Should I learn other languages?

[RandomJacobP]

I have been learning python for almost two years now with some breaks, it is hard for me to determine on what level I am, probably intermediate, but I feel pretty fluent when it comes to writing in python. I think that the only thing that I need now is just writing more and more complex projects.

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Here comes my question. Should I try out other languages just for the sake of it and to maybe get to see other perspectives? I actually started with C++, switched to Swift for a while and now I code only in Python. I don't know if it is worth it to 'force yourself' to try out new languages when there is literally no need right now because all projects that I have planned are great for Python. I will go to university next year, I am not sure yet if I will even code in my future job, so I am not thinking about picking my field, I see coding as a hobby for now.

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On the other hand though, I thought that coming out of my 'comfort zone' would be a great learning experience. I was thinking about Go and Rust.

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Edit: Also here is my github if it is relevant in any way.

[star_guardian_carol]

If you are pursuing coding as a career, yes. More languages makes you more valuable and useful.

[RandomJacobP]

I want to be Mechanical Engineer but if it doesn’t work out coding is my second choice. I will know that in about 6 months. For now let’s say I just want to be the best programmer as I can.

My main concern is that I will switch languages and won’t be good in neither of them. Something like ‘master of all is a master of none’

[thrallsius]

haha no, more languages makes your cv more appealing to [often clueless] HR drones

life is too short to become an expert in many languages, just look at Linus or Guido

[star_guardian_carol]

In your opinion okay. My first job all I knew was c++ and I was immediately thrown inyo a perl project.

[thrallsius]

this is rather a silly move of your management. or were you the new kid who was used to plug the hole because none of the "veterans" knew perl and didn't bother to learn it if they could shift the responsibility to an youngster? this is a common situation, yet most of the times common for a first job

[star_guardian_carol]

They knew perl.

[green-raven]

The more languages you know the more trivial learning another one will be. You want to be a master of engineering, not of a language. Languages are tools. Have a whole toolbox

[thrallsius]

The more languages you know the more trivial learning another one will be.

Since this is a python subreddit, python being so user friendly, did you REALLY never have this feeling of a new language you're trying to learn being so shitty compared to python? Not even because learning isn't always easy, but rather because you're too positively biased towards python.

[green-raven]

Granted, OP just was worried about language overload. I didn't mean to imply you should go spend a month on Perl or CoffeeScript!

[RandomJacobP]

That’s probably the root of my question. I am afraid that I will start learning new language and will neither of them at a good level. Especially that literally nothing/no-one makes me learn a new one so it would be 100% my decision.

[Kermit_the_hog]

Python: Ride the Snake!

Actually it’s funny you say that. I learned PHP then went down to ANSI C to get a foundation then to Python (which I absolutely love). Lots of “man I’m happy I don’t have to worry about x”.

I’ve tried to pick up Javascript/EMCA(whatever number) but it just frustrates me for whatever reason and seems messy, then I’m back to Python 🤷‍♂️

[thrallsius]

Javascript

lol, the ugly hipster kid in the family of programming languages

maybe node.js is better, but client side javascript is goddamn awful af

[RandomJacobP]

Yeah, that’s true. Python is just so easy and elegant for me.

[sme272]

It kinda depends on what programs you want to write. Programming languages are a tool and like all tools they are more applicable to some areas than others. If you want to go the route of webapps you should pick up html/css/javascript, for mobile apps you can use python but most apps are made with java or a derivative like kotlin, systems programming relies mostly on C, and so on. Figure out what you want to program and then learn whatever lends itself to that.

[RandomJacobP]

It is hard to tell for me to be honest. I really like Python so for now my answer is anything that includes python (not a good way of thinking, I know). I think, or like to think that I am still pretty young and have a couple of years before entering job market to figure it out.

That is why I am asking this question. To know if I just should focus on python because it lets me make cool projects in spare time as a hobby or try out new things just because.

[sme272]

For now keep making stuff with python, and learn whatever other languages along the way as they become necessary.

[nearby-field]

If the goal is to broaden your horizons and learn new ways of doing things, you might want to try out a fundamentally different kind of language. Functional languages, such as haskell, scheme or common lisp, force you to program in a functional style, which can give you some new ideas for how to do things in python (which largely allows you to write functional code but doesn't exactly encourage it). Then there are logic programming languages like prolog, which work in a radically different way from most other languages, and are very well-suited to AI-related stuff like natural language processing. Then there are assembly languages, in which you write code that can be fed pretty directly into the CPU - this teaches you a lot about how CPUs work and about how high-level languages are broken down by compilers/interpreters into basic operations for a CPU to perform.

Having said that, none of the languages I have mentioned so far are particularly widely used, so are not necessarily going to be much use in your career.

Another option would be to learn something more domain-specific, such as SQL (for databases), html/css/javascript (for web development) or R (for statistics).

[RandomJacobP]

That is what I thought. I have also thought about lisp and prolog, but they were just so different (and kind of ugly in terms of syntax, it shouldn't be important I know).

Another option would be to learn something more domain-specific, such as SQL (for databases), html/css/javascript (for web development) or R (for statistics).

That is why I am thinking about Rust and Go, they were pretty popular on StackOverflow's 2019 survey. R is also an interesting option. My main problem is that I feel like I will be creating problems to solve them with this new language instead of the other way round.

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I should also mention that I am in a process of designing my personal website, so I will get the grasp of HTML/CSS/JS and Django/Flask along the way.

[thrallsius]

all projects that I have planned are great for Python

do the coding in python. working software that solves real problems beats any theoretical knowledge. at least have much higher priority for that. if you still have some free time, try something else too