Rémi Jul 9, 2023
Appears my partner wants to get into #programming. I'm not too much of a programmer myself (been quite a while since I have) so what's a good language that can be used for everyday application but beginner friendly ?
Show threadZarin LoosliJul 10, 2023

@niraeth I started on #JavaScript, and I don't think you can do much better as a jumping-off point into getting into programming as a whole (c like syntax but without having to explain static typing)

With that said, Python is probably even less of a learning curve as long as you're planning to stay there

Show threadKyleJul 10, 2023
@fogoplayer @niraeth I would sort of agree with JavaScript except for the static typing thing. I feel like that’s a concept that is really valuable long term, because even an awareness of the concept could help prevent errors in dynamically typed languages. So maybe typescript? It gives you and teaches type systems while keeping the relatability of developing for the web
Show threadZarin LoosliJul 10, 2023

@phunkmasterp @niraeth it all depends on why you're trying to learn and your background.

There's a minimum learning curve when going from not programming to programming, whether in Scratch, Python, or C++: learning to think algorithmically.

Having to worry about if a variable should be a string or a number, a number should be a float or an int, a collection of variables should be bundled up into a class—this adds a cognitive load that may or may not be worth the benefits. (1/2)

Show threadZarin LoosliJul 10, 2023

@phunkmasterp @niraeth Static types force you to think about architecture, at least a bit, as you're writing your code. If the goal is to become an engineer quickly, maybe it's worth it to get in that mindset early. If someone's just looking to do a little automation in bash or Python, they may never need it.

Plus most statically typed languages are also compiled, adding one more thing that they must learn (or blindly trust) before they can get to a hello world (2/2)

Show threadZarin Loosli
@phunkmasterp @niraeth (3/2) 😅 But I can definitely see where you're coming from. I can only speak to my own journey
Jul 10, 2023 at 2:40amWeb
Show threadKyleJul 10, 2023
@fogoplayer @niraeth lol fair enough! That is a good point I didn’t think of - it really depends on your end goal. I agree that static typing is great if you’re trying to work towards becoming a developer or engineer specifically, but programming is more than just in those fields. A ton of jobs (which I admittedly completely disregarded) use programming to augment their existing work. (1/2)
Show threadKyleJul 10, 2023
@fogoplayer @niraeth In that case then yeah JavaScript or Python is probably a solid choice. Which is probably why things like Python is so heavily used in fields outside of software engineering. So definitely agree with you there, good point (2/2)