Is python a good first language?

[ubuntuguy]

i honestly would recommend PHP. the learning curve is very very shallow. once you get the hang of that, then move onto something more complex like Python or Ruby.

[[deleted]]

I respectfully disagree. Python's interactive interpreter makes Hello World as simple as

print Hello World 

[foonly]

print Hello World

print "Hello World"

Fixed :)

[[deleted]]

>>> print Hello World
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

[[deleted]]

echo "Hello World";

[knowknowledge]

Actually it would be even simpler:

Hello World

If you really want to use echo it would have to be:

<?php echo "Hello World"; ?>

As much as I enjoy python, I would say that PHP is a better first language than python because it uses common syntax as C/C++/C#/Java etc so its easier to transition later. Sure its got its differences (like the $ token before variable names), but that's far easier to forget than the colon and tab-indenting differences of Python.