Comment by 🐼 erick

=> Re: "Language to learn" | In: s/programming

Many have already mentioned Python, and I think I even saw someone give JavaScript a shout-out as well. These two are, in my opinion, among the most beginner-friendly programming languages since they’re (arguably) accessible everywhere.

My personal recommendation for a generalist or hobbyist looking to get into programming—without necessarily aiming for a career change—would be Python. It has a wealth of great documentation, established standards, an extensive library ecosystem, and tons of tutorials to get you started.

=> 🐼 erick

2024-12-16 · 7 weeks ago

3 Later Comments ↓

=> 🚀 stack · Dec 16 at 22:09:

Except that Python is a terrible language (as a language geek), the worst user experience I've encountered as a coder, and the most unstable environment where one day nothing works because some library you've never heard of changed. If they paid me to use it I'd quit.

Did I say this before? Yikes, going in circles here. Sorry.

=> 🐼 erick · Dec 17 at 06:02:

@stack yeah, I think I saw your opinion when reading the comments. Too sad you have had that experience with Python, I on the other hand have had an amazing experience with it.

=> 👻 darkghost · Dec 17 at 13:35:

My python experience is mixed. I've used it successfully for data processing of major datasets without much need for coding. But on the other hand, I wanted an application that was coded in python but it needed a newer minor version. So I set about installing it and when I rebooted my Linux distro: boom, no GUI. So I reverted, painstakingly finding all the damn symlinks and getting its hooks out. The solution was to upgrade to the newest release of the distro.

In summary, it took a distro upgrade to run a single application coded in a version of Python 2 minor revisions ahead. I get the criticism. I'm sure I could have avoided it but coding is neither my main job description nor a big hobby.

Original Post

=> 🌒 s/programming

Language to learn — Friends, which language a hobbyst like me would try seriously to learn? Like buy books and materials... I honestly learned a lot of languages since I was a kid: Pascal first as a kid, then Assembly and C when I entered technical school at 14, then Pascal again and VBA at university, then Python... But honestly, though I have some understanding of the principles, I don't consider myself proficient in any. I had to change jobs and profession a lot of times because of money...

=> 💬 Houjimmy · 28 comments · 2024-12-04 · 8 weeks ago