Computer skills today are in great demand in the job market. The sector is experiencing a huge boom with a shortage of specialized profiles. In particular, the demand for programmers is very high. Those who approach this job or those who want to understand more will have to decide on which programming language to focus their attention and efforts. Here is an introduction to programming languages to get you started.
Which Programming Language to Study?
If you are at the beginning of your career as a computer scientist or you simply want to expand your cultural background with knowledge of the tech world, programming is certainly a central piece. The question you asked yourself at this point is: which programming language should I learn? JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Java, Ruby or PHP? Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question, valid for everyone. The choice of programming language to start with should be made on the basis of personal preferences and the needs of the business sector . The question should therefore be asked differently, taking into account some different aspects.
Where to Start with Programming?
Learning to code is not easy and takes time and patience, no matter what language you choose. Choosing a rather simple language with the possibility of quickly achieving tangible results can help you keep motivation high, a key element to continue your learning path, thus reducing initial frustration. Getting close and taking your first steps in programming and understanding the basic concepts will probably be the hardest part. The good news is that once you become familiar with the structural thinking of a programming language and its individual concepts, it will be easier for you to learn a second language. In principle, we can say that no matter which programming language to start with, the choice falls. The important thing is to create a conceptual foundation that will help you develop any additional knowledge in the future.
Which Programming Language Should You Use to Do What?
To choose which programming language to start with, you must first ask yourself which projects you want to focus on in the future in your work. If your interest is more directed to the creation of web pages you should approach HTML, CSS and JavaScript, to work in the creation of Python or R databases while to develop integrated solutions C ++ or C. At the beginning it is good to focus on programming languages a lot requested and widespread. So let’s take a closer look at the main programming languages to get closer to this world and find out in which projects they are used.
HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS are not to be considered programming languages, but markup systems. They allow you to achieve tangible results quickly. Today they are indispensable for all those who intend to orient themselves to front-end development for websites. HTML is one of the pillars of the Internet, developed by Tim Berners-Lee in conjunction with the HTTP protocol. This language describes how content is paginated or displayed, whether textual or otherwise. The CSS language is integrated to define the formatting of HTML documents relating to web pages.
Java
Java is very common and is used for several projects. The language provides an excellent basis for future professional development. If you are interested in mobile app development (Android) or want to build larger business service oriented applications , Java is the language you should learn.
Python
A very versatile programming language at first glance almost understandable. Study Python if your goal is to work in the data field or the web backend. Python is designed to be highly transparent . Thanks to the accuracy of its syntax it can be used in different scenarios and has been around for several years now.
C and C ++
C provides a very solid foundation that will help you learn other languages later. With C, you learn a wide range of programming language characteristics and you can immediately experience how a program interacts with hardware. Language requires extensive study and a lot of discipline. C and its object-oriented variant, C ++, are widely used in the IoT, for 3D programming, and in video game development. In addition, they play an important role in combining computer science and engineering, for example in robotics or machine control.
JavaScript
One of the most used and fastest growing languages. Knowing this programming language is essential in many areas. It is particularly used in the web creation of interactive effects for websites and applications. Thanks to the browser integration, even with basic knowledge you can test your knowledge and get tangible results, without too many setups. For some time now, the language has also found its way into backend systems and serverless environments and is growing rapidly. Despite being a weakly typed language , a feature that raises a lot of controversy, JavaScript is very fast and flexible. Today, important tools, apps and integrations are almost entirely based on this programming language.
Ruby
Ruby is the first programming language born in the East, specifically in Japan, to overcome barriers and land in projects also in the West. It is often chosen by startups for the creation of their websites for its innovative frameworks. It is precisely the Ruby on Rails framework that has allowed it to gain popularity. Ruby, like Java, is an object-oriented language, which is why it requires more attention for anyone new to this programming language.
PHP
The programming language you should choose if you want to focus on web development. With this language, specially conceived for the programming of dynamic web pages , a large number of websites are managed, such as Wikipedia. It also has a very large community. It offers a large number of frameworks with which developers can build apps. Negative note is represented by the API, not exactly clean and consistent. Other technologies have been making their way in recent years and PHP’s future has been questioned. For now, however, it remains one of the most used programming languages for web development.
Put Your Knowledge Into Practice Right Away
Regardless of which programming language you choose to start your journey, keep motivation high and apply your knowledge whenever possible in a hands-on project. Building something “real” is the best way to become one to develop and address the problems and challenges in learning a programming language. The important thing in this path is not the language you will choose to start with, but to approach and learn structural thinking, design models, object-oriented programming and / or procedural programming. From this base you can add the knowledge of one or more programming languages.