Last month the US president; President Obama stressed that coding is important for the future of America. Hence this question: “If you are to master programming, what programming language will you learn first?”.
This wrangle has been a real bone of contention in the past few years and will continue to rage inasmuch as newer generations are born and newer technologies are being introduced. However, while battling with this puzzle, EWT staff has listed some basic factors to aid you make a viable decision when choosing your first programming course.
Before we dismantle our enumeration it is exigent and imperative to note some of the common programming languages you are likely to choose from.
Some Common Programming Languages
- Perl
- Java
- C++
- C#
- Python
- Ruby
- Eiffel
- PHP
- JavaScript
- ABAP
- Objective-C
- Ajax
- Clipper
- Harbour
- Gambas
- ABL
- OZ
- Delphi
Now lets take a look at those crucial factors that will affect your decision while choosing your first programming language.
Career
Of course, this is the very first thing that should come into your mind. You need to consider which language will be the most valuable throughout a career or rather, which programming language will be feasible over a long-term career.
You need to consider your main field of specialization, which of the programming languages will aid you in that field and finally how much time do you have at your disposal.
Conceptual Foundation and Easy Transition
As a beginner the syntax of programming may appear a bit strange; some of the concepts may seem a hard nut to crack but a fastidious observation and implementation of that concept may lead to better understanding of similar concepts.
One of the easiest method of mastering various programming languages is by starting from the ones that allows you to transit gradually to another language. Languages such as Java, C# and C++ are the basics of programming. Mastering any of this three will enlighten your brain and lay a fundamental foundation for learning other programming skills. Starting with more advance languages such as Object-C, Ruby or Python which has a more crooked and complicated syntax structure will be a hectic experience when reverting to the basic ones.
Monetization and Marketability
Of course, after completing your programming course you might want to take a vacation in a luxurious environment, dry your toes and flaunt some cash. That is probably the easiest part of learning programming if you made the right choice. Ask me what I think: You want to work at Google? Best go Python. You want to work in the enterprise space, learn Java or C#. You want to build websites? Probably go PHP or Ruby. Pledged your soul to Apple? Just dive into Objective-C. Anything other this; you are out of employment.
For those Americans who are seriously considering going into coding I recommend you start with Java, gradually progress to C# then anything can follow. Intending web programmers can start with JavaScript, PHP and Ajax. W3schools offers free web base course on the major web programming languages including JavaScript and PHP. Moreover, several programming eBooks can as well be downloaded free or paid online: A little Google search will change everything.