You’re ready to make a career change and become a programmer. Software developers work on fascinating projects and command handsome salaries, and they are increasingly in demand as the years pass. 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 coding hard to learn?
The simple answer is: no, coding is not hard to learn. Why? Because if you take the time and have a little patience, you can really learn just about anything–coding is no exception. Indeed, learning to code takes time and persistence, but if you have that, then no, coding is not hard to learn.
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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, and 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.
The Easiest Coding Languages to Pick Up
When you’re beginning your studies to become a coder, it’s best not to bite off more than you can chew. Trying to learn a complex and difficult language before you’ve mastered the easier guys can be a frustrating experience. And it can result in you giving up in disgust rather than just pounding your head against a wall. To give yourself the best chance to succeed, be kind to yourself, and start with one of these easier programming languages to learn. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to learn computer programming!
HTML – If you want a relatively painless entry into Programmerland, you can always start with learning to code in HTML, which is invaluable for web design.
Python – This beginner-friendly language has simple, easy-to-read syntax, which makes it a great first language as well.
JavaScript – Don’t forget to study JavaScript—it’s the Swiss army knife of coding languages, and it’s easy to pick up.
PHP – Another great starter language, PHP is robust enough to keep running even if the code contains errors.
Java – You might think about learning the basics of Java, too, considering how simple it is to start using and how widely used it is for mobile application development.
The Toughest Coding Languages to Learn
When you dig into the more difficult languages, you’ll begin to see some similarities between them. All of 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, and coding is difficult for beginners in 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.
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.
All of 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 a bit more about coding difficulty with different languages, you might be wondering if learning to code is 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 of 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.
What’s your opinion? Is it hard to learn programming? If so, why is learning to code so hard? If not, how easy is it to learn coding? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you’re interested in finding out more about easy and difficult programming languages, download the free Career Karma app.
