Re:What programming language should I start with?
by Zak on Tuesday August 21, 2007 @12:33AM
(#44644)
Maybe. On the plus side, it's a pretty nice language - somewhere between Python and Ruby on the power continuum, I think. The C-like syntax is more complicated than Python, Ruby or Lisp, but familiarity with C syntax is probably advisable for anyone trying to get an overview of programming in today's world.
Implementations and libraries are a drawback. I think the best way to learn a language is to build something interesting using it, and the only thing that's easy to build with Javascript these days is the client-side part of a website. Doing that also requires CSS and HTML, which the OP should probably learn a bit about, but it might be distracting to do that while he's trying to learn the fundamentals of programming. Trying to learn Emacs at the same time I was learning Lisp was distracting for me. I don't think browser incompatibilities are a reason to shun JS; unless you're building something for a website used by the general public, just target Firefox. Use Firebug to learn what's going on with your code and track down problems. Once you know what you're doing, it's more tedious than difficult to get it working on other browsers.
If you already know how to make web pages, or really want to learn, JS is probably a good choice. If not, it probably isn't. It's probably best to can figure out what sort of project you'd like to build, and then learn a language well-suited to building it.
It's possible to use Javascript for other purposes, but it's not yet easy. In a couple years, that might change - Steve Yegge seems to think it's the "next big language".
Implementations and libraries are a drawback. I think the best way to learn a language is to build something interesting using it, and the only thing that's easy to build with Javascript these days is the client-side part of a website. Doing that also requires CSS and HTML, which the OP should probably learn a bit about, but it might be distracting to do that while he's trying to learn the fundamentals of programming. Trying to learn Emacs at the same time I was learning Lisp was distracting for me. I don't think browser incompatibilities are a reason to shun JS; unless you're building something for a website used by the general public, just target Firefox. Use Firebug to learn what's going on with your code and track down problems. Once you know what you're doing, it's more tedious than difficult to get it working on other browsers.
If you already know how to make web pages, or really want to learn, JS is probably a good choice. If not, it probably isn't. It's probably best to can figure out what sort of project you'd like to build, and then learn a language well-suited to building it.
It's possible to use Javascript for other purposes, but it's not yet easy. In a couple years, that might change - Steve Yegge seems to think it's the "next big language".