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Choosing a First Programming Language, in One Graph

posted by LaminatorX on Saturday January 24 2015, @01:02AM   Printer-friendly
from the bicycle-chains dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Blogger Carl Cheo, who maintains a website providing numbered lists of tips for maximizing online productivity, has pulled together an easy-to-follow graphic answering the newbie question "What programming language should I learn first?" (pdf here). Cheo chose nine commercially viable languages as possible destinations as the viewer navigates the flow chart. Further down the page, there are tabs with annotated links to educational resources for each language. So what's in it for Soylentils, most of whom I'm guessing were programming newbies in the previous millenium? Well, maybe you have nephews or nieces who chose the wrong major in college. Besides, the graphic is amusing and clever, though probably not the last word on the subject.

 
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  • (Score: 1, Redundant) by CirclesInSand on Saturday January 24 2015, @03:50AM

    by CirclesInSand (2899) on Saturday January 24 2015, @03:50AM (#137534)

    If you only care about short term and low quality programs, then learn something like python first.

    But if you want to have a base that will last a lifetime for programming, then you should first learn math. Proofs, derivation, and the standard of absolute correctness are essential to understand to be a competent programmer.

    Math problems are also a good first set of programs to write. Geometry: line drawing, shapes; equations : quadratic solver, numerical differential calculus ; physics : color and sound. Those are good starting problems to learn and enjoy programming with.

    Unfortunately, nowadays programmers' first programs are not much more than learning to work around the bugs, unintuitive definitions, and bloat of standard libraries. It's like the first task of new programmers these days is to overcome the failures of past programmers (who not coincidentally probably didn't learn math well themselves).

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  • (Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Saturday January 24 2015, @04:06AM

    by Fnord666 (652) on Saturday January 24 2015, @04:06AM (#137537) Homepage

    Unfortunately, nowadays programmers' first programs are not much more than learning to work around the bugs, unintuitive definitions, and bloat of standard libraries. It's like the first task of new programmers these days is to overcome the failures of past programmers (who not coincidentally probably didn't learn math well themselves).

    And frameworks. Don't forget the bloody frameworks!