The fact that you can learn independently and a degree is not always necessary made programming so popular among those who want to make a career change. However, this phenomenon raised many questions from beginners looking for advice on learning. From the best place to start to which are the top programming languages to learn for 2023, this article will help you get some answers.
We want to give our viewpoint on some of these questions from our team’s experience and by following the trends in programming languages.
1. Learning a programming language in 2023 guide
Programming is a massive field, and starting to learn it without a plan can be a waste of time. You could end up learning stuff you will never use.
Let’s put it in steps and make it clear.
Step 1: Decide on your goal
First, find out precisely what you need to learn for the desired job by answering some of the following questions.
- Do you want a job as fast as possible, regardless of the technology you will work on, as long as it is programming?
- Which is the skill set you need for that job?
- How much time are you willing to put into learning before getting a job offer?
After you have answered the questions, start researching the domain you want to work on to gather the appropriate skills.
- What are the trends for that technology? Is the market emerging?
- How many opportunities are there in your area?
- What do you need to learn to get there?
Suppose you’ve clarified yourself what you want; good. If not, don’t worry; you can start learning without knowing precisely where you want to get.
Let’s get to the learning part.
Step 2: Learn the basics
The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing programs in it.
The most common mistake beginners make is watching tutorials repeatedly, and learning all the terminology. But, unfortunately, what they do is delay the actual learning by overpreparing.
When learning syntax, learn just enough to get you going, don’t waste weeks on it. You don’t need to memorize every bit of terminology; you can’t and don’t need to.
You can use tutorials or a course to learn the basics, but once you have a brief understanding of the syntax, put the tutorials away and practice on your own.
Many beginners get caught in tutorial limbo and never get out of it because they feel like they don’t have all the “tools” to start to program.
Following tutorials step by step will make you feel like you are making progress, but you will feel lost once you remain out of steps. So make sure you do enough work independently without following steps; that’s when you’re genuinely learning.
We know how hard it is to pick the material you will base your studying on regarding the basics. The internet has so many learning materials that it will make you doubt the choice you made. Therefore, to give a helping hand, we put together a shortlist of sources we like:
- CS 61C – Good content if you want to learn lower-level programming.
- CS 50 – Computer Science and more
- Derek Banas – These should teach you just enough syntax.
- freeCodeCamp – This channel has a bit of everything
PS: Also, don’t feel like you need to pay for materials to get the best results; there are already enough good free sources.
Step 3: Build a project
After you’ve learned the basics, the best way to consolidate the concepts is by building a project. Have patience with this step, and this is where most beginners give up learning. Being on your own without steps to follow will be intimidating at first, but this is the only way to do it, so have patience. Then, of course, when you get stuck, search, ask, research, and don’t look at the screen and wait for the idea to come; it’s normal to look for help. As a bonus, you will have a finished project and something to talk about at your interview when it’s finished.
The project doesn’t have to be too complicated; you can start small and add features in time. Just don’t lie to yourself by copying and pasting code without actually understanding it.
But how do you choose the right project?
To make sure you remain committed to the project and won’t abandon it when it becomes challenging, we suggest building something that matters to you, something you are passionate about.
For example, if you love animals, build an app for an animal shelter that helps with the adoption; like spending time on the internet talking to your friends? Build a social network.
This way, building something you believe in will make you more excited about it and more determined to do it.
To give you a helping hand, we’ve made a list that should help you choose the appropriate language for the project you might have in mind.
| What do you want to build? | What it’s appropriate to use |
|---|---|
| Web applications | JavaScript, CSS, HTML5 |
| Desktop apps development, Augmented reality | C# |
| iPhone Apps | Swift |
| automation and scripting | Python, Ruby, Bash, Powershell |
| scientific computing, data analysis, data science, machine learning | Julia, Python, R, or Matlab |
| Microcontrollers | C |
| Android mobile apps | Kotlin |
| Cloud computing | Java, PHP, Python, Golang |
| Computer Vision | Python, MATLAB |
| Video games | C++ |
Take notice that some of these can be challenging for someone with no background, but you can go for it if you are up for a challenge and ready to put effort into it.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to go into programming with an all-or-nothing attitude. It is normal to take time, and it would be unreasonable for you to expect to become good overnight. Dedicate yourself, code every day, and in a few months, you will see the results.
2. Most accessible programming language to start with
There is a misconception that makes people think there is a “best” language to start with or that the language they chose first will decide the direction of their career.
Programming languages can look very different on the surface, but most of the fundamental concepts are common in all languages. Learning a new language will also get easier over time – it can take a beginner weeks or months before they feel comfortable with their first language, while an experienced programmer will become familiar with a new language in a matter of days.
Ideally, a good programmer should have experience in multiple types of languages. Once you are comfortable with one language, move on to another language that differs in some fundamental way to enlarge your skillset.
As you learn more languages, you will become more equipped to choose the right tool for the task at hand, which is a hallmark of a good programmer. Since programming concepts matter most, we recommend starting with any popular language like PHP, Python, or Javascript.
However, if you still can’t decide on what to choose, we have two proposals.
Python is a general-purpose, beginner-friendly language with a vast community and many libraries for doing almost anything you want, from web development to task automation.
The trends are also in its favor making it the most appropriate language for new technologies like Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Deep Learning.
JavaScript is the standard language of the web, the most popular programming language for building interactive websites. Combined with a framework like Node.js, JavaScript can produce web content on the server before a page is sent to the browser.
This feature permits building games and communication applications that run directly in the browser.
Both of them are compelling languages with different real-world applications, and judging by the trends, the demand for developers in these languages is increasing.
3. Which programming language is easiest to get a job?
When thinking about which programming language is easiest to get a job, the answer it’s simple. Without a doubt, the fastest way to get hired in the programming field is to become a web developer.
