How much self-taught time should I dedicate to studying a programming language like Python or PHP?

Question

How much self-taught time should I dedicate to studying a programming language like Python or PHP, since I am at 0?

Answer 1

Bela Trix ,

The short answer for Python is between one hour and the rest of your life.

The beginner can write understandable working code almost immediately.

print("Hello, World!")

Python is "easy for beginners" because it's terse. You don't have to write extra mumbo jumbo "just because" like some languages.

However, in order to remain terse while becoming the fully functional, multi-purpose, multi-paradigm modern language it is today, it has been given a plethora of special-case syntaxes (so-called "syntactic sugar"). Each gets more done with fewer characters in a particular context but must be learned separately.

So, while Python's learning curve is immediately satisfying, it is not easily finished.

Add to that the 200 core libraries and more than 100,000 third-party libraries extending Python into diverse disciplines, and the Python computer language becomes like a human language -- something a person can spend their whole life practicing, and even become good at, yet never be done.

Answer 2

As much as you feel right.
Everyone has 24 hours a day yet not everyone spend the same amount of time do the same thing.
Some may sleep 8 hours a day while other only 6 hours, so he can spend that 2 hours on his work, study or play video games.

Find a pace which you are comfortable and you will be fine.