with CSS. Yes, and any course in the basics of programming begins with these two elements, so knowledge of the basics will not be superfluous. You can learn from books:
- B. Lourson, R. Sharp "Learning HTML 5".
- K. Schmitt “CSS. Programming Recipes.”
Before, with a couple of smart books on CSS and HTML, you could already apply for some position, now it's a springboard from which to move on.
Web Application Developers
Choosing PHP or JavaScript programming language is for web developers. To make Internet resources more beautiful, more interesting and more functional, you need JavaScript. You can do quite a lot of very different things in the user interface with it.
The best justification for choosing the PHP programming language is web development. If we are talking about the server side, PHP, Python, Ruby and the same JavaScript will do. Choosing the C programming language is also a good idea. Microsoft works in C, Python is like Lego, and Ruby is like clay.
For web designersand typesetters
Designers are creative people who may consider themselves far from the exact sciences. But writing code is like painting a picture, so doubts about whether it is worth learning programming at all should be discarded right away. There is an opinion that it is better to be a first-class designer than a second-rate programmer, but a designer should know JavaScript at least to implement their ideas. Relatively simple Python or Ruby will do as well.
Android iOS developers
Android applications are usually developed in Java. You can work on any operating system - the prevalence of "Android" smartphones has made the development of applications on them very popular. The development environment can be installed on both Windows and iOS.
As for Apple, development is much more demanding on tools. You need to learn Objective-C, a development kit and developer instructions from Apple. You can only work with "apple" devices - Mac with an operating system version of 10.7 or higher.
If a child wants to learn to code
Such a desire on the part of the younger generation is commendable. This opens up new opportunities for children and simply incredible ways of expressing themselves. The child is quite able to independently create a short cartoon or a simple game. Programming is no more difficult for children than foreign languages, and it also opens up more prospects already in adolescence.
You can start withScratch. This service is aimed at children from 8 years old and will allow you to create cartoons, games, animation. The medium is distributed free of charge. Most likely, the child will not even need the help of parents, it is quite simple to understand the service.
What you need to know besides the programming language
In addition to the programming language and English, you need to know something else. It all depends on the chosen direction. You need to learn frameworks, algorithms, databases and data structures, code repositories, understand how technology works, study physics and biology to create robs, and know a lot more. At first, it’s better not to rush into the pool with your head, learn gradually, read articles on specialized resources and gradually understand new terms.
In general, the main skill of any programmer is to be able to use Google. Without this, nothing will work at all. You can turn to forums where programmers working in a certain language gather, look for some ready-made solutions, or study English-language resources.
In conclusion
There is one secret that will help you become the best not only in the field of programming, but in general anywhere. You just need to do something. A good way is to find a problem to be solved. Perhaps you need to make a business card website for your own business, find a convenient tool for controlling finances, or automate the distribution of tweets to your subscribers? Next, you should make sure that the goal is achievable, because without experience and a team, making a Call of Duty clone is unlikely to succeed. Now it's timechoose a set of technologies that will solve the problem.
After all, you can never hope to become a real professional in a month or even a year. For some, programming is very easy, others study tons of information and make dozens of applications until they finally fully understand how this or that command works. Both of these paths are correct. You just need to do something.
And it doesn't really matter which programming language to choose. You still have to learn a few of them anyway. Moreover, many tools and techniques are similar in different languages. It will be easier to switch to something else, to finish learning problematic topics later than it was to subtract the first language. And it certainly pleases.