According to a current analysis by Emergent Research the global progressive web application market is estimated to reach 10.44 Billion USD by 2027 at a CAGR of 31.9%.
Progressive web applications, built using HTML, CSS, Javascript, have become the norm in the last few years, owing to the relative ease of development and smooth user experience that they provide.
These applications are built using web technologies, and they do not require separate distribution, making them cost and time-efficient.
Hence, with decent HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills, you can easily land a job.
JavaScript is the conqueror of the web; 95% of websites in the world are built with it. However, the language’s dominance didn’t stop there.
What is it used for?
- Web development
- Building web servers
- Game development
- Mobile apps
It is the backbone of the most popular frameworks, such as React Native, NodeJS, and Vue.
Throughout the JavaScript software development industry, these frameworks are used to build complex web and mobile applications with great user interfaces and experience design.
Each framework is supported by an active open-source community, regularly updated with new features and components that streamline the development process and save software engineers valuable time.
To make a recommendation, we at Digitalya love React.
React is the most popular framework used in the present for front-end development.
This framework uses functional programming principles to make parallel programming and coding comprehension much more accessible. In addition, React offers the environment to create modern-looking and easy-to-use websites. The framework is also SEO-friendly and promotes faster web page loading speeds.
Over 9882 declared companies that use React in their tech stack, companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Facebook, its creator.
If you would like to give the web a try, there are some learning materials we recommend.
It would help to check the IT job opportunities in your area and see which are the most popular programming languages for those. Maybe you will find something you didn’t even think about in the first place.
4. Which is the easiest programming language for web development?
While HTML and CSS are a bit easier and will get you a job as a web designer, they won’t suffice for a web development job.
It won’t probably come as a surprise, but JavaScript is the right choice. JavaScript isn’t exactly hard to learn, but getting comfortable with the basics can take a few months if it’s your first programming language. However, the effort is worth it because JavaScript is the most popular technology, and it’s here to stay, and having it in your tech stack will be an asset.
We’ve already settled that JavaScript is the right choice for frontend, but what about backend development?
Node.js is a framework built on JavaScript used for traditional websites and backend API services, designed with real-time and push-based architectures in mind. It is used mainly for non-blocking, event-driven servers due to its single-threaded nature.
Node js in 2021 is a massive trend that is going to evolve even more. Moreover, it offers benefits that make it the best choice for software developers.
Python is also a versatile option for backend development. There doesn’t seem to be a facet of web development that Python isn’t a substantial part of. Django dominates on the framework side, being extremely popular in countries like the US.
These should be the most popular frameworks and also the easiest to learn. Whichever you decide on will be fine.
The general advice remains to search job listings and figure out what’s in demand in your area; trends can differ from place to place.
5. Which is the easiest programming language for web development?
Programming isn’t necessarily about knowing programming languages; they are just tools in the end – it’s about solving problems. So in that sense, it doesn’t matter which language you know, as long as you can solve the given problem.
The IT trends will continue to change, but the concepts, the logic behind programming languages, will stay more or less the same.
Learn how to program, and then you can use any language in the future. It’s better if you generally learn how to program and switch between languages because then you will be ready for the future and able to use the “best” language for the task at hand.
But the top programming languages to learn for 2023 based on 2021 Stackoverflow’s Survey we encourage learning looks like this:
- JavaScript
Judging by the numbers, React and Node.js are right now the most popular frameworks for web development, and they are here to stay for the next few years. So if you’re interested in web development, we are confident in saying it is worth learning.
- Python
Python, paired with frameworks like Flask and Django, is one of the top programming languages for web development. As a result, its relevance in deep learning, data science, and machine learning will undoubtedly increase.
Being present in so many and different fields makes it a great tool to know for the future.
- Scala
Scala is a general-purpose language that supports both OOP and functional programming, making it a versatile language. It is known for diminishing the inefficiencies and shortcomings of Java.
Scala shines with data pipelines and ETL, streaming and event-based applications, distributed computation, micro-services, and modernizing legacy Java systems, among many others.
There are indeed fewer job opportunities, but the existing ones make some of the best-paid software engineers.
It’s a good choice if you want to be a backend developer and if you’re willing to invest time and effort in learning.
- Go
Go was designed by Google to replace C++, as learning C++ is long and arduous. Instead, Go is used in graphics, machine learning, and mobile applications.
The trend is that Go will replace things that are usually written in C++: from app development, mathematics, and game development to data processing. What was previously used to develop with C++, .Net, or Java will now be created with Golang.
Go is an all-purpose modern language that stands out in the “distributed web” space that deserves its purpose in the top programming languages to learn for 2022.
- Kotlin
Kotlin is a general-purpose programming language used in Android development, web applications, desktop applications, and server-side applications.
What made it so appreciated by developers is:
- Safer code—Android apps that contain Kotlin code are 20% less likely to crash.
- Interoperable—Kotlin is 100% interoperable with the Java programming language, so you can use Kotlin code in your project.
- Expressive and concise—according to developers, 67% of professional developers who use Kotlin say Kotlin has increased their productivity.
Since Android is the highest-selling mobile operating system and Kotlin is gaining more popularity, it is worth learning in 2023.
But remember that they are only tools; learning how to solve problems is the real asset.
At last, programming is no different than any other skill; it takes time and practice to get good at it. Set goals, and come up with a plan to see results.
There’s some trend that “promotes” the idea that the only way to change your life is by learning to program; obviously, we’re talking about programming as a career, not as a hobby. We are not saying it is terrible to want to learn this skill, but the problem is that it can make some people feel inadequate; it induces the idea that this is the only viable option to change your life and no other. Make sure you learn because you want to, not because others tell you. There are still other careers left in the world, which, why not, could suit you better.
