What Programming Language Should I Learn? One of the most common questions I get from new programmers starting out in the field of software development is which programming language they should learn. For some aspiring developers, this question ends up being a stumbling block they never get over. I’ve coached plenty of developers who were always second-guessing themselves or changing their minds, jumping from programming language to programming language, always worrying about making the wrong decision. They stress over the question, “What programming should I learn?”. If you’ve stressed over this, then this chapter is for you.

Choose a programming language. Computer programming is done as essentially a set of written instructions that the computer follows (also known as binary coding).

First, I’m going to dispel some of that doubt; then I’ll give you some real practical considerations for choosing your first programming language to learn. The Actual Language Doesn’t Matter All That Much Yes, you read that right. Company Original Broadway Cast Rar.

There are several reasons I make this statement, but one of the main ones is because so many programming languages, at their core, are very similar. Yes, the syntax is different. Yes, programming languages may look different. They may even have completely different sets of features.

However, at their core, all programming languages share more than you might first suspect. Almost all programming languages will have: • basic constructs for branching • basic constructs for Looping • calling methods or procedures • a way to organize code at a high level Many programming languages are so similar that if you know one language, you almost already know the other. C# and Java are pretty good examples. JavaScript is very similar to both of those. Learning your first programming language is always the most difficult.

Once you learn a programming language, though, learning a second one is easier. After you know two or more programming languages, each additional programming language is exponentially easier to learn. If you don’t even know one programming language well—or at all—it might be difficult to believe these statements, but I’ve learned over the course of my career. I can guarantee you that the first and second ones were by far the most difficult. Not only are programming languages more similar than you might think, but you’ll also easily be able to switch to a different programming language and learn it later on. That means, even if you learn one programming language and decide it’s not the right one, or you get a job where you’d be using a different programming language, it’s not a big deal.

You’ve already done the hard work of learning your first programming language. You’ll also probably find that many developer jobs— —don’t require that you know a specific programming language. I’ve even had plenty of interviews where I was asked to solve a programming problem in whatever language I felt most comfortable doing it in.

There were no constraints and no one specific language that I absolutely needed to know. Considerations for Picking a Programming Language Therefore, I really don’t think it matters all that much what programming language you decide to learn first, but if you are still having some trouble making a decision, here’s a list of 5 things to consider: • Job prospects and future • Technology that you’re interested in • Difficulty level • Resources available to you • Adaptability 1. Job Prospects and Future I’d say, for most of you, the most important thing to consider is what jobs a particular programming language is likely to help you get and what the future of that language is. Now, for most popular programming languages, at any given time there are going to be plenty of jobs available. Different programming languages may rise or fall in popularity, but if you are concerned with job availability, you might want to consider one of the main, popular programming languages. At the time of writing this book, I’d say the most popular programming languages are: • C# • Java • Python • Ruby • JavaScript • C++ • PHP There is no shortage of jobs for developers who program in one of these languages.