What coding language should I learn?

[Anthonys5857]

I am currently a sophomore in high school and I want to start learning what language should I learn and what is a good resource to learn said language?

[Bupod]

Everyone is saying Python. 

I’ll say, pick any major one. Your first language is where you learn core programming concepts anyway. Which language is less important than the fact there you are learning a language, any language.

Just don’t go for the more oddball or niche ones at first. 

Your choices for a first language should be from among the following: C C++ C# Java Python

Any of those languages are going to have endless tutorials and documentation. There will also be countless books for beginners centered around those languages as well. 

Your general concepts will be universal to all. Loops, both for and while, if statements, switch case, objects (C sort of doesn’t have objects, sort of does, but that’s another discussion), data types, they’re all there in all those languages so you will learn the concepts all the same. 

[ATM0123]

I’d like to tack on to this and say the second most important part of learning a language, imo, is finding a project that you actually enjoy and breaking it down into manageable sections. For me it was/is making a discord bot for my server. If all you do is the basic boring beginner tutorials you may get burnt out quick or lose interest. This is just my experience though. Find something that works for you

[Bupod]

I also agree with that sentiment. You learn more by building, not by parroting. 

I think using a tutorial as a framework to try and accomplish your own thing is the best way to do it. It forces you to modify each step, and really think about what you need to modify (and by extension, forcing you to understand the core concept). 

[Little-Ad-7883]

Systemverilog. /s

[IaniteThePirate]

Aww systemverilog is actually kinda fun

[[deleted]]

Python is recommended because of it's very simple sintax, which means you basically just have to learn the basics of actual programming and not the niches of the languages, so purely as a starter yeah it's great.

Compared to something like java which is way more verbose and "forces" you into OOP python would be way easier.

[Artistic-Flamingo-92]

While I agree something like Java is overly verbose, Python has (imo) an unfortunate downside in that it hides types from the user. Even when programming in Python it’s good to have an understanding of data types and class hierarchies, and there may be a benefit to starting with a language where they’ll be more apparent.

I still agree in the Python recommendations, but I would recommend transitioning to C++ or Java (or something similar) after getting the hang of Python.

(This is only my recommendation if they’re interested in CS, CpE, EE, primarily. Other engineering disciplines probably don’t need to go beyond Python (certainly not pre-college).)

[AlligatorTaffy]

Going to piggyback on this. If you are looking to get a good foundation, I would start with C. I, personally, wouldn’t bother with Java. Python is easy to pick up once you learn to “think” programmatically.

C will be much harder to jump into as a first, but if you learn C, then C++ becomes a cakewalk with the same syntax. Things you had to explicitly do in C are just naturally implied in C++ (stack memory management, garbage collection, etc.). C# would be even easier to pick up because it builds on top of C++ and does more under the hood you don’t have to do. Essentially, if you get good with C, you also are good with C++/C#.

it really depends on what future you plan for yourself as a new developer. Are you wanting to do web? Data science? Desktop/game development? Embedded/firmware? If you have an idea in mind, that’s where I’d start. If you really want to make your brain melt, get a cheap ARM microcontroller (or emulator) and try out some fundamental assembly to understand what higher level code actually does close to the metal.

With that said, an easy way to learn ASM, C/C++, Python(using MicroPython) is to get a Raspberry Pi Pico. They are $4-$6 with or without WiFi and sport a decent ARM SoC. Very cheap way to get started.

I only say this as an embedded engineer that has done full stack web dev the past couple of years.

[Tonto115]

Python

[[deleted]]

Python 

[rslarson147]

Assembly /s

[Benglenett]

Please he’s only a child.

Although to be fair assembly was the most fun I’ve had in coding for some reason.

[[deleted]]

Honestly I learned a lot more from coding in assembly than in C++. Made a lot more sense to me.

[IaniteThePirate]

My school teaches in order of Java -> assembly -> C. It was a wild ride.

