Which is a better programming language to learn first java or python

Posted by betterlyy@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 22 comments

Im a computer science student 20F and want to want to know which language offers more job oppurtunities. Python is easier but Java makes you learn the basic from scratch, which is better.

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DataPastor@reddit

The best is what is tought at college. Don’t start to learn too many languages. Focus on the ones which are actually taught. What do you study at college?

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betterlyy@reddit (OP)

They haven't taught us python, but they did teach Java. And according to some interviewers, they questioned why our college was teaching Java when is world is focusing on python

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Paxtian@reddit

Stick with Java, learn it well. Once you know Java well, Python will be incredibly simple to pick up.

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DataPastor@reddit

Java? PERFECT! Learn it very well. Learn also Spring Boot and make some projects! The world is literally built on Java… Your Java skills will be VERY useful in Python later.

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Double_DeluXe@reddit

That is when you point at any device you can see and ask, can that run Python? Because it is running java this very moment.

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ManaDrainMusic@reddit

Theyre both gross looking, your choice 😆

No but honestly i think python is a bit easier to understand/is a bit more intuitive.

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Fantastic-Note6841@reddit

Better focus on Python, more libraries ..., I learned Java when I was 17 years old, now I am working with Python, you will understand the fundamentals easily with Python.

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It is nearly impossible to predict which language will off the most job opportunities. It will also depend upon which industry you will be writing software for. The focus can be on learning the concepts of writing software which are common to all languages. Things like design patterns are valuable. Personally, as a first language to learn concepts like recursion I recommend a language like scheme.

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Gnaxe@reddit

Python. Python is more popular. But Java is up there. I learned Java first and I like Python a lot more.

Java doesn't teach you anything Python doesn't. They're actually pretty similar languages in a lot of ways, but Python is more flexible. If you want to understand lower-level programming, learn C. It's a relatively simple (if tedious) language and it has good synergy with Python.

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Decent-Prune-6004@reddit

If your goal is your first language, I’d lean Python first, then Java second: Python is easier to pick up and is widely used across back-end work, automation, data, and AI, while Java remains a major language in enterprise software and is still one of the most used languages on GitHub, so neither choice is “bad” for jobs. Since you think Python is easier then go for it. Get good at it and you will find learning other programming languages not so difficult

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Opening_Pea7537@reddit

It doesn't really matter. Once you understand one language you will be able to learn other languages much quicker and easier. You will probably have to work with different languages in your career path anyways. You will always have to learn and adapt in this job field

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ImprovementLoose9423@reddit

I would recommend python for the following reasons:
1. Beginner friendly: Python is famous for being very easy to learn, with some people saying it looks like english
2. Extremely versatile: Python is used in many fields including data science, AI, games, websites, Finance, gaming, etc
3. Very in demand: With the rise of AI and ML, python dev positions have skyrocketed.
4. Easy to build off of: If you are looking to be a python dev, there are many libraries and modules you could go into and specialize.

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ShadowDevil123@reddit

Dont waste time finding the best first language to learn. Find out what you want to do, whether its websites, games, robotics or whatever and then learn the language most suitable for that. Not the best idea to learn, for example, javascript if you want to code games.

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gh0stofSBU@reddit

Java is what I started with, I'd go with Java but either one is fine

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Unique-Concern2978@reddit

You can learn Python easily because it's like coding in English language, for example: using the command print which basically means it will be the output of your code :)

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jowco@reddit

Both have lots of job opportunities, but at 20 you should be learning something like CS50 which teaches you how to program and think like a programmer. Both those languages cover up a bunch. The lower languages teach you a lot

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Dull_Industry_8691@reddit

I'd say that purely regarding job opportunities Java is the better choice. There are just way more people who know Python than there are jobs where that is the main requirement. With Java it is a bit more balanced. My numbers might be a year or two old though. In the end it also depends on what you want to do with your coding skills and which language you see yourself becoming more proficient in.

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