What is Programming? Unlocking the Basics

Programming guide for beginners: How to select the right programming language

Programming is one of the most valuable and needed skills today. Programming is the gateway to creative expression. With it you can design websites, create mobile apps and games, or build software of all kinds--it's up to you. But before you get down to work, which programming language do you choose? You can find hundreds of different programming languages, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. But how do you decide which one to learn first? In this article, we offer some guidance and information to help you draw your own conclusions.

Which programming language best suits you?

As for which programming language is the best or easiest to learn, there's no definitive answer. Different languages are designed for different purposes, and the best choice for you depends on various factors, such as:

• Your goals: What do you hope to accomplish with programming? What do you want to build? Websites, mobile apps, data analysis and machine learning or something else? There are different languages for different application areas, so be sure to choose a language that fits with your own interests and ambitions.
• Your background: How much programming experience do you have? Are you a complete novice or do have some experience? Some languages are more geared toward beginner students, while other language studies require advanced concepts and more developed skills. You should select a language that is commensurate with your level of knowledge and the way you learn.
•  Your resources: Are you willing to devote how much time and money learning programming? Some languages are more popular and commonly used, so they have more learning materials--books or courses; tutorials on the Internet site; forums dedicated to technical discussion of this subject. You should select a language with sufficient and easy to get resources that you can learn from.
• Your preferences: And what kind of programming paradigm appeals to you? Do you prefer object-oriented, functional, procedural, or declarative programming? Are you a static or dynamic typist? Do you prefer verbose or concise syntax? Different languages each have their own paradigms, typing systems and styles of syntax. How you write and read code is different too. Pick a language you like and can be comfortable with.

To help you choose a programming language that suits you, you can use the following steps:

1. Research: Explore the various programming languages that exist and are related to your goals. You can search online sources like Wikipedia, Stack Overflow or Quora to research the history, functions, and applications of each language as well its popularity. Or use online programs like Codecademy, freeCodeCamp or W3Schools to get a look at each language's syntax and basics.
2. Compare: Compare the pros and cons of each language you are interested in. Web sources like GeeksforGeeks, Programiz or TIOBE Index give you a notion of each language's popularity.difficulty, performance and versatility. It is also possible to use online resources that demonstrate how each language works out common programming problems or things to do. Examples are Rosetta Code, Repl.it and CodePen.
3. Choose: Select the language that best suits your needs and tastes. You don’t have to pick only one language and then stick with it for life, later you can even learn more languages. But it is more effective to study a language completely before starting on another. or you can get recommendations and reviews from other programmers and learners on the Internet, including sources such as Reddit, Dev.to or Medium. And you can use online tools such as Coursera, Udemy and edX to find courses for the language of your choice.

Programming learning resources

After you have picked a programming language that fits, the next step is to figure out how best to learn it. There are numerous websites with books, courses, tutorials, videos for you to choose from; there are also podcasts and blogs. But not all resources are equal. Some materials are more reliable, comprehensive, and up to date than others. To help you find the best resources to learn programming, you can use the following tips:

• Check the quality: Before you use any resource, examine its quality and credibility. To find ratings and reviews of books and academic papers, you can use online sources like Amazon, Goodreads, or Google Scholar. Other online sources are also available, such as YouTube, Pod chaser and Feed spot for rating videos and podcasts. You can also check your grammar online using tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway or Plagiarism Checker.
• Check the currency: Before using a resource, check currency and applicability. You an examine online sources like Google Trends, GitHub, or Stack Overflow to find out just how popular the language and its related topics generally are. And you can also use Web-based services such as Wayback Machine, Versionista or Diff Checker to check how often and recently an online resource has been updated and reconstructed.
• Check the coverage: Check the scope and comprehensiveness of a resource before you use it. The scope and range of topics the resource includes may be ascertained by going to online sources like Wikipedia, MDN Web Docs or Python Documentation. You can use online tools such as Mind Meister, XMind or Coggle to make mind maps and outlines on the topics you want to learn about and compare them with this resource.

