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I want to learn programming, which language would you recommend?

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Re: I want to learn programming, which language would you recommend?

#11

Post by Jun8 »

rachnaspace wrote: post #5
Jun8 wrote: post #2

This is a little like going to IKEA and saying "I need to furnish my house, what should I buy"? Without knowing more about the intended use of the language, it's hard to give a good answer. However, if pressed, I would say Javascript. It starts simple (but is not a simple language), you can build slick web pages with it, and you can even build native mobile apps for Android and iPhone (e.g. with using PhoneGap).

I don't have a specific app idea in mind for which I want to learn programming. Mostly, I like consumer web apps, and which may require integration with facebook, twitter APIs. I'm not looking to build a full blown app myself - rather a quick prototype to test it out with users and if there's traction, then it would make sense for me to team up with engineers and build it out. Regarding Javascript - as you say, I too…

PHP is also good, but if you want to do some heavy integration with service API I stand by my Javascript suggestion. It's not pedagogical, but then neither is PHP.

If you are a little more serious in your desire to learn programming, than you can learn Java. That way, you can go the GWT route when you need Javascript functionality.

Re: I want to learn programming, which language would you recommend?

#12

Post by kasharoo »

If left side applies to you -> choose this language:

  YOUR CAPS LOCK IS STUCK -> BASIC

  u r l33t -> Ruby

  Not afraid of significant whitespace -> 
      Python

  Not afraid of significant whitespace and wear a pocket protector ->
      Fortran

  You love getting messages  Lisp

  You want a job -> Javascript

  You want a well-paying job -> Java/C#

Re: I want to learn programming, which language would you recommend?

#13

Post by rachnaspace »

twymer wrote: post #10
rachnaspace wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks dkersten! I'll check out Python. What do you think of PHP? Some folks were suggesting that, but I haven't yet checked it out.

If the ideas you hope to prototype live on the web, this is a reasonable choice. However, I don't recommend using PHP as a general programming language. Python kind of works for everything, if you want to do web dev you can pick up Django, plenty of GUI libraries and it works on all platforms easily.

thanks!

Re: I want to learn programming, which language would you recommend?

#15

Post by dkersten »

twymer wrote: post #10
rachnaspace wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks dkersten! I'll check out Python. What do you think of PHP? Some folks were suggesting that, but I haven't yet checked it out.

If the ideas you hope to prototype live on the web, this is a reasonable choice. However, I don't recommend using PHP as a general programming language. Python kind of works for everything, if you want to do web dev you can pick up Django, plenty of GUI libraries and it works on all platforms easily.

This is pretty much what I would have said if I'd checked the comments sooner. PHP works well enough for a web language, but if you want to do anything else, its not so great. Python works, IMHO, equally well for web, desktop GUI, shell scripts etc.
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