What Should Your First Programming Language Be?
So, you’ve decided to dive into the exciting world of programming, but with so many languages out there, where do you even start? I’ve been there, staring at a list of languages like Python, Java, C#, Go, and it is honestly overwhelming with the amount of tried and true languages nowadays. With roughly a decade of programming experience I believe I’m ready to make a case for why you should be considering a few different languages to be your first.
Match Your Motivation to Your Starter Language
Before we get started, let’s get real: your first programming language should tie into why you’re coding in the first place. Your goals and background can steer you in the right direction. Dreaming of building the next big video game? You might want to consider C#, it’s a powerhouse for the game development industry, powering tools like Unity. Got a mathematical based background/job, or just want to dive into statistical programming? Python or even R could be what you’re looking for, with their vast libraries for data analysis, stats, and machine learning.
Maybe you’re into web development and want to find a language that can be used for the frontend and backend. Then you are going to be interested in the next section of this article. Picking a language that fits your motivation keeps you excited and moving forward, so in the end, the best tool for the job you want to do is where you want to steer your education.
Why JavaScript Is My Top Pick for Beginners
Now, if you know me then you are going to be reading this going, “Mick, why aren’t you choosing literally anything else besides JavaScript?”. The simple answer is that after nearly a decade of programming experience I think that JavaScript just checks too many boxes for a beginner not to at the very least seriously consider using it as their first language. Let me explain:
Easy to Learn and Get Started
JavaScript’s syntax is pretty straightforward. You don’t need to wrestle with complex setup or complicated boiler plate code to just get up and running.
Instant Feedback in the Browser
One of the coolest things about JavaScript is how it works right in your web browser. Open your browser’s developer tools (usually F12), type a line like alert(“Hello, World!”), and boom, you see it pop up instantly! Congratulations, you just wrote your very first JavaScript program! If you have an HTML document simple add a <script> tag and add your JS to do all kinds of things like listen for button clicks, change the color of certain text, and more. The best part is that you can visually see the changes right there in the browser that I assume you have given that you are reading this article.
You Can Do Anything With It
JavaScript isn’t just for pretty web pages like it was years ago. At this point, you can do all kinds of things with JS:
Frontend: Build interactive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Whole frontend JS frameworks are available like React, Vue, and Angular.
Backend: Use tools like Node.js to create servers and handle data.
Mobile Apps: Frameworks like React Native let you create apps for iOS and Android.
Games: Libraries like Phaser help you make fun 2D games, or threejs allows you to build 3D games right in the browser.
IoT: If you’re daring, you can even tinker with Internet of Things (IoT) devices using platforms like Johnny-Five.
Huge Community and Resources
JavaScript is a very mature and popular language, so you’ve got tons of tutorials, forums, and free tools like CodePen or JSFiddle to play with.
Job Opportunities
From startups to tech giants, the demand for JS skills is everywhere, and starting with JavaScript puts you on that path if that’s where you want to take your career. Hiring JS developers, or having a large portion of the company’s tech stack in JavaScript, is very popular due to the versatility of the language, the simplicity of hiring devs that can work on all aspects of their stack, and more importantly, the pool of developers is massive.
JavaScript Hello, World! Example
Simply, copy this code into an .html file and open it (with a browser of your choice), then boom! You have successfully run your first JavaScript code. Don’t worry about the boilerplate tags; everything you need to pay attention to is between the <script> tags.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First JavaScript</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
alert(”Hello, World!”);
</script>
</body>
</html>Python: The Beginner-Friendly Runner-Up
Remember when I made that awful joke in the previous section about people who know me questioning my choice of JavaScript? Well, that is because I am a massive fan of Python and use it practically everyday doing various data exploration and manipulation tasks at work.
I am a massive fan of how easy the syntax is to learn, and how fast I can just spin up a script to do what I want without the need for a bunch of boilerplate code or configuration. The only reason I didn’t put it as my number one pick is that JavaScript is just too versatile across nearly all industries nowadays. But that doesn’t mean Python can’t do it all too!
Super Simple Syntax
It reads almost like English, no curly braces or semicolons to trip you up. This is its biggest strength when it comes to being a beginner-friendly language.
Versatile
Shines in data science, machine learning, web development (particularly the backend), and automation scripts. Like JavaScript, you can practically program anything you want with the language: backend, frontend, games, embedded, and more!
Huge Community
Whatever you think of when I say huge, probably double it! There are tons of tutorials, libraries, and support online for Python. Odds are, you can find someone working on the same problem as you on YouTube, Stack Overflow, and in other forums.
Job Opportunities
Python devs are in high demand for roles in data analysis, machine learning, AI, web development, and automation at startups, tech giants, and research firms. There are plenty of jobs out there for Python developers.
Python Hello, World! Example
This is the perfect example of a Python one-liner joke. If you have never seen the meme that what ever you can do in any other programming, no matter the amount of lines you write, you can do it in one-line in Python, then you are missing out. While it is an exaggeration, it isn’t totally untrue.
print(”Hello, World!”)C#: The Enterprise and Gaming Powerhouse
Now we get to consider the compiled language on this list that is mostly used for enterprise applications and gaming. Most beginners like to pick up C# because it is the preferred scripting language of the Unity game engine. Powerful, structured, and incredibly versatile. Developed by Microsoft, it’s a standout choice for beginners and intermediates alike, with a ton to offer.
Thriving Community and Resources
C# has a massive community established, especially for game devs and those wanting to work in the Microsoft ecosystem. There are plenty of resources to get started.
Versatile Beyond Gaming
C# isn’t just for building games. I focused on gaming in this article because it is a very common motivation for beginners to want to build games. In reality, C# powers desktop apps, web backends (with ASP.NET), microservices, and many legacy and new business systems. It’s a language that grows with you across industries.
Job Market Powerhouse
C# skills are in demand for game studios, enterprise software, and web development. Companies like Microsoft, Unity-based studios, and many businesses from all industries are always hunting for C# talent.
C# Hello, World! Example
You’ll notice more boilerplate code here, and that is standard to see in C# or other C-like syntax languages. C#’s syntax is very easy to learn, and in C# 9.0, the .NET team added what is called top-level statements that further simplify the code below.
using System;
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine(”Hello, World!”);
}
}Final Thoughts
Picking your first programming language is usually a personal journey. Or you could be like me and forced into learning Java for your intro to programming class, which you take in college.
My suggestion is to figure out what you want to do and then plan accordingly. If you want to build games, it is entirely feasible to use either Python or JavaScript. In fact, there are very mature libraries that you can learn to help you build games in those languages. However, if your ambitions are to become a game developer, why not start with a tool like C# that will take you somewhere in that industry.
Remember, languages are tools for a job, so do the research and find which tool works best for your use case.