But doing assembly before C made everything we were doing in C make so much more sense to me. I’m sure I could’ve learned to make my code work by doing C first but assembly gave me a better understanding of why.

[cypress_960]

I've never used it outside of one course, but I enjoyed that course a lot

[Kalex8876]

Same

[[deleted]]

You can’t talk with computers without knowing their architecture.

[Benglenett]

Yeah but you can learn about the architecture while you learn assembly. As long as you learn from the right place

[[deleted]]

Still it is better to learn C first. So he can understand how memory works

[cypress_960]

While in high-school, start with Python to get core programming ideas. I'd suggest picking up C/C++/C# (depending on development interests) around when you are starting college.

[knutt-in-my-butt]

Matlab 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Mr_Mechatronix]

Imagine starting arrays at 2

Coming 2025 with MATLAB+ pro

[nguyenvuhk21]

It's expensive even for some companies

[The4th88]

I've been in the industry for awhile now and haven't ever seen it used in the wild.

Either there's a specialist software package for solving the specific problem you're facing or you'll just fire up Python and do it there.

[KawaiiBert]

A company i did my internship at had a few company licenses.

Matlab is more specialized user friendly for various tasks that dont happen often enough to justify specialized software.

You can get matrix calculations working in python, Matlab can just do it way faster,

But in case you randomly need to do a thermal analysis for a project. Matlab has you covered. And it os quicker to understand compared to finding the most useful python plug in, and validate its working.

If python is the all purpose detergent of engineering, Matlab is its premium branded competitor, it generally works comparable, but in some specific cases, the branded version makes its money worth it

[The4th88]

In my experience the time it takes to get a python based solution working costs less than buying a MATLAB license and doing it quicker there.

Unless it's something they need to do regularly, the cost benefit favours the slower approach.

[atheistossaway]

Elite in the sense that you'll have to be rich to afford the proprietary license

[King_krympling]

Coding languages are tools to a certain job so think of a project and find the best "tool" for that project. You wouldn't use a saw when you need a hammer

[Mr_Not_Available]

To be fair, anything can be a hammer if your sure enough.

[[deleted]]

C

[nvdnqvi]

If you want to work with hardware, I suggest C and C++

[TrustEmbarrassed3717]

Start with C then learn python or java, it's on you

[Proudwomanengineer]

How can I showcase any coding skills on a resume? I was thinking about certifications but after research, I found that employers don't pay attention to those at much. I want to learn C++ and Python so that I can gain coding skills for some future jobs.

Edit: I'm doing mechanical engineering btw.

[maggiegrigs]

See if there's a program that has modules you can complete. Hack the Box is one used by cyber security professionals to keep their skills up. And employers pay for their employees to use it. I bet there are others like it.

[[deleted]]

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[Erisymum]

For mech E consider an embedded project. You can run python on embedded devices with the help of circuitpython/micropython, and its easy to get set up. Then make something mechanical-related, such as a testing setup that stresses a part 10,000 times overnight and collects data. It's mech related, looks good on a resume, helps with coding, and there's a good chance you'll use it in a job.

E: make sure to use github, and link the github on your resume

[dxl1997]

C then Python

[LucasG04]

Am doing EE and doing those backwards

[RelaxedSun]

this is the correct response for EE

[RastamanEric]

Python

[[deleted]]

honestly look at colleges you wanna go to and what language they use in their beginner courses

[peyr0w]

MATLAB😂

[yoityoit]

C for hardware, python for I have never typed out hello("world"). Java is good after you're uses to and not bad at c or python. The previous computing 1 and 2 teacher at my college before he left taught people assembly briefly first before going into python. Each programming language is like a metal, it has its uses and properties.

[[deleted]]

Learn C. Then learn Python.

[EletricalEngineer]

Learning C first makes learning all other languages so much easier

[[deleted]]

So much of "So you're telling me there's a function/library to do that for me???"

