So, you want to know the easiest programming languages to learn for beginners. Well, you’re in luck, because today we are going to break down the 5 easiest programming languages to learn and why!
These languages were not just chosen because of their ease of use, but also the environment in which you learn them. For example, many lists like this would include the C programming language due to its simplicity. However, C is everything but easy to learn and can take an entire lifetime to master.
Unlike most other lists about the easiest programming languages, I am also not going to include HTML and CSS which are obviously not programming languages!
So yeah, if you’ve read any of those lists, you should know that kills their credibility! /rant
Lastly, I want to state that every programming language is challenging to learn. Just because you may find these languages difficult, it doesn’t mean you are not meant to be a programmer. No matter what language you are learning, it is going to take a lot of time and patience on your end. The more languages you learn, the easier it gets. So trust the process!
Anyways, now that I have gotten that out of the way, let’s jump right into the article!
1. Python
Python is by far one of the easiest programming languages to learn in 2022. Which is a major reason why I recommend using it in coding interviews.
1. Python: Syntactic Sugar
One major reason why Python is so easy to learn is that there is a lot of syntactic sugar used in the language. For that reason, you can accomplish more in less code while also keeping your codebase clean and easy to read.
All this syntactical sugar also ensures that your code reads more like the English language than an obscure uninterpretable programming language like these esoteric languages.
2. Python: Dynamically Typed
In addition to this, Python is also dynamically typed. Meaning you don’t need to worry about declaring types or think quite as hard about what types you will be using within your program.
While this is beneficial, keep in mind that not understanding types in programming can also cause unintended bugs that are easy to overlook. So learning a dynamic language is not an excuse for not understanding type systems!
3. Python: Enforced Formatting Instills Good Habits
In many programming languages, the use of indentation is strongly encouraged but never enforced. Your use of white spaces makes no difference in how the program runs.
In Python, however, that is not the case. There is a big difference between code that has been indented properly.
For instance, this first function will not print anything, while the second prints “second statement”. Even though the only difference is the spacing on the else statement!
def print_something():
if(1==1):
if(1==2):
print("first statement")
else:
print("second statement")
print_something() # does not print anythingdef print_something():
if(1==1):
if(1==2):
print("first statement")
else:
print("second statement")
print_something() # prints "second statement"4. Python: Lots of Great Resources
Finally, Python has a ton of great resources for beginners. Just check out all these great videos from Udemy! In addition, you will be able to find pretty much any question you’ll ever have about the language already answered on Stack Overflow. So you can rest assured that you are getting some of the highest quality help about the language right from the start.
2. JavaScript
1. JavaScript: No Boilerplate Code or compilers
One of the many benefits to learning JavaScript as a beginner is that you really don’t need to worry yourself with much boiler plate code. In fact, you can just open up the console window in your browser right now and write a JavaScript ‘program’ in a single line. Like this:
alert("this is an alert");There you go, you just wrote your first JavaScript programming! Unlike languages like C and Java, you don’t need to write anything else to get your JavaScript code to work. Making the code easier to read and write immediately.
2. JavaScript: Dynamically Typed
Just like Python, JavaScript is dynamically typed. This means you don’t need to stress about static-type systems. While this makes your code faster and easier to write, the aforementioned aspect of needing to understand type systems remains important. Regardless, it is a nice feature to have and you can also easily convert your code to TypeScript in the future if you do end up wanting a type system!
3. JavaScript: Forgiving Syntax
Additionally, JavaScript has a very forgiving syntax. In addition to not needing boilerplate code, JavaScript is also very forgiving in other ways.
For example, in JavaScript, you will not get an error if you add a number and a string. JavaScript will simply convert your number into a string and concatenate them together.
const numString = "1" + 1;
console.log(numString); // "11"What’s more, unlike languages like C, you can even forget to omit the semi-colons!
