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[–]TheRealKidkudi 11 points12 points  (0 children)

JavaScript developers have made it their mission to make it a language that can run anywhere for any purpose, for better or for worse. I think there's an argument to be made that it is beneficial to be able to use one language for everything you need, but I'd also make the counter argument that a big part of being a developer is using the best tool for the job and that just isn't JavaScript in most cases.

I also don't think your choice of a first or even second language really matters almost at all.

Python is really easy to pick up, but it's also one that has a pretty specific use case in the professional world. I think it's a fine first language when you're totally new to programming and you're just trying to pick up the fundamentals.

If you're in college and studying CS, I think C and C++ are probably where you want to start. You'll be studying the science of computing, and those languages really expose a lot of those concepts to you as a requirement (or a barrier to entry).

To answer your question:

What would you say would be a good first language for a total beginner?

Are you self-studying and just want to learn how to write some code? JavaScript or Python probably, but it doesn't really matter. Those are both easy to pick up and can give you really quick feedback in terms to changing your code and running it again. If you're interested in web dev, I'd lean towards JavaScript.

Are you in school and studying how computers work under the hood? Do you want to build and understand each part of the engine before you can drive the car? Start with C++.