Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 17 submissions in the queue.

What Programming Language Should you Learn First?

posted by martyb on Friday November 04 2016, @07:09PM   Printer-friendly
from the choose-logically dept.

mendax writes:

We've had this question asked before I believe but it does no harm in asking it again and again. After all, opinions change as does the software ecosystem. Quincy Larson of FreeCodeCamp.com asked this question via Medium: What programming language should you learn first? He thinks JavaScript is the way to go and his arguments are cogent and well thought out. However, I am somewhat hesitant to suggest someone learn to code in JavaScript first. My first programming language (in 1981!) was Fortran on a Control Data mainframe. The interactive environment the OS provided was pretty simple and the language provided few opportunities to hang yourself. JavaScript, by comparison, while it may not have those evil pointers of C/C++, it offers functional features and plenty of rope to hang oneself.

So, opinions please.

Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
What Programming Language Should you Learn First? | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 114 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 2) by moondoctor on Friday November 04 2016, @07:18PM

    by moondoctor (2963) on Friday November 04 2016, @07:18PM (#422565)

    Processing.org is really great.

    It's a nice 'BASIC' style implementation of a Java IDE. You can write 3 line programs that work, type it in and push play. Can take it to pretty impressive levels of complexity.

    Java is close enough to C that it means you are very close to proper pro programming, and processing smooths out the learning curve.

    Agree about hidden pitfalls of Javascript, hell, all scripting languages really...

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: 0, Redundant) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday November 04 2016, @11:33PM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Friday November 04 2016, @11:33PM (#422678) Homepage

    Processing.org is a great suggestion for those "How should I teach my 3 year-old kid how to code?" discussions. You'd be better off using Duplo blocks.

    • (Score: 3, Touché) by moondoctor on Friday November 04 2016, @11:56PM

      by moondoctor (2963) on Friday November 04 2016, @11:56PM (#422684)

      I thought that was the question! I learned to program when I was 8, basic and pascal.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by driverless on Saturday November 05 2016, @05:26AM

    by driverless (4770) on Saturday November 05 2016, @05:26AM (#422748)

    Intercal! After that, everything else will seem easy.