WE COMPARE TONS OF STUFF SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO!

Kotlin Go Rust Python C++

Michael Reed started programming on a computer with 32K of RAM. He’s got more RAM at his disposal now, yet he runs out just as much.

Beginner programming languages

Multi-lingual Michael Reed investigates the best programming languages for a beginner to start learning how to code with.

HOW WE TESTED…

We tried to approach each language from the perspective of a beginner – someone who has either never programmed before or only has a little bit of experience. However, we had a goal in mind. We are looking for a language suitable for someone who is just starting out but would like to eventually graduate to being able to create substantial applications or become a contributor to existing Linux projects.

These criteria rule out some simpler teaching systems, such as Scratch, as they aren’t designed to create full apps. We’re also thinking about people who might be thinking of doing an academic course involving programming and want to learn a coding language for that.

With our selection of potential languages, we’ve tried to balance ease of use at the beginning with something that could ultimately be used when contributing to open source software or making your own applications.

If you are a beginner programmer, one of your first questions is I probably which language you should learn. With this in mind, we’re going to examine five languages that are worth knowing about for programmers who are new to the field but want to learn something that’s relevant to creating Linux programs. C++ is a venerable language. It was created in the mid-’80s, and is now one of the most widely supported languages on Linux and it’s highly likely something beginners will come into contact with.

Python is one of the most popular languages at the moment, and it has a reputation for being easy to learn. It can be used to create everything from commandline utilities to games and full applications.

Go (sometimes called Golang) is a relatively new programming language that is backed by Google. It aims to offer the speed and simplicity of C, but it has a modern design and it’s easy to learn.

Rust is another newish programming language. It offers the full slew of modern features as well as excellent performance, and has recently been accepted into the Linux kernel itself.

Kotlin is, effectively, an updated version of Java, and it uses many of the same tools. If you’re a beginner, you’ll like it because it’s streamlined and easy to use and learn. CREDIT: Ole_CNX/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Python code has a clean look to it. The learning curve of the language is fairly linear, without feeling complex for its own sake.

The first few hours

None of these are toys, but some are easier to pick up than others.

W ith Python, you can start with something as simple as printing a message on the screen using a single command. From here, you can learn about assigning variables, looping over a section of code or making decisions about the flow of the program. The language strikes a good balance between allowing the creation of complex applications while stripping things down to the essentials. If you’ve got at least a rough idea about what programming involves, you could probably pick up the basics in Python in a few hours.