Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

I don't think there is one objectively best language for anyone to start with, but I'd suggest something with a relatively concise set of features so as not to overwhelm a novice or hand-wave away important details.

I am very happy that I started with C. It has surprisingly few features compared to most languages and it gave me a good appreciation for how memory is managed at a relatively low level. The biggest downside was that it took me a long time to learn how to make anything I thought was "cool" at first (like GUIs, graphics, sounds, or networking). Some people might struggle with that.

I rarely write C code now. It's not as practical for the kinds of things I make and I have nitpicks with it just like any other language. But I don't think that's the point. Your first programming language is an instrument for learning first and foremost. Once you've become adapt at one language, it's relatively easy to pick up more.



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: