Choosing the right path

Question

I need some advice about picking the right language.
People say it really doesn’t matter what language you choose, just learn to code! I’m choosing python at this moment. Would anyone suggest anything different? I did try to learn before but I felt I was alone in it, getting stuck/confused put me in a hole. Please give me some reasons and insight on what the certain languages are capable of. I feel I am very nervous but I am really eager to learn.

Answer 1

Here's an example of the type of algorithms some Python learners might neglect: say you want to sort a list L of numbers. In Java, a good sorting algorithm is about 30 lines of code. Now Python has a built-in tool that does it for you: all you have to do is type

L.sort()

That's almost as easy as a button press! And since these tools are created by experts, they are really fast as well! So it may appear that there's no real need to learn all the different sorting techniques.

But these algorithms also help us train our minds. The underlying ideas are quite often used in different problems where such ready-made tools may not be at hand.

But that's okay. We didn't study the Euclid's postulates before learning to draw triangles! Start with Python, and see first whether you enjoy programming or not. Have fun, and stay curious! You can always write your own sorting algorithm in python instead of using the built-in one. I believe any algorithm that can be implemented in Java can also be implemented in Python.

Answer 2

Timothy Edge I hear Python is preferable for AI and ML, and Java for android apps and games.

Answer 3

Thanks for the reponses! spam and eggs it is lol.
I feel like everyone I come accross is able to comfortably fit themselves in the “ web trio” and mainly focus on other things, internet is great but kind of want to do more outside of that and focus more on the other stuff. I dont want to say completely avoid it but it wouldnt hurt me right? I always loved robots, machine learning/ AI stuff and video games ofc. I have big dreams but I feel like I can barely rescue cats. I guess this is more psychological and I wont waste the peoples time. thank you again
I will learn to code believe it! :3

Answer 4

Hello Naruto! I think Python is a great choice! It's probably the easiest to learn. The pythoner community here is also very helpful. If you get stuck, post your code in the Q&A section here, and someone will surely help you out!

So don't worry too much and dig in! Happy coding! ☺

Answer 5

I think it all really depends on what you want to do. The web trio (HTML, CSS, and Javascript) are very useful for a variety of things but they are limited to the internet (mostly). Java and C++ are used to make a wide variety of programs from video games to cutting edge software, but they are extremely difficult to learn. Python is simpler than others and has a wide variety of uses so it's a great place to start! PHP and jQuery go along with the web trio so I wouldn't recommend learning those until and if you master the trio.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

I will say that learning the web trio has really helped me understand coding in general. If you really want to do all that stuff then I suggest Java. But no matter what, just remember that there's nothing stopping you from learning, you just have to put in the time.

As Kishalaya said, Happy coding!

Answer 7

Kishalaya Saha Ah, thank you

Answer 8

Ina That kinda makes me a little nervous. Can you give me a good analogy of the gap between the ground work stuff i would be missing out?