Paul
What is the most demanding programming language in today's market?
I want to start learning programming, but I'm not sure which language I should begin with. #programming
4 answers
Jeff Sloan
Jeff’s Answer
Paul,
Very ambitious but to learn programming I would stick to a popular, conventional language. C++ and JAVA are the two most popular. Both are similar but II would recommend C++ as it has some features that JAVA does not, specifically memory management and pointer manipulation. There are loads of tutorials and help on the Internet. Another option is Python but I don't think that a scripting language should be your first one.
If you really want to be challenged, there are many fringe languages like Visual LISP, assembly, R but wait until you understand coding basics before tackling those.
Before I get slammed by people who have other favorites, know that there are many, many languages out there and each one has its area of focus and special niche. If there is a specific area of programming, such as web development or database, that interests you, reply or post a new question and we can lead you in the right direction. I'm thinking in terms of general programming focus.
Best of luck! Let me know what other questions you have and I can give you more details or information.
Jeff
Thank you so much for your input! I signed up for an introduction to C++ course at my college for my next semester! I hope to become a well-rounded programmer
Paul
Perfect approach! Best of luck and don't get frustrated. It can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around programming but it is really worth it. And once you get accustomed to thinking that way, it all falls into place. I think you will really enjoy it.
Let us know how it's going.
Jeff
Jeff Sloan
Eric Willisson
Eric’s Answer
Hi, Paul! Good question!
There are a lot of languages in use by companies these days, enough that it is pretty hard to give an answer to "most." C, C++, Java, Python, and JavaScript all are very popular, but there are many others.
However, when you first learn to program, you shouldn't focus on what particular language you expect to use in a job. To be a good programmer, it will be best to learn a handful of different languages, that approach problems in different ways. By doing this, you'll learn how to express problems to a computer, instead of just one language's way of doing things. This will make you a better programmer overall, and means that if you get hired somewhere to work in some language you've never heard of before, you will be able to pick it up fairly easily. The time it takes to learn new languages decreases drastically as you become familiar with more of them.
To this end, I'd recommend that you start learning a language that has a good balance of being reasonably easy to start with, and does things that you're interested in.
If you want to write Web pages, learn JavaScript (along with HTML and CSS), and then one of the other languages on this list for servers.
If you want to write Android apps, learn Java.
If you want to write iOS apps, learn Swift.
If you want to write programs that run on desktops, or if you're not really sure, then I'd recommend Python (it's also good for more complicated Web pages, once you know JavaScript).
There are lots of other approaches, of course, but this is what worked for me.
Good luck, I hope this helps!
Thank you! I decided to sign up for an intro to C++ class at my college! I'll gradually start learning new languages as I become comfortable with programming
Paul
Glad to hear it! Gradually learning as you get more comfortable is exactly right. One more thought, while I'm here: if you find yourself getting stuck on a particular concept, don't feel bad! There are lots of ways to learn, so see if you can find a way to approach it from another angle (whether with help from a professor or peer, or online, or from a book or some other source).
Eric Willisson
Steve Vaughan
Steve’s Answer
The most practical business programming languages are SQL, Python, & R. These are languages used to extract data out of large databases and analyze that data for insights. They aren’t used to develop software or applications but still extremely useful and skills for those languages are in high demand for Big Data.
Thomas Fairbanks
Thomas’s Answer
I really cannot answer this question, but I can tell you what i have seen in recent years. C# has been the big fish in my area. There are many tech companies with open positions for applicants with experience. There are a few game companies in the mix that are using C# and HTML. Your best bet is the learn as mush as you can in college and understand the basic programming principles. If you can, try to find an internship. This will look good on your resume and get you some real life skills for the industry.