Before discovering which is the best language to learn to program, you should know that, before learning any programming language, the first thing you must learn is logic. Why? Because the programmer’s life is focused on solving problems, so if you develop your logic, you will be able to solve any problem using any language you want.
But how can you use it? Let’s say for example you want to get and organise coronavirus data, you need to filter it by date, country and much more. Yes, you can do that by using a programming language, but the mental process —that is, the logic— will always be the same no matter what language you use.
This whole mental process, the logic you use, is called an algorithm. But, as we told you, in the end you need a language, so what is the best language to learn to program?
How to choose the ideal language to learn programming?
Let’s start with the characteristics of the programming language that will become your programming language of choice.
Simple syntax
Syntax is the way a language is written. Therefore, it is best to start by learning a simple one that is easy to learn. Remember that syntax is the number of lines needed to perform an action and the signs it uses.
It is true that you can learn with any language, whether it is a simple syntax language or one that requires more code. However, learning a programming language with a simple syntax will allow you to practice your logic more and, when you make a mistake in your syntax, you will be able to correct it more quickly.
User-friendly development environment
This refers to the set of configured tools you have at your disposal to program successfully. For some languages, the list of tools to install is long, as are the environment variables you need to set. However, there are others where you will only install a couple of things or nothing at all, as what you need is already included by default.
Community and open source
A community allows you to interact with people who are willing to help you solve your problems or help you overcome them, as they are probably having the same problems.
Instant messaging groups, such as Telegram, will help you not to feel alone in the face of an obstacle, because they may already have gone through what you are going through and will help you with any doubts you may have.
And why open source? It doesn’t mean that because one language is open source it is better than another. But an open source language, unlike a proprietary one, allows you to create your own personal projects without needing a licence.
Job opportunities
Passion is important, but, programming becomes really interesting when you start turning your code into money. Even so, you will probably continue to develop and create your own personal projects for fun and not for profit.
But honestly, who doesn’t like to be well rewarded for their work and achieve a better quality of life? We recommend that you choose a language that will open doors in multiple areas so that you can gain much more experience in your day-to-day work.
All programming languages have job opportunities, but it all depends on the sector you want to be part of. A single language can be applied in different areas, such as mobile development, desktop applications, video game creation, as well as others that only have one application.
Which programming language to start with?
Let’s move on to the next step, following these four criteria we have revealed to you, which is the best language to learn to program?
JavaScript
Its main peculiarity is that you don’t need to install anything to use it, as it is already included in the browsers. You only need a browser to start learning. Press Ctrl+Shift+I in your browser and the console will open. There you can start writing code and do your programming exercises.
It also fulfils the requirement of simple syntax. Over the years, it has become increasingly simplified and is now a standard model in all browsers. In addition, JavaScript has multiple fields of application, which will open doors to many job opportunities.
Firstly, there is its use on the web, as it is one of the core technologies at the heart of the web. Secondly, thanks to technologies such as React Native, Ionic or PWAs, mobile development is possible.
Thirdly, you can develop desktop applications with technology such as PWA, Electron or React Native. Finally, fourthly, you can do IoT through Node.js and JavaScript.
These are just some of the many applications of this language. It can be used to make video games, virtual reality, augmented reality and even Machine Learning.
Python
Together with JavaScript, Python leads the ranking in popularity and learning.
One of the things that makes Python wonderful is its simplicity and ease of learning —even more so than JavaScript—. But that doesn’t mean it’s limited to the basics. There is a lot of advanced development you can do with this language.
In this sense, if we talk about its fields of application, we must say that there are many, as well as the job opportunities it offers. With this language you can do web development on the backend, as well as computer security for system protection.
Python is also present in the world of data, becoming, together with R, the favourite of Data Scientists due to its user-friendliness. Finally, it is also widely used in the Machine Learning area.
