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Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

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Re: Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

#11

Post by iamwithnail »

Slightly against the flow here: I chose Python (and Django) when I learned to code (and built our MVP for www.gmbl.io, still a few rough edges - plug, plug) Python's GREAT, no doubt, and Django is also very good.

But I've repeatedly found myself wishing I'd gone with Ruby/Rails (it was basically a coin toss.) because I've ended up in an environment where everyone else is working in Ruby for their pet projects - and it would be great to be able to tap their knowledge.

So, have a look around, what are people you know using? It's probably really useful to choose something that your friends know (if any of them code), or that you know there's a decent support for in your area - but beyond that, it doesn't really matter. And Python's really nice.

Re: Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

#12

Post by jameskilton »

If you want to jump in and go, I highly recommend Ruby, though I will warn that Rails can be very imposing if you aren't familiar with web development already.

If you want to understand more low level concepts, you can never go wrong with C, and these days Rust is a good choice for that as well (though steep learning curve if you have no previous experience).

Re: Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

#14

Post by valarauca1 »

Python is a good pick.

The goal of learning to program shouldn't so much be about one language, but learn about the concepts of what variables, control structures, operators, and data structures. So that you can apply them in different languages, and be more flexible.

Re: Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

#18

Post by mrharrison »

iamwithnail wrote: post #11

Slightly against the flow here: I chose Python (and Django) when I learned to code (and built our MVP for www.gmbl.io, still a few rough edges - plug, plug) Python's GREAT, no doubt, and Django is also very good. But I've repeatedly found myself wishing I'd gone with Ruby/Rails (it was basically a coin toss.) because I've ended up in an environment where everyone else is working in Ruby for their pet projects - and i…

I agree, the opposite happened to me. I learned Ruby on Rails, but everybody around me was Python/Django, so inevitably I made the switch because friend knowledge makes it easier to pick up.

Re: Ask HN: What language should I learn first?

#20

Post by DaCapoo »

danford wrote: post #10
mkaziz wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would actually recommend against using JS as your first, since it's so atypical.

I would have to disagree. It all depends on how you learn JS. I really liked the book JavaScript: The Definitive Guide 6th Ed. which at many points talked about the differences between JS and C. As someone who learned JS as a first language, I find the syntax is close enough to C and C-Like languages to make picking them up fairly easy, but I'm still a novice and while I know JS pretty well I've only dabbled in C, D,…

Choosing any language because it's in high demand is a bad decision, see "Why SICP matters"[0].

" I tell my students, "the language in which you'll spend most of your working life hasn't been invented yet, so we can't teach it to you. Instead we have to give you the skills you need to learn new languages as they appear." "

With regards to your statement, "It all depends on how you learn JS": That could be said of any language. The fact that you learned the differences between JS and C is what helped you when you were beginning, not that you learned JavaScript instead of Java, Ruby, or Python.

[0] - http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~bh/sicp.html

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