Ask HN: If you were to learn a programming language for your first time

Re:Ask HN: If you were to learn a programming language for y... by nostrademons on Sunday January 31, 2010 @02:22PM (#1090913)

C# and Java are easy on beginners?

I'd start with Python, Scheme or JavaScript. Python's syntax is closest to English, the language is nice and consistent, there's an interactive interpreter, and there're a lot of libraries for things you might want to do out of the box. Scheme's syntax is weird but simple, there're very few core concepts you have to learn, and it'll teach you core computer science better than many of the other alternatives. JavaScript lets you do cool things right away, the language is small, and there's an interpreter built into every web browser. If you use FireBug you've even got a semi-decent debugger at your fingertips.

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Re:Ask HN: If you were to learn a programming language for y... by hga on Sunday January 31, 2010 @03:08PM (#1090994)

Agree with nostrademons: you want a reasonably simple and minimally regular multi-paradigm language with an interpreter that is a good fit for a problem domain you're interested in.

Based on the domain, you're unlikely to go wrong with any of the three languages and ecosystems he's suggested (granted, to a great extent JavaScript is a Scheme with an Algol family face).

C# and Java are not interpreted and have complicated syntax, pretty much see things in an OO way---all in all their friction is high and there's a lot you have to learn before you can really start doing things.

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