• Starting your journey
• Python
• Ruby
• Java
• PHP
• Javascript
• I get it, but which one to choose?
  • 1. Do you want to work with web?
  • 2. Want to create mobile games and apps (Android or iPhone)?
  • 3. What are your expectations about work places?
• Still indecisive? How about…

§Starting your journey

Are you about to start your journey in programming and wondering which language to choose to start? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

It is an important decision, since each language has its own characteristics and applications. In this article, we will help you understand the differences between popular languages and how to choose the one that best suits your needs.

§Python

Python is a high-level programming language, easy to learn and very versatile. It is widely used in web applications, artificial intelligence, science and data analysis.

It is also one of the most popular languages to teach programming due to its clear and intuitive syntax. If you are interested in artificial intelligence or data science, Python is a great option to start.

Another aspect is that it is also amazing for web application development.

Some of the advantages of using Python for web programming include its easy to learn and understand syntax, its wide variety of libraries and frameworks available to help streamline development, its active and collaborative community, and its scalability.

As examples of frameworks are popular Django, a Swiss knive to assemble simple and complex applications, and other important ones like Flask, especially useful for those who wish to quickly start a prototype or full application.

Python is a language that allows creating high-performance and large-scale web applications. Undoubtedly, it is a powerful option for web development.

§Ruby

Ruby is a high-level programming language designed to be elegant, easy to read and write. It is used in web, desktop, mobile, and other types of software.

Learning Ruby is a popular choice for developers as it provides a clear and intuitive syntax as well as a wide range of libraries and frameworks available to help develop applications.

Among Ruby’s strengths are its simplicity and flexibility, allowing developers to experiment and solve problems creatively.

Ruby also has a large active community and many features available to help developers get acquainted with language.

However, some disadvantages include their comparatively smaller performance compared to other programming languages, and the lack of clear standards for code writing.

Since its 1995 release, Ruby has evolved a lot, adding new features and performance improvements.

It is currently in version 3, which includes support for pattern matching, multi-threading, and other advanced features. Ruby is a popular programming language, especially for web application development, due to its simplicity and flexibility.

The community of developers Ruby is active and growing, making it a solid choice for developers looking for a versatile and easy-to-use programming language.

Ruby has a web development framework that provides a standardized approach to creating web applications. It facilitates the implementation of common tasks such as database management, URL routing and form validation, making development faster and more efficient.

In addition, Rails is known for its convention on configuration, which means developers follow the best practices and recommended standards, helping to keep the code organized and scalable.

§Java

Java is a high-level programming language widely used for application development. It was created by Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle) in the early 1990s, aiming to provide an easy-to-use programming language to develop applications that could run on any operating system.

It is known for its security, portability and ease of maintenance, which makes it a popular choice for enterprise and mobile application development.

Java has a large developer community and a wide range of libraries and frameworks available, making development faster and more efficient.

However, Java may be slower compared to other languages, such as C or C++, due to its virtual machine-based architecture.

Java has evolved over the years, with new versions being released regularly. The most recent version is Java 17, released in September 2021.

Java’s popularity has not decreased over the years, and it continues to be widely used for application development, especially business.

Some of the frameworks Most popular Java include Spring, which provides a standardized approach to web application development, and Hibernate, which facilitates database management in Java applications.

§PHP

PHP is an open source programming language designed for the development of web applications from its origin.

It is a script language on the server side, allowing developers to create dynamic pages with database access.

The PHP syntax is simple, and its wide user community keeps resources available to help developers. PHP is highly compatible with many database systems and hosting platforms, making it a popular choice for web application development.

Since it was first released in 1995, PHP has been evolving a lot, adding features and performance improvements. Today it is widely used to develop web applications.

Currently, PHP is in version 8, which includes new features like just-in-time compilation (JIT), static typing support and security fixes.

There is a wide range of popular frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony, and libraries available to help develop web applications with PHP quickly and efficiently.

In addition to its popularity to create dynamic websites, PHP is compatible with most content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Joomla.

If you are interested in creating web applications, especially dynamic websites, PHP can be a good choice.

§Javascript

Javascript is a high-level programming language, widely used to create interactivity and dynamic effects on web pages. It follows the ECMAScript standard, which is maintained and developed by Ecma International, an information technology standardization organization based in Switzerland.

ECMAScript is the formal specification of JavaScript language, providing the rules and guidelines for its implementation.

Since its launch in 1995, Javascript has also evolved a lot, adding new features and performance improvements.

It can be executed on the client side, i.e. the code runs in the user’s browser, or still be used as an application server, using the Node.js platform.

Learning Javascript is critical for web developers, both for the need to manipulate the advanced interactions of a web page, and for its applicability in various internet domains.

Among the Javascript strengths are its flexibility and ability to be used on different platforms, in addition to its large developer community and wide range of libraries and frameworks available. Another point I consider positive is that it is present in all browsers, being easy to test and distribute its application.

One of the disadvantages of Javascript is that it can be difficult to debug and maintain in complex applications, in addition to its security being compromised if the code is not written correctly.

It currently includes advanced features such as classes, modules and modern programming patterns.

Javascript is one of the most popular and widely used languages, and its popularity tends to grow as new applications and technologies are developed.

§I get it, but which one to choose?

We will then try to define, based on some points:

§1. Do you want to work with web?

If so, it is important to know more of a language. Invariably you will need Javascript at some point, and some backend language such as Java, PHP, Python or Ruby. Among the easiest I consider Python and PHP, already Ruby after learning becomes better to use.

Java is also an option with several opportunities on the market, as many systems and APIs run on this platform.

More than just language, it is important to take into account the frameworks, libraries and resources available to use. All languages above have great options in this sense.

§2. Want to create mobile games and apps (Android or iPhone)?

Here your options end up reducing a bit. For Android, you today need to learn Java, or more recently, Kotlin (which also runs on JVM).

If you want to work with iPhone apps or the entire Apple iOS platform, you need to learn the Swift language.

For games and other desktop applications, whether for Windows or Mac, it will be important to learn C and C++ in addition to Python.

§3. What are your expectations about work places?

This is a point that may be important to consider, although in the early stages of your learning project.

All languages cited here in this article have wide acceptance and ease when it comes to finding a vacancy, even at the beginning level.

By experience, we see that there is still a great demand for professionals working with web technologies, either backend, frontend or mobile apps.

Perhaps more specialized languages like C++, C# or C, have a good appreciation of the professional, but fewer opportunities available. Of course everything depends on your qualification.

The more experience gained, the less the need to worry about the market, because there will always be a certain job for the professional who has the right knowledge.

§Still indecisive? How about…

If you are not convinced by a specific technology, we recommend that you start with the one that most represents familiarity. What do we mean?

That some languages are simpler and easier to start, making it faster to understand the initial concepts. In this sense, Python is a great option!

And surely Python will never fail to wish in the matter of libraries, tools or documentation. Another language that has many features is PHP, and is equally easy to learn.

Although languages such as C and C++ can be considered more “difficult” for beginners, it is important to note that even PHP inherited features of these languages, so if you want to start with them, you will have a little more challenging, but you will probably learn valuable concepts for long-term use.

See you soon, and success in the studies! .