There are a lot of people in this world that would love to learn how to code, and with the up-rise of learning material sprouting up all over the internet, there is no reason why you shouldn’t learn (unless you have zero interest in the subject).
The first question any newbie programmer is going to ask is, “What should my first language be?” and that’s a very valid, but loaded question. I remember when I was also asking myself that question and in doing my research I only came across vague advice saying that it doesn’t matter what the first language you learn is because you’ll always be able to learn more. I never liked that answer much. Though it is true that there is no ‘go to’ beginner language you should learn. The language that you choose is entirely up to your own personal preference, but how are you supposed to choose when you don’t know anything about programming? That’s where I come in. With so many languages available, I wish someone would have narrowed my options down and just chosen for me. Unfortunately I can’t do that for you, but I can tell you the most popular languages available and narrow those down more to the top two, as well as where to access some sites that provide you with all you need to get started on your new career.
You heard that Programmers make a decent amount of money and you want a slice of the pie:
If you say something like that in a programmer’s forum, you’ll probably be ripped to shreds and told something like, ” Don’t program unless you’re passionate about it.” or, ” You’ll never make it if you’re in it for the money.”
Do I think that’s necessarily true? Not at all! (I’m probably going to take a lot of heat from the community for even posting such a sell out thing, but if I help one person who just wants to jump in and code then I don’t care) How many people are passionate about their jobs? Exactly. There are a lot of jobs that’d I’d do for $70,000 and up, I’m just fortunate to have a passion for programming. Although, if you find that you absolutely hate sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours at a time and/or maintaining a thirst for knowledge for an extended period of time (your entire career), I’d recommend researching an alternative field of interest.
Getting back on track: If you like the sound of the average salary in your area (for me in Seattle, Wa the average salary for a software developer is $92,000 according to Indeed.com) Then you have many of options as far as languages go.
In the chart below you’ll see that in 2013, Java and Python dominated the market in terms of popularity.
Java and Python are used in almost every facet of technology today. Do you have a microwave? Java. Do you use Google? Python & Java. Ever play Minecraft? Java. Want to work in web development? Java & Python. Oh, you love Android and want to make apps? Java-ish. You see where I’m going with this.
Keep in mind that these two languages won’t always be the most popular. Programming languages live in phases. Something new and “better” will always come out, or you just need to use the tools of a particular language for a particular project and Java or Python wouldn’t be practical no matter how popular they are. That being said, I’m focusing on these two because I strongly believe that they are the best programming languages to learn as a first language. They are both fairly simple, will make the transition to a new and/or more complex language smoother, can be used in a practical setting, will be in demand for the foreseeable future, and do a fantastic job introducing you to object oriented programming.
Python itself is known for being an extremely novice language to learn. The first lesson you’ll do in any Python tutorial will have you print “Hello World!” out onto your screen. Making that happen in Python looks like this:
print("Hello World!")
But just because you can think of it as “easy”, that doesn’t mean it’s can’t be viewed as professional. On the contrary! The average salary for a Python Developer is $73,000 annually. Realize that these averages are for people that know how to code, and do it well.
There are plenty of free online resources as well as a heavy user base that will be happy to help you on your learning adventure:
. LearnPython.org
. Codecademy
. Official Python Documentation
. Pygame
Java is a little more complex than python in terms of syntax but all of the concepts are the same. Printing the same “Hello World!” message onto your screen with Java will be coded out as:
public class Main{
public static void main (String[] args){
System.out.println("Hello World!");
}
}
But don’t let freak you out. It’s not at hard as it looks. If you stay focused and spend your time to really becoming a pragmatic Java programmer, you’ll be looking at $79,000 annually.
There are more than plenty free tutorials floating around the internet that can get you coding in Java in no time:
. The New Boston
. Codecademy
. Official Oracle Documentation
. Learn Java Online
Working as a programmer offers a lot of career growth and flexibility. You’ll be worth what you know and what you earn, which is something that most of us can value. You can essentially work from home or a sandy beach in Puerto Rico. But it’s not all waking up at noon and sipping Mai Tais while watching the sun set. You’re going to have to focus and work hard to reach the level of an employed programmer. Don’t think that after you follow the tutorials on the links I provided, you’ll be coding up a storm. I’m simply providing a quick answer to your “which language should I learn to get my foot in the door” question. You’re going to have to move on to the next level yourself. Go buy a couple of books on what ever language you’re learning. Read other people’s code. When you’re stuck on something, DO NOT GIVE UP! maybe take a break and then get right back to it. If you’re having troubles with a certain topic, chances are that hundreds of other people have experienced the same issue. Seek their help via StackOverflow or where ever you can find help. Immerse yourself in your language with joining a corresponding Google + community, or go to a MeetUp in your town.
No matter what you do, I wish you the best of luck!
Jacob K. Taylor 