Best and easiest programming languages to learn

For as we said earlier, there is no single answer to the question of which programming language is better--or easier for newcomers. But by some established criteria--popularity, simplicity, versatility, and demand--we can point to several of the languages most commonly regarded as king lings in terms of value for studying purposes. Here are some of them:

• Python: The programming language Python is one of the most popular and widely used in the world. It is appreciated for its clear, concise grammar, high-level of abstraction and rich assortment of libraries and extensions. It is a language good for many applications, including scripting, web development and data science. Python is also one of the easiest languages for beginners, and it's easy to read easily written and debugged. Python has an enormous and lively community of programmers, dedicated students who study in the classes.
• JavaScript: JavaScript is the language of the web; it's, after all, the only programming language native to a browser. It is used to build dynamic, interactive webpages; Web applications and games; software. JavaScript is also used in server-side development, like Node.js for example and even on the mobile front using frameworks such as React Native. JavaScript is a versatile, powerful language with capabilities like event-driven, asynchronous, and functional programming. JavaScript is also an easy language to learn. It has a flexible, expressive syntax; and there's plenty of developer and student support available out there in the wider world.
• Java: Java is one of the most popular and widely used languages in programming. It is known for its non-platform specific, object oriented and robust design. The domains of enterprise, web, mobile and embedded development are covered with Java. Java is also one of the most sought-after languages. It's used by many large and well-known companies, like Google Amazon or Netflix for instance. Although it can take a while to get used to its C-rooted syntax, Java is relatively easy than many older languages. Its libraries and set of frameworks are comprehensive and well documented, speeding development time quite markedly over other developed methods or even rather strong implementations that may not provide as long an evolutionary path toward sophisticated enterprise applications in the future.
• Ruby: Ruby, which stresses productivity and elegance, is a dynamic and expressive programming language. It also serves as a platform for building web applications, including Ruby on Rails, Sinatra, and Hanami (frameworks). Ruby is also used for scripts, automation and data analytics. Ruby is a very pleasant language to learn, being powerful yet easily and simply used, not only due to the fact that its code has so little fluff but also because it provides such rich functionality as metaprogramming (a way for programs to talk about themselves), blocks or anonymous functions which may be passed by reference from one procedure into another along with variables they would need while executing within Ruby has a warm and friendly community of developers and people learning, as well. There are many places to learn from.
• C#: A modern, multi-purpose language that grafts the good parts of C onto Java. All kinds of applications (desktop, web, mobile and game) on platforms such as .NET Unity Xamarin. Machine learning, data science and cloud computing applications also make use of C#. Learning C# is very rewarding. The language has a clear and concise syntax, as well as an enormous and mature feature set including tools such generics, delegates & LINQ. And C# has a professional, friendly community of programmers and learners with plenty to read.

Tips for learning programming

Programming is hard, but it can be rewarding and fun. To help you learn programming effectively and efficiently, you can use the following tips:

• Practice: The easiest way to learn programming is by example. Those who really want to code should practice coding as much as possible, taking advantage of online tools such as Codecademy or Hacker Rank. Work on your own projects, too--use online tools like GitHub or Glitch to code up and share an entry. You should also code up and debug, testing online tools such as Chrome DevTools, Visual Studio Code or PyCharm to locate errors in your program. In so doing you will improve the quality of your own work and solve problems more quickly.
• Learn: The best way to learn programming is by reading. The theory and concepts of programming you learn through reading books, articles or blogs, newsletters, documentation. In fact, you also must watch videos, podcasts, and webinars as well as courses that teach the practical aspects of programming. Enroll in online forums, groups, and events as well to learn from other coders. Do not be all talk and no play. Also ask questions, seek feedback, get help--use Stack Overflow or Reddit to clarify your doubts; use Discord to timely answer any of those annoying beginner postings.
• Enjoy: And the best way to learn programming is by playing. Choose a programming language that you like and your domain of interest-passion. You should also select projects that are both intriguing and worthwhile, addressing practical problems or achieving your personal ambitions. You should also pick resources that are interesting and amusing, as well as complementing the way you learn. At the same time, you should also mark your accomplishments and achievements; share your work with others.

Conclusion

Programming is a valuable and sought-after skill that could take you places. And if nothing else, it's an outlet for your creativity but before you begin to write code, the choice of programming language is imperative. This is an article about how to choose the programming language most suitable for you. We have also recommended some of the easiest and best programming languages for beginners and we gave you some tips and resources for how to learn programming in an effective, efficient manner.