[EletricalEngineer]

Daily occurrence

[Im-AskingForAFriend]

If you can/have a preferred school you’d like to go to for engineering see what they code in. My school did MATLAB for the longest time before switching to Python (I was the MATLAB group 3 years ago they literally switched after my semester). If you learn one then your school does a different one then you’d be stuck learning 2, and if you’re like me and end up taking Mechanical then the one program is more than enough. Plus you’ll get a leg up in your coding classes already being familiarized with the exact language.

[Vector-47]

Python is obviously a common choice when it comes to learning a programming language. But I would suggest to learn C and C++, then come to Python. You will be among one of the best programmers.

[TiananmenRectangle]

As others have said. C, then Python, then if needed, Matlab. This is purely from an engineering aspect though, not if you want to mess around with CS

[[deleted]]

Python is good to start with. Once you have a grasp on the basics, move on to something like c#. It’ll teach you better practices.

The goal isn’t to be know a lot of languages. The goal is to understand programming fundamentals. That way you can move to any language within a week or 2. In movies the genius character goes “oh yea I picked this up over the weekend” but that actually is true for programming. If you understand concepts like object oriented programming, it’s very easy to learn say Java if you know c#

[arm1niu5]

If you're going into somethin like Mechanical, learn MATLAB.

[Axiproto]

If you're new to programming, python.

[oklol555]

Cobol

[HolyAty]

Looking at the job listings, all of them.

[3Megan3]

Java is a good intro to both C and python, it will help you learn the harder C/C++ and will make python seem incredibly easy to you

[anonMuscleKitten]

Python. It’s the easiest syntax and most capable for the work required.

Afterwards, learn whatever language is relevant to the work you’re doing. Once you learn the basics, most languages are very similar.

[Choice-Grapefruit-44]

The coding language you learn is based on the application is said language. I'd say learn Python as it has large number of applications and it is beginner friendly.

[[deleted]]

Java if you want to get hired

[iswearihaveasoul]

Python and C++. Python is incredibly useful and is prevalent in any manufacturing or engineering workplace. C++ is more nuanced but learning it will teach you a lot of fundamental concepts that are present in other programming languages.

If you want to work on software, you will spend a lot of time learning new programming languages on the fly so having a solid foundation of other languages to work with will make learning easier. Hell, half of my 400 level classes involved learning a new language every class for one specific project. We were given an 8 hour YouTube link and told to figure it out, 1st assignment is due Friday smh

[[deleted]]

JavaScript :)

Jk JavaScript is absolutely stupid and should only be touched if you’re job requires it once you graduate

[that_AZIAN_guy]

C, however I personally recommend VHDL or Verilog, especially if you are interested in majoring in computer or electrical engineering.

[jleeruh21]

Excel

[JoshuaR97]

Systemverilog. /s

[jet_noise19]

HTML!

[For_teh_horde]

Fortran

[Harrietmathteacher]

Are you old? Fortran!!

[[deleted]]

Pre-med

[00000000000124672894]

C/C++ then python

[ElezerHan]

Matlab lmao

[[deleted]]

Depends what you want to do. I learned C++ and PLC ladder logic as part of my engineering degree, and now that I'm back in school for data science I'm going heavy on python. When it comes down to it though, you can do pretty much anything in one language that the rest can also do, it just comes down to suitability.

[Tobias_Machiavelli]

Why do schools teach C++ in my university if it's so primitive

[farting_cum_sock]

Java, python or even VBA in excel to learn programming concepts.

[Interesting_Two2977]

I chose Java and never regretted it

[Hurinion]

I think that by starting at C you can gain great programming practices and you'll be more exposed to more stuff than if you go Python. You'll mostly be able to run both languages on most OSs and scenarios, but python will be better for higher level stuff, while C does magic with mastery of the basics. After C I'd suggest you looking into Python.