// code still works without the ";"'s
const numString = "1" + 1
console.log(numString) // "11"JavaScript: Lots of Great Resources
Along with Python, there is also a ton of great resources online to learn JavaScript. Whether it’s Udemy, Youtube, or Stack Overflow, you’re never at a loss for high-quality content and answers to all of your JavaScript questions.
3. Ruby
1. Ruby: Simple Language Design
Ruby has the simplest language design that I have ever seen. Since it is an object-based language, even individual numbers and letters can be assigned properties and actions. This makes it much easier to keep track of how things work and what is possible with each aspect of the code.
2. Ruby: Dynamic Type System
As mentioned in the above languages, the dynamic type system makes Ruby an easy language to write. It means fewer characters to write and a more lenient type system. It also means you can use techniques like duck typing!
3. Ruby: Syntactic Sugar
In addition, Ruby is very similar to Python in the fact that they both have a lot of syntactic sugar that makes the language extremely easy to read. Although I personally find Ruby even easier to read than Python since the language uses more English terms in exchange of enforced white spaces in Python.
For example, here is some Ruby code:
# Some counting with a while.
a = 0
while a < 15
print a, " "
if a == 10 then
print "hit ten!!"
end
a = a + 1
end
print "\n"4. Java
1. Java: Easy To Understand Large Programs
Not to be confused with JavaScript, Java is one of the best programming languages to learn first.
There is a reason why Java is the most widely used language for enterprise projects, it is extremely easy to read and organize! Java is an Object Oriented Programming language, which is known for being conceptually easier to understand than functional programming and easier to maintain than procedural programming paradigms.
While Java can have a slightly larger learning curve to understanding the basics, Java programs have withstood the test of time as a top choice for big complex programs.
2. Java: Static Type System
While a static type system can seem to add more complexity to a programming language, it is also there to prevent errors early in your code. For that reason, static type systems can actually save you hours of debugging time by catching the errors you’re making early.
3. Java: IDE Support
Java is also well known for having a lot of support from very advanced IDEs. Although booting up an IDE can seem more intimidating and confusing than using a typical text editor, it also has its share of advantages. Such as a built-in debugger, and code completion software.
Java works with some of the most advanced IDEs such as Visual Studio, Eclipse, NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA, and many more.
4. Java: Lots of Great Resources
Given its age and position as one of the most used programming languages in the world, Java has a ton of great resources to teach you the language. Even more than Python, JavaScript and many other modern languages. There have also been many other beginners who have learned Java as their first language so you know it’s very doable.
5. SQL
1. SQL: Simpler Concepts
SQL is a much different programming language than the rest on this list. Mainly because it’s primary purpose is different from the rest. SQL is primarily used to access, transform and manipulate data in a database. Unlike the aforementioned programming languages, SQL isn’t used for much else. It doesn’t have their classes, functions, loops, and other complexities, which makes the learning curve steeper. Meaning the scope of knowledge you need is much smaller and it seems more intuitive to use the language.
2. SQL: Reads Like English
In addition to this, SQL also reads a lot like common english. Even if you didn’t already know a programming language, you can normally tell what is going on in a SQL query.
Here is a quick example below:
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)
VALUES ('Cardinal', 'Stavanger', 'Norway');
SELECT * FROM Customers
ORDER BY Country;As you can see, even if you do not know SQL the above code looks pretty recognizable!
3. SQL: Lots of Great Resources
Finally, there are also a lot of great resources to teach you SQL. Many of them even promise to teach you the basics in under a week! Pretty impressive for a programming language.
Wrapping Up: Easiest Programming Languages
So there you have it, 5 of the easiest programming languages to learn as a beginner programmer: Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and SQL. While it ultimately doesn’t matter too much which programming language you decide to pick up first, you really can’t go wrong with any of these. All of these languages will help you learn how to code and take you on your first steps to becoming a great developer!
If you’re a new developer and want to check out few great courses to get you started, check these out.
Happy coding!
