No, coding is not hard to learn. Much like any other skill, learning how to code requires time and persistence. The difficulty will depend on the programming language itself and what kind of software you’d like to make.
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You’re ready to make a career change and become a programmer. Software developers work on fascinating projects and command handsome salaries. Not to mention, they’re increasingly in demand. Becoming a coder will set you up for a fulfilling and rewarding life. But if it’s your first time coding, you might wonder: Is it difficult to learn to code?
In this guide, we look at learning to code. We show you the easiest languages to learn so you can start on the right foot. You’ll get to know which languages are the hardest to learn, as well. You can tackle these after getting a few of the easier ones down. It’ll be a madcap adventure, I’m sure, so let’s get started.
Is Coding Hard to Learn?
The simple answer is no. Coding is not hard to learn. If you take the time and have a lot of patience, you can really learn just about anything. Coding is no exception. Learning to code takes a good amount of time and persistence, but if you have those then we guarantee you’ll get there.
Now, what about the other related question: ‘Is computer programming hard to learn?’ To answer this question, we need to consider several factors, including:
- What particular programming language would you like to learn?
- Is it categorized as an easy-to-learn language or is it one of the more complex ones?
- Given its level of complexity, do you have the time to spend learning the language?
- What program would you like to design or develop?
The answer to the last question plays a big role in the language you’d have to learn. That’s because programming languages were not created with a one-size-fits-all purpose.
That being said, writing code for a program that adds two numbers could be learned in a couple of minutes in almost any language. Creating your own operating system, however, could take a lot of time; years even for a good programmer.
The Easiest Coding Languages to Learn and Their Uses
When you’re beginning your studies to become a computer programmer, it’s best not to bite off more than you can chew. Trying to learn a complex and difficult programming language before you’ve mastered the easier ones can be a frustrating experience. It can also result in you giving up right away.
Give yourself the best chance to succeed by starting with an easier language. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to learn computer programming! Here are some easier, high-level languages to learn.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
If you want a relatively painless entry into Programmerland, you can always start with learning to code in HTML. This language is invaluable for web design.
Python
This beginner-friendly language has simple, easy-to-read syntax, which makes it a great first language to learn. It’s for these reasons that Python is among the well-loved languages of data scientists and programmers. That translates to companies as well. Google, Wikipedia, NASA, and Yahoo! are among the many organizations that use Python.
JavaScript
Don’t forget to study JavaScript. It’s the Swiss army knife of coding languages and it’s easy to pick up. JavaScript is a versatile language. It can be used on both the front end and the back end of a web page for a better user experience and interface design.
Web developers, especially front end developers, use JavaScript for interactive coding. If you’re looking to get into companies like Microsoft, Netflix, and PayPal, study this language.
PHP
Another great starter language, PHP is robust enough to keep running even if the code contains errors. It’s also one of the oldest programming languages, leveraged heavily by Facebook during the company’s earlier days. WordPress is one of the most popular users of PHP.
Java
You might think about learning the basics of Java, too. Java is simple to start using and widely used for mobile application development. Java offers one of the best frameworks among the programming languages so there’s no worry about its use declining. Amazon, Spotify, and Pinterest are among the many companies that use Java in their tech stacks.
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The Hardest Coding Languages to Learn
When you dig into the more difficult languages, you’ll begin to see some similarities between them. All the languages in this section are toughies for new coders to read, comprehend, debug, and service. What makes programming hard with these languages?
Well, several of them are high-level programming languages that allow for computer abstraction. So, you don’t have to worry about making sure that memory gets utilized correctly and other housekeeping tasks.
The bottom line is that they are incredibly complex. You’ll need to gear up and gain more coding experience before starting on these languages.
Assembly
This language is about as low-level as you can go without having to chat in binary. Assembly is a very old language and is far from intuitive. This language is used for machine learning coding.
C, C++, C#, and Objective-C
These versions of the C language are also tough to grasp with lots of moving parts and steep learning curves. These C variants are used in numerous open-source projects and applications. iOS applications are built with Objective-C. Microsoft Windows applications, meanwhile, use C# while LinkedIn uses C++.
All the harder languages we’ve listed are valuable and useful. So once you have the skills to handle them, you should study them.
Is Learning to Code Worth It?
Now that you know more about coding languages and their difficulty, you might be wondering if learning to code is even worth the hassle. There’s a very simple answer to that: yes!
Learning developer skills is a fantastic way to kickstart your career. You simply need to make sure not to take on too difficult a language the first time you pick up a textbook. Coding doesn’t have to be hard to learn when you select the right study material. You won’t believe you waited so long to get started.
FAQs
HTML, Python, JavaScript, PHP, and Java are some of the easiest, high-level languages for beginning coders to learn.
Assembly, C, C++, C#, and Objective-C are some of the tougher programming languages to learn.
Absolutely! Having programming skills will be an asset to your career and will lead to many high-paying jobs.
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There is no “right” way to learn to code. You can learn programming through self-study, a traditional four-year degree in computer science, or through a coding bootcamp. Check out our guide to know more about the best coding bootcamps available.
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I guess learning the code is really challenging especially if you have no background or a good foundation of programming. I’ve started to study Javascripts, and yes it’s easy to understand, you just have to analyse it properly. Good thing I was able to read this article, at least I know I’m on the right track, which code should I study first for beginners.