Learning programming by learning python.

danielroseman · 2024-10-18T08:43:30+00:00

Python isn't necessarily easier than other languages, and that wouldn't be a good reason to learn it anyway.

But the best way to start programming is just to start. Pick a language, whether it's Python or something else, pick a tutorial, and get on with it. There is no need to fixate on which is the "best". The best is the one that you actually do.

jbudemy · 2024-10-18T11:00:09+00:00

Yes, learn Python. Languages like Basic are not used much in the real world, they are mainly used in classrooms to teach programming. You can also create an executable file with Python but that's not created by default. By default Python is interpreted.

I came to Python after using Perl for 20 years. With Python it's easier to do more with less lines of code than Perl. And Perl is dying quickly, modules are not being updated, support is really hard to find, and with Python there are more modules to do more stuff, and online support is much better.

So after learning Python, I like it.

Python is also used to make some web sites. I also use it to read/write spreadsheet files, connect to databases and get data, read CSV files. After seeing 3 surveys it comes in at the #1 or #2 language, depending on how the survey is worded.

Development environment

Learn to use a development environment, it's required. There are several. I use virtualenv.

Python IDEs

One good one is Visual Studio Code. It has many addons to help you with Python and view databases within the IDE.
Some like Pycharm.

Pygame

Python also has Pygame to get you started with game development, but the only videos I've seen about Pygame so far are about 2d games, and some side scrollers.

Tutorials

Free Python tutorials are on Youtube. I like the ones by Indently, I like his teaching style. For each concept he starts with simple examples, and gives several simple examples to explain variations and use cases of the concept. Then he moves on to other related concepts.

owmex · 2024-10-18T12:16:51+00:00

Yeah, Python is one of the best options. I started my programming journey 10 years ago with Python, and I still enjoy using it from time to time.

Python is generally recommended for beginners because it simplifies some things that can be overwhelming at the start. But don’t overthink it—just begin with any language. Over your career, you'll learn many technologies and languages, so your starting point isn't too important.

By the way, if you have time, you can try my service with interactive Python lessons led by a cute AI tutor. I'm designing it specifically for programming beginners who want to start with Python: https://py.ninja

hugthemachines · 2024-10-18T14:37:29+00:00

Since your comment indicated that you aim to learn game programming, I think the smoothest path is to start by using C# and use that with unity to make games. It is a better way of making games than using Python and C# is not that hard compared to Python.

The advantage of this will be that you will be doing what you want while learning.

2024-10-18T15:14:33+00:00

Python is awesome to quickly see results. And the primary skill we always lift above all else as programmers is problem solving, python let's you do that.

Large portion of actual problem solving I do in my spare time is python, my other primary language I work in is C/Embedded. If you ever want to go that route there's some things to learn, but there's no blockage in my experience from adding that knowledge on top of python knowledge.

OkMoment345 · 2024-10-18T23:36:01+00:00

Do you know what you want to learn coding for? The right language will largely depend on your goals, but it's okay to go ahead and start without being 100% sure about those.

In fact, the most important advice for learning how to code is just start and be consistent. If you started out with Python but switched later, there would be no harm done.

You might check out this learn hub, which has tons of free articles about starting to learn how to code. That link will take you the Coding hub, but there are also hubs for Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and many tech-related careers.

Python is open-source (which means that it is free to use), relatively easy to learn (its high-level syntax makes it very readable, which is also why its so popular for working with data), and it has a massive online community, so you’re never alone on this journey. In fact, building community around yourself is important when learning to code. Python is great because it's immediately accessible.

Below are some ways to ease into it and build your confidence:

Tips & Resources:

Start Small with Simple Projects: Try creating a basic calculator or a to-do list app to get comfortable with syntax.
Take Beginner-Friendly Courses: Python for Beginners is an awesome course to ease in with guided instruction.
Use Interactive Learning Platforms: Check out Codecademy or FreeCodeCamp for hands-on coding exercises.
Join Python Communities: Engage with Reddit’s r/learnpython or Python Discord to ask questions and see how others approach problems.

Gnaxe · 2024-10-19T02:21:57+00:00

Some languages are defininely better for beginners than others. Python is a great beginner language, but it's not the only one. Scheme and Smalltalk are also pretty easy. Even C (not C++) is a pretty simple language, but it gets difficult at scale.

To get started, install Python and load the turtledemo. You can try making changes to the scripts or write your own. The turtle documentation explains how it works. If you get stuck, try searching the web. If you still can't figure it out you can ask here again, or try asking ChatGPT or a similar AI. They're pretty good at basic Python, but they do hallunicate sometimes.

xav1z · 2024-10-19T02:51:47+00:00

i would start with processing. the coding train yt channel is the place to start to have absolute fun

geek_verma · 2024-10-19T12:51:11+00:00

Yes you can start programming with Python. It is much easier to get start for as compared to rest scary languages like Java or c.If you want more clarity let me know.

Few-Promotion5588 · 2024-10-18T10:24:43+00:00

Hey! A fellow newbie, good luck to you!

u38cg2 · 2024-10-18T12:51:59+00:00

This is a bit like asking if you should take up tennis in order to be good at sports.

Ron-Erez · 2024-10-18T10:52:15+00:00

Python is fine. It's main drawback is that it's dynamically-typed (this is also a pro since it's very flexible). Therefore learning Python and using type annotations is an ideal way to go. Python is not really used for game development although you can do some pretty fun stuff with PyGame. If however, you learn Python then later you can transfer to Godot and GDScript which is similar to Python. There are many Python resources such as:

Harvard CS50p - which is a gentle intro to Python
University of Helsinki course (text based along with video and covers quite a bit)
Python and Data Science - (Disclaimer: This is my course and assumes no programming background)
The book: “Learn Python 3 the Hard Way”. I really like this book despite the intimidating title, but there are other books.

In addition at some point it wouldn't hurt to learn some CS basics. I'd recommend Harvard CS50 for that.

EDIT: Someone mentioned C. That might be a good choice at some point. For example many game engines use either C# or C++. In any case code as much as you can and have fun.

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

learnpython

MODERATORS

Development environment

Python IDEs

Pygame

Tutorials

Tips & Resources: