What programming language should i start with?

Collin Martin: What programming language should i start with?
Ok, so i’m 15 years old. Ive tried programming in the past, and it was very hard for me. It struck my mind that i might have started out with the wrong kind of programming. Should i start with C++ ? Java?

If so , where should i learn it? Any book recommendations? Online free courses?

The type of programming i was hoping to do was something that would make me a bit of money, in case i ever needed it. What kind of programs would i have to code to do this?

Thanks for your time.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Meklar
C++ is a bad language to start with. It is low-level, quite cryptic, difficult to debug, and makes it very easy to shoot yourself in the foot.

Java is more forgiving than C++. However, it is still a compiled language and it also enforces a strict object-oriented paradigm (which C++ does not) which might be hard to understand at first.

I think it really depends what kind of learning curve you want and what you want to be doing with programming in the future. If you’re okay with spending a few years on the learning curve, you might want to start with something like Javascript. Javascript requires that you know a bit of HTML and CSS to use, and it is slow, but it is incredibly forgiving and easy to use and debug and it doesn’t require a compiler (it gets interpreted dynamically by a web browser). It also shares a C-like syntax which is good. Some people recommend starting with Python or Visual Basic, but I don’t think that’s a good idea myself because their syntax is not C-like and so in order to move on to Java or C++ you would need to relearn the syntax. On the other hand, if you really want to dive into the deep end you can go straight for Java or C++, but be careful you aren’t overestimating your own ability and patience.

Answer by Xavier William
As a Computer Science Major, who never knew how to program until College, I suggest a program called Dr. Scheme. If you really want to learn, it is a great language to start out off. You will most likely never use it again, but it is great to teach you how computer programs work and the intricacies of designing programs.

Look up PLT Scheme and download the program. Then look for a book called How to Design Programs.

https://www.htdp.org/

^ It is on that website; the full book, for free. Once you feel comfortable designing programs, I would move on to C. For this, I would look at a book called “C How to Program” by Deitel and Deitel. I also used this in school and it is an EXCELLENT book. You can easily read through the whole book, follow the examples and answering the questions and get a great concept in C. Once you learn C, I would move on to C++, then Java. If you have a background in C/C++/ Java, you can learn any language very very easily. I only know C/C++/Java as of right now, but other languages are coming to me so easily. I have a summer internship that isn’t really programming related, but I did get a chance to do some programming. The only thing was the programming was in Visual Basic. After only 2 weeks of Visual Basic exposure, I have written 5 programs! The relations that C has to other languages is astounding. C may be a hard language to learn, but once you know it, you will be forever grateful.

Good luck with your studies!!

Answer by FernandoEscher
Definitely Python! Easy and fast to learn. It is a good start because is simple an is extensively used to develop applications (mostly Django apps).

Try the official tutorial if you want to get involved: https://docs.python.org/tutorial/

But, if you want to do some cool kid stuff and have some fun while programming, try scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/

Take care!

Answer by Tim Riggins
start with basic. that language has always been used for teaching and it is actually used in industry quite a bit too. if i were you i would go to the microsoft site and download the visual basic stuff plus the IDE (integrated development environment). then you can follow their examples and learn. to make money you’ll need to have experience and so it might be a good idea to write small programs for your church or small businesses in the area. do them for free at first and then put it on your resume and look for a job. you’ll need at least 6 months experience (but call it a year on your resume). there is great demand still for programmers.