Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#1

Post by jongs » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 12:24 AM UTC

I am looking for something less verbose than Java but more robust than PHP. I have been exposed to software as a product manager for several years and have witness how much longer coding in Java takes and how less scalable, less organized and consistent PHP is

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#2

Post by nostrademons » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 12:55 AM UTC

Python.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#3

Post by shiny » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 12:57 AM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #2

Python.

Try http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#4

Post by codeglomeration » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 1:08 AM UTC

I would say that if your area is web development, your best options are the Ruby language and the Ruby on Rails framework, or the Python language and the Django framework.

You really can't go wrong with any of those.

I come from a .Net background and currently learning Ruby and Rails, and I'm impressed. Ruby is a very expressive language, not at all verbose, has good libraries and the community for the Ruby on Rails framework is impressive.

Before making the choice of what I wanted to learn myself, I spent a bit of time comparing the two and decided to go with Ruby.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#5

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 2:09 AM UTC

shiny wrote: post #3

nostrademons wrote: post #2

Python.

Try http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#6

Post by jongs » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 2:10 AM UTC

shiny wrote: post #3

nostrademons wrote: post #2

Python.

Try http://learnpythonthehardway.org/

thanks. downloading.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#7

Post by jongs » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 2:11 AM UTC

Is it easy to go from Phyton to PHP? and from Phyton to Java?

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#8

Post by jeebusroxors » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 3:07 AM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #2

Python.

Ruby.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#9

Post by Ocho-Bits » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 2:20 PM UTC

jongs wrote: post #7

Is it easy to go from Phyton to PHP? and from Phyton to Java?

Not really, they're pretty diferents languages. What you really need is to develop the logic for programming, that's what's important!

Re: Ask HN: What is the best programming language to learn first?

#10

Post by gtani » Sat, Nov 27, 2010, 3:55 PM UTC

Consensus is: python/ruby, the "P" in LAMP (Heh. actually, the P" was perl or php). These 3 (including perl) let you absorb language syntax quickly so you can start learning the disciplines of coding:

- OO and basic FP techniques

- composition, delegation vs. inheritance

- test-driven, mock/stub dependencies, what are your edge and corner cases?

- benchmark, profile, optimize where needed,

(stuff like that)