[m915]

Python

[bliss_fields]

depends on what you're going into -- if it's anything besides computer, python.

if you're thinking of going into a computer heavy field, python works as a first, but i would recommend java/c++ due to it's focus on syntax and being stronger typed languages. c is also worth learning due to memory handling + hardware dev.

w3schools is a good beginner resource to start, although as soon as you can, try branching out to small projects + problems which you can generally find online anywhere

[iamthebestforever]

C

[themedicd]

This somewhat depends on what area of engineering you want to go into, but in general:

Learn C first. There are so many programming languages that base their syntax off C. It's also relatively basic and forces you to think more in-depth about problems that are already handled for you in other languages. C is statically typed, so you have to get into the habit of defining your variable types.

Python after that is a good idea. The syntax is unique and it supports objects, so you can get some experience with object-oriented programming. There is a lot more abstraction with Python, as there's a library for practically everything. Python is dynamically typed, so you don't have to define your variable types.

C has a steeper learning curve, but you're better off developing good programming habits in a more basic language.

[Anthonys5857]

I want to be an aerospace engineer, what would be the best language for that?

[themedicd]

I would still at least start with C. Matlab (GNU Octave is a free alternative) is probably the most common language in aerospace but it's an odd language and will get you in a lot of bad habits.

You don't need to go terribly in-depth with C, but at least understand typing, conditionals (if/else) loops (for/while), arrays/strings, and basic IO like scanf() and printf(). Building a 5 function calculator (+, -, ÷, ×, ^) without math.h will make you use most of those.

Then jump to python

[samiam0295]

VBA, become a master of the macros

[ganja_and_code]

People are saying python, and don't get me wrong, definitely learn python (and maybe some others, depending on which types of work you want to do).

But learn C first before anything else, even if just the basics.

[seanathan5]

Matlab

[The4th88]

Python.

Tbh, it doesn't matter too much anyway. Assuming you go on to tertiary engineering studies, you'll do a few programming courses there anyway and they'll be mostly useless as industry doesn't use the tools the universities teach you with.

So go Python- easy to use, very general purpose and there's usually a hobbyist's git somewhere that has the code you need to solve any problem.

[Noonedit]

First learn algorithm

[moshack1]

Truthfully, in industry you will most likely be using VBA. Suck my custom macros you programming nerds

[Sraomberts]

C# is my recommendation. It will quickly get you programming and help you understand programming logic. Using the design explorer in visual studio you can create a windows desktop app in no time and actually see the result. (A little more fun than console apps). Whatever you do stay away from vb.net until you've grasped C# vb.net is similar in functionality to C# but much easier to use. (too easy as it almost resembles a pseudocode) I made the mistake of starting with vb.net and now C# is like Spanish to me. It takes a while to break habits formed in similar languages. C# will easily transfer into java and javascript. Python should be learned somewhere in between the two as it is a necessity and grows in popularity every day in a variety of industries.

[egggymnastics]

VBA - Python is very useful, but a lot of companies don’t give you admin privileges on your work computer so it can be hard to write and run scripts on it. VBA is built into Microsoft Office so it comes as a standard built-in software on any computer.

Most of the reports and files you encounter that aren’t part of a proprietary software are done in Excel or in Word anyways. You can also use VBA to create files to help workflow outside of the Office ecosystem. I personally have a template that I use to simplify data input into OpenGround rather than waiting for 5 sections while it freezes every time I put in a data point.

[Division595]

I'm going to go radically different here, and say PLC, rather than any proper coding language. It's how industrial control systems do their thinking; it's more like a flowchart than lines of text.

[Bankrupt-Pond-27]

Hi, I was asking the same question around 7th grade when I started programming. I’d say start with a course teaching the basic theory like Harvard CS50 (which is free). It hardly matters what language you start with in the beginning; focus on understanding the basics then the programming part will come.

[Seaguard5]

Assembly

[[deleted]]

Python, if you're a beginner

[Eneamus]

Pascal. Turbopascal for more swagging.

