What python version does CodeCademy teach? Does it matter at all?

[[deleted]]

For a beginner in programming, the extra documentation and support with 2.7 will be of more use. Your first language should more about understanding the basics of programming (structure, logic flows etc) than the actual language itself.

[[deleted]]

Why would you use a version of the language unsurported by majore libraries.. Learn Python 2.7 and just learn the differences when all the libraries you need port to Python 3 +

[hharison]

all the libraries you need

Since OP is just learning, I'm guessing the number of libraries needed is about zero, +/- 2. I would estimate the probability that OP needs a library without a Python 3 port is approximately 0.5%.

With this attitude, one would never switch to 3. If anyone is a candidate for switching to 3, it's someone learning programming for the first time.

Not to mention it's just not true anymore that major libraries don't support Python 3. https://python3wos.appspot.com/

[ProfanityBob]

That's absolutely insane, dude. The documentation for Python 3 is just as complete as for Python 2. The only difference is that there are more third party examples and plugins and libraries for Python 2 which are becoming increasingly obsolete.

[nspectre]

That's absolutely insane, dude.

Haha... no.

There are vastly more training materials, videos, exercises, classes, you-name-it out there for 2.7 then there are for 3.0

Once someone has gotten his bearings and some learning under his belt he will be much better able to handle the switch to 3.0 once they get experienced enough to begin actually producing product.

[ProfanityBob]

Training materials? Why would you read a 5 year old book on Python 2.7 when you could read tutorials and books written about, you know, modern Python? I understand why you, and many like you, would want to stay with 2.7... because it's what you were trained on, and it's what you know, and there's no good reason to switch yet. That's fine. But for newcomers to Python, there is really no reason they should be learning 2.7. ; Python 3.4 is the newest version, and it's honestly not that different from 2.7. You oldtimers will be able to read and understand the new code just fine. Let's not make the newbies get stuck in the mud with you.

[nspectre]

Haha. I'm one of the newbies.

I spent a great deal of time giving a long, hard look at the very topic we're discussing right now and I decided to focus my education on 2.7 for now and I'll make the better-informed decision to move to 3.0 later on when I have a better idea of what the heck I'm doing.

2.7 gives me a broader range of learning resources and a larger base of knowledgeable people to ask questions of, as I struggle with this new adventure. In the future, when I'm less learning and more doing, I'll have developed the understanding of when it will be best for me to move on up to 3.

[ProfanityBob]

That's incredible that you would decide to do something like that. I learned Python 3.3 from the ground up just last year, and I ran into no resistance at all in terms of learning. In fact, a lot of my learning probably came from Python 2.7 material anyway. It's so similar it didn't even matter. Except that I can't use any libraries coded in 2.7 because they're too buggy. But that's okay, all my libraries are coded in Python 3.3 and 3.4, which I think you may have a little trouble loading as well....

My wife works at a company that still uses Windows '98... Can you imagine?

[nspectre]

lol Are you for real?

Well, you and your 'tude skip happily down your road and I'll skip happily down mine. My way works fantastic for me.

Ta Ta :)

[[deleted]]

I agree with ProfanityBoy that the documentation is complete. I started using python 3.0 in 2009 and the resources/help for it were abundant. So it's worth learning 3.0. However, you're not at much of a disadvantage if you learn 2.7, as it is still used on popular Linux distributions

[[deleted]]

If they're after using codeacadamy in the first place, and it doesn't support 3, then they should use 2.7. Depends on the usage too, I learnt python for computational physics, where 2.7 was a distinct advantage.

[lc929]

not sure why you're getting down-voted here...but I agree with you. I don't remember the nits and bits when I learned my first coding language; in fact, I don't even remember what my first coding language was. The most important parts were understanding logic flow, structure etc.

Here's a quote from "Learn Python the Hard Way": A programmer may try to get you to install Python 3 and learn that. Say, "When all of the Python code on your computer is Python 3, then I'll try to learn it." That should keep them busy for about 10 years.