As for the most popular programming languages on the list, we see familiar faces like: These are all powerful and popular programming languages used for different purposes as we saw above when we looked at the different areas you can specialize in with coding. So you should consider the following factors: Every year brings new programming languages, and with them, new academic papers. That is, everything the user can interact with: layouts, colors, fonts, interactive elements etc. Get your FREE copy with 15 time-saving tips for learning coding more easily to achieve your goals faster! Since 99% of all top websites use JavaScript, there are countless examples of how and where javascript is used. Here are just a few areas you could specialize in: Front-end developers create the visible parts of web-based projects. Overall, Python is our top selection for the best programming language to learn first. In this post, I’ll share with you a handful of practical steps for which programming language to learn. The average JavaScript project receives twice as many pull requests as the average Java, Python, or Ruby project. JavaScript. Luckily, you can make a good choice by following a few helpful tips. I set its values, then check its length — meaning the number of elements it contains. If you are a new learner, the best programming language to learn first is going to be a popular one in which you can find support and a lot of resources. Sure — they still use apps. 814 comments. Udemy Review: Can You Learn How to Code on Udemy? But what about the people who want to learn how to code? I know everyone has their own opinion on what programming language is the best and which ones you should avoid at all cost. Programming 101 For Beginners. I’m the creator of MikkeGoes.com, a platform where I help beginners learn how to code. I mean, if you can’t find well-constructed and beginner-friendly resources for learning, why bother in the first place? More often than not, everyone seems to have a strong opinion about the best programming language to learn first. So, summing it all up based on these figures: Python is not only a popular programming language in the developer community as we saw in the Stack Overflow 2018 Survey. You don’t need to go for the most popular or widespread language out there. Also, if a language has gained in popularity very quickly, that’s not necessarily a sign of solid long-term popularity. The best way to get a hang of the basics is to use a free coding website like Codecademy, for example. As a result, many introductory programming courses focus on low-level-of-abstraction languages like C, or mathematically-focused languages like MATLAB. It’s the best way to get a first impression of more than just one tool. See what technologies and tools they list as required skills. Finding a straightforward answer to “What programming language should I learn” is very hard. “ I want to explain this subject from my point of view and purely … So, when you know what you want to build and create with code, you can narrow down your choices to just a few options. In 2014, Python overtook Java as a the most popular language of instruction at top US Computer Science programs. What types of developers are currently making a living with coding? However, not all of the most popular languages have identical job markets and prospects. If you follow me on Twitter I won’t waste your time. I know this question can feel overwhelming and even a bit scary if you’re completely new to coding. Java once promised to run everywhere, too. Among other things, it depends on where it’s becoming popular and what it’s being used for. Related: 17 Common Programming Language Paradigm Terms Explained. Well people love to hate on C++, too. If you have to spend hours online trying to find a solution to a coding problem, it’s a waste of your time. Learn to code — free 3,000-hour curriculum. 6 Practical Step for Beginners. Is it worthy of being your first programming language? That’s going to help you learn how to code faster, becoming confident and skilled enough to get that first developer job you want! Just something to keep in mind. Here’s a short overview of where some of the most popular and best programming languages in back-end development are used: Recommended: What Does a Web Developer Do Exactly? Here’s an overview of the average developer salaries for the most popular programming languages according to the data based on job ads on Indeed.com: Based on this data, looks like Ruby, Python, and Swift (for iOS development) could grow your paycheck the most. Unsubscribe anytime. The best part: You can find a job in pretty much any industry, too. If you absolutely must have static typing in your first programming language, then I still recommend you learn JavaScript first. We also have thousands of freeCodeCamp study groups around the world. You can build basically anything with JavaScript, and share it anywhere. How did some specializations and programming languages gain (or lose) in popularity? You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Drop me a line in the comments below! The most important point to figure out is your long-term goal. That’s what I did back in the day and I got a friendly response from every company I contacted. In short: if a specific programming language has been losing popularity for years in a row, you might want to think twice before putting all your eggs in that basket. We’ll probably search for something like: Few questions are so commonly asked that they get the full infographic treatment. Thus, even though we will look at a few factors you can consider while choosing a language to learn, you won’t find a straightforward answer to your questions in this post. And by this I don’t mean that you should learn a certain language just because it’s popular at the moment. Nevertheless, these studies often indicate what’s happening in the market. Research the skills they’re looking for and check their salary ranges. By then, you should already have narrowed down your choices to 2-3 popular programming languages. And like JavaScript, C++ has succeeded despite this hate, and now it’s pretty much everywhere as well. If you want to create your own mobile app for Android or iOS, you can choose a programming language suitable for the platform of your choice. HTML is arguably the easiest programming language to learn, and it’s a great place to get your feet wet with programming. Then you can quickly pick up TypeScript. With dozens of options to choose from and heaps of contradicting opinions within the community, how can you know which programming language to learn first? You can choose from a bunch of different focus areas, but you don’t have to be 100% sure about it yet. There are 2.7 Java developers competing for every open Java position. The possibilities are seemingly endless and you can choose your industry from the ones you like the most. To get a more objective view on which programming language to learn, we’ll go through five helpful factors you can consider: Let’s look at each of these in more detail. If you read this far, tweet to the author to show them you care. Bookmark or pin this article and come back anytime for a review if you need a refresher. I’ll see you in the next post! True, sometimes you only have one or two languages to choose from if you want to build something very specific. Competition for PHP and iOS jobs is similarly fierce. Oracle officially killed them off earlier this year. That being said, I’d suggest you do some research about job opportunities in the area you’d like to work in. Some of the most popular high-level programming languages are: When it comes to finding an easy programming language to learn, you should – again – consider its popularity. Just start small and write simple programs that focus on solving one specific issue. Therefore, take a few moments to answer these questions: If you’re totally new to coding and web development, don’t worry. I teach JavaScript because it’s the surest path to a first developer job. There’s no need to make things more complicated than necessary. Instead of giving up altogether, try a different language. Until I found Python, which was so much fun to work with – thanks to this book. Because if you look at the languages actually used by the workforce, it paints a very different picture: More than half of all developers use JavaScript. To help you get started with setting your goals, head over to my post on how to start learning to code the right way from absolute scratch. As you can … However, if you are looking to make the transition to data science, and want to land your first data science r… JavaScript features several tools for making native mobile apps, such as. Build meaningful projects that you can use in real life. Seriously. Related: 10 Misleading Coding Myths You Should Ignore. And it’s often a good idea to use them to get a rough idea about current trends. You should be able to find … Thus, don’t be scared away by the number of choices you have. This article is here to help you get a better overview of your options when you’re thinking about which programming language to learn. Each programming language is simply a tool to solve problems in a specific field. But a good alternative is to look at what’s happened in the past. Python. Which programming language should I learn first? The more discussions you read online, the more confused you feel. Learning a programming language takes a lot of work, so use this quiz to make sure you make a wise decision about which one to study before … If your choice is purely based on average salaries, you might reconsider learning PHP, C#, or C. However, you should keep in mind that the average salary itself isn’t the perfect indicator of how things really are. 3- You will be … They’re all just tools for building something useful with code. So what programming language should you learn first? The syntax of Javascript is quite easy to learn and you can start using this programming language … The most important thing is that you find one that you actually like working with. Archived. When you’re just starting out, one of the biggest questions on your mind is probably this: “What programming language should I learn?”. Before we dive into the studies and figures about the top 10 programming languages, there’s one more thing worth mentioning: Most of the time, these studies fail to represent how things work in real life. how to start learning to code the right way from absolute scratch, these websites to start learning for free, 13 Easy Tips for Finishing Every Coding Course You Start. To narrow it down a bit, here are the most common Google searches related to learning programming, over the past 12 years: Python has gradually risen to become the most popular choice. JavaScript is — for most practical purposes — as fast as high-performance languages. When I’m not blogging, you will find me sipping strong coffee and biking around town in Berlin. Start by figuring out why you want to learn how to code in the first place. For starters, as much as people use mobile apps, nearly half of all developer jobs are web development. My short answer is Python and Javascript.. Javascript Javascript is the programming language that is powering the web. Before I talk about these programming languages, let me clarify: Let’s kick things off by exploring how programming is currently taught in school. You should have fun while you’re learning and building your first programs. I still recommend learning JavaScript first. You can spend countless hours on discussion forums reading what developers have to say. Hi! Go online and browse through job openings at a handful of interesting, potential employers. Step by step, you can start managing and building more complex projects to include in your portfolio. Recommended: The Best Book to Learn HTML and CSS for Building Websites. Here’s a helpful article to help you learn to code faster and more efficiently. share. Not only is it hard to stay focused while you’re still learning, but you’ll also do a poorer job as a developer in the future. Next, let’s look at how their popularity has developed over time: The job market for developers is changing all the time. Mac developer Evan Miller, however, makes a … Related: Online Coding Courses vs Books – Which One Should You Use? Thus, here are four important points you should keep in mind: It’s just a matter of what your long-term goals are. Related: How to Become a Front-End Developer? There are several factors to consider when picking a programming However, don’t spend too much time with this question when you’re just starting out with coding. You will undoubtedly hear people crack jokes at its expense. Also, it’s worth pointing out that the mobile app development’s best days may very well be behind it. And it’s rapidly expanding into areas like game development and the Internet of Things. The peak value of 100 represents the highest overall point for all five queries. For example, when you log into a social network, the username and password you type in are sent to a server. As you learn more, you’ll feel more confident working with the language you’ve chosen. Tweet a thanks, Learn to code for free. With time old programming languages become obsolete while new programming languages are launched, but they never gain traction. Find a few interesting employers and see if they have job openings available. Posted by 2 years ago. Also, try to build them just by using your notes from your online course. Learning your first programming language is always the most difficult. But you can get into trouble. Over the past two years, more than 5,000 people have used Free Code Camp to get their first developer job. vast majority of people learning to program, what projects you can build while you’re learning (and share with friends so you can stay motivated), I’m not arguing that any one language is objectively better than any other, I agree that developers should eventually learn more than one language. If you ask this question to somebody else then they get only one answer that you should learn C programming language first. Therefore, it’s difficult to draw any objective or solid conclusions from them. Subscribe now and receive 15 free tips to get you started with learning coding, helpful tutorials, and updates before others. For example, HTML, CSS, and SQL are languages you could (and should) learn, but you won’t get a job knowing just one of them. As a front-end developer, you are responsible for creating a user-friendly interface for a given website or web application. What do you think? Did you find a few helpful points? Related: How to Start Learning How to Code? I’m here to share my favorite tools, resources, and strategies to help you learn the right tech skills faster. C is a great way to learn how computers actually work in terms of memory management, and is useful in high-performance computing. Many aspects of developing, maintaining, and distributing mobile apps are easier with JavaScript. And on top of this, JavaScript is growing faster than any other popular language. Then your second language will be much, much easier. JavaScript falls into this category, along with Python and Ruby. But if you — like the vast majority of people learning to program — want to use this skill to get a job, this is an important consideration. Use it to find ideas that can help you choose your first programming language. It’s also important to think about why you want to learn a programming language in the first … Keep this in mind when things get more difficult and you start feeling like coding isn’t your thing after all. Picking something small and fun makes this less of a challenge and more of an adventure. If you can’t find anything online, don’t hesitate to contact them directly with your question. 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