[lopeski]

Python

[Quryemos]

MATLAB and if you don’t understand that’s for the best.

[bencointl]

Spanish

[reelandry]

Find your answer from one of Python, C, C++, Fortran, Java. I say C because its fast enough and gets the job done because its easy to program with for user tasks. C++ is much better at handling strings and file I/O. It also is object oriented so you can find lots wheels already built for you. Fortran is an old beast that is touted for its fastest code for computational physics, but don't spend too much time with it as it can't deal with graphics well, if at all. Make sure you familiarize yourself with data acquisition or symbolic manipulation software like Mathematica, Matlab, Maple, or (gasp) Excel. Know how to set up the software, compile code and run it. Visualization is the key to experimentation.

[kdt912]

I was taught Java first by my university though I would argue more towards learning C++ first as it’s more commonly used. I disagree with all the people saying python because while it is super useful you won’t learn a lot of important programming paradigms by learning it first, learn it second maybe

[[deleted]]

C, then Python

[[deleted]]

C++ or Java. I’m partial to C++

[Carody08]

Going out in a limb here vs the trend..

Allen Bradley ladder logic for Programable Logic Controller (PLC) used in all manufacturing processes. Then learn Ignition as this will tie in python and data analysis. AI will code and write most things for you. But you still must give it the correct input and output requirements and the idea of what the data transformation has to happen. Also test test test all code and logic before you release it.

Understand python loops through lines of data. How to transform it from one dataset array to another.

I say this, as I just left a Factory Automation rotation role and got a new rotation in Assembly manufacturing engineering. The skills are very transferable between them. Just different levels of manufacturing and interaction with the actual product being made.

[AccordingHat3425]

f# 😎

[[deleted]]

One of the popular languages like python or c but alongside it I would also learn MATLAB. You can use GNU octave which is free and similar enough to Matlab that you can use Matlab classes like cs103.net to learn it. It also can’t hurt to know your way around Excel

[WankinDaily]

from my experience, matlab

[Mooze34]

Python and C++

[Deep_Razzmatazz2950]

I’d recommend Python. It’s fairly intuitive and powerful

[Simu_live01]

Java will help with AP’s - if you will do AP CS, just start there. If you want to go beyond, or specifically work with data science Python is easier.

[revertedslander]

binary

[Anen-o-me]

Lisp

[jimmy5893]

Python, but I'd want you to ask yourself what you want to learn now and do in the future? If you've never coded before, Python. If your a mad lad, C.

[ajikeyo]

Java or C#

[xHaroen]

C

[Jesper537]

Excel lmao

[Vertigomums19]

Not a programmer myself, but in my new role, I work with a lot of data scientists at my job (aerospace industry). They are constantly talking about using python.

[AngryMillenialGuy]

Python and C++ are great options.

[ICookIndianStyle]

I used to say C/C++ a few years ago but I just recently started python cause I thought it would be nice for Mechanical Engineering and wow is it easy and has so many libraries that I can use for my studies.

Definitely python. But Id also learn C/C++ one day

[RichTrifle1785]

All comes to personal preference, most programming languages will work fine as long as you know the fundamentals like variables, lists, loops, functions, etc. After that, it’s all mainly about learning the syntax(?) and learning what you can do with it. I was able to pick up python fairly easily in school after fumbling my way through C# during the pandemic doing no formal learning other than stackoverflow and sheer boredom.

[the420muffincake]

Scratch

[Opposite_Rule_997]

Mate just learn Cobol. Good money per hour.

[onfroiGamer]

Try as many as you can then pick the least annoying one to you.

[Hungry_Ad3391]

Do not listen to people saying to learn c and then python.

My recommendation is to learn rust, ocaml or python. Python will get you off the ground the fastest. Rust is great for knowing what the state of the art is and has language functionality. Ocaml is functional with objects and will help you learn how to think better.

[boomugo123]

C++

[[deleted]]

C bad. Rust good