JavaScript doesn't have more uses than Python. Both can be used for pretty much anything and I'd argue there's more use cases Python is better suited for than vice versa. I'd say if you're going for web development, use JavaScript. If you're going for anything else, use Python. Except if you specifically want to write for OS stuff or embedded systems. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter which language you choose to learn first. Answer from Jnsjknn on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › why do people recommend python and java instead of javascript as a beginner language?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Why do people recommend python and java instead of JavaScript as a beginner language?
September 19, 2022 -

When I picked up programming I started with Python but now mainly use Java. I want to do frontend so I just recently started learning JavaScript. Before I thought JavaScript was a language for frontend only, but now I realized that it could be used for backend and I'm thinking why don't people recommend JavaScript since it has the same concepts as Python and Java but it has more uses?

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › javascript or python
r/learnpython on Reddit: JavaScript or Python
July 10, 2024 -

Hi, I'm 17 right now and currently wasting a lot of my time so thought of getting into coding. I did some research and came to a conclusion that most recommend either javascript or python as their first language.

I have a very basic foundation in C, like very basic so wondering which one would be more useful to learn first. I'm thinking of giving both js and python a week or a month and then decide which one I'll study further. Would this be a good idea or a waste of time?

I'm choosing js because of web development and python since many said it's easy to understand and won't take much time to learn. I don't exactly have a goal to pursue either web development or any js things OR the machine learning, data science thing from python which is the reason i thought of learning both for a week or month to figure out what I would be suited for most. But I plan to get a job on this related firled quick. Thank You.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › javascript vs java vs python
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Javascript vs Java vs Python
March 7, 2014 -

I've spent a decent amount of time learning Javascript and have a pretty good understanding of the core concepts of it. I had no programming background so it helped me learn about loops, if/else statements, switch statements, etc. I have some questions as I consider whether to move further with it that I was hoping you all could help with. I am trying to decide whether I want to continue further with Javascript or switch to learning Java or Python.

Is Javascript used for anything outside of the browser? One of my concerns when it comes to learning Javascript is that I don't do web development. I know HTML/CSS but I don't create websites so I sometimes worry about the practicality of learning Javascript if I don't plan on creating websites.

What are Java and Python most used for? First off, I know Java and Javascript have nothing in common. Java and Python can both be used as a server-side scripting language and Java is used for Android OS development. Part of what interests me about Java is app development, as well as the fact that it allows me to create standalone desktop programs. What else can be done with these two? What are they most used for in the corporate world?

I work in IT but am pursuing Engineering classes for a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I'm trying to find a language to work on that would both benefit me professionally as well as personally. As I mentioned, I am definitely interested in learning to create apps at some point but also creating fun little computer games and useful programs.

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but learning to program takes a lot of commitment and effort and if I'm going to devote time to learning, I want to make sure I'm learning a useful language as well in addition to the core concepts.

Thanks!

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If you'd like to continue programming, I'd definitely suggest learning:

  • at least one (relatively) strongly typed, OO language. Java and python are good examples.

  • at least dabble in some sort of functional language.

The problem with JS is that it lets you get away with shit that would melt a compiler in any other language and usually leads to bad practices. I'm always weary of programmers that list Javascript as either their main language or the one that they learned on.

To answer your question, JS is moving into the server side of things with things like Node.js which is gaining popularity as of late. However, both Java and Python are much more versatile than JS. You can do just about whatever you want in either of those two (including writing client code if you count frameworks that compile to JS. GWT for instance.).

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Java has similar syntax to the c language which means that once you know how it works, you're well on your way to c++ and c#. My intro to c++ class was lame because it didn't move passed things that were more or less the same as Java. I coulda gotten that far with it in a weekend.

JavaScript follows that syntax to some extent so Java should feel somewhat familiar. And since you want to make apps, I think java is a no brainer. Get a book on java and get a good grasp of it, then start learning android. You even use the same tools for both. Eclipse is a great ide for java and Google has a custom version for making apps.

Python is cool too, though. Once you learn java, picking up python is really easy. You'll find the algorithms and data structures for all object oriented languages are basically the same and once you learn one, picking up others is trivial. This is sorta an over simplification, but its definitely true between java and python.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › should i learn python, javascript or java first?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Should I learn python, javascript or java first?
May 3, 2023 -

I am very conflicted. I know a small bit of python and javascript (as in the only thing I can do is print things like hello world in them) but I have seen many videos about learning java's basics in 15, 14, even 10 minutes.

I should probably say my reasons for leaving it though as that will affect this quite a bit. I wanna make a website and small applications and some games but I want to learn the basics in a video shorter than 11 hours.

At the end of the road I wanna be able to make a small operating system that contains its own code app, a custom Web browser, settings, built-in games, a messaging/calling app, video player, files app, and all the other things a good operating system has.

So, which language should I code in?

Edit: I have had a change of mind, im learning binary first.

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I have seen many videos about learning java's basics in 15, 14, even 10 minutes. LOL. They at utmost give you the basic vocabulary, but they cannot teach you programming. but I want to learn the basics in a video shorter than 11 hours. Ahem... that's illusional. You fall for the common misconception of conflating learning programming languages with learning programming. The former is the easy part as it is only very limited vocabulary and grammar. The latter is the difficult, time and work intensive part as it is learning to analyse and dissect problems to develop minuscule detailed algorithmic step-by-step solutions that then can be implemented in a programming language. The MOOC Java Programming from the University of Helsinki is a beginner course in 14 parts (each part is considered a week) where the total time investment is upward of 70 hours - and that's just the basics. Similar, the MOOC Python Programming 2023 from the same University. Both are beginner courses. Also, you don't learn by watching videos. You learn through active programming. At the end of the road I wanna be able to make a small operating system that contains its own code app, a custom Web browser, settings, built-in games, a messaging/calling app, video player, files app, and all the other things a good operating system has. That's a huge untertaking that will take several years to complete even in the most basic state. See TempleOS . If your final goal is an OS, there won't be a way around C++ in the long range as you need to be able to directly access the hardware. None of the languages you have listed will be directly applicable to your goal.
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Wrong languages for making an OS and making an OS it's the wrong activity to learn programming.
Find elsewhere
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › python or js for my first language?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Python or JS for my first language?
August 16, 2024 -

I am so confused. My friend recommended I start with JS, so I went online for some resources and had half of the people recommend Python while the rest recommended JS

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if you're finding mixed opinions, then it doesn't matter, just get started
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In order: If you're learning your first language, it doesn't really matter what it is so much as that you learn coding principles. You don't need to learn Python until it's "done" because you will never be "done" and you might find that once you know a bit of one, there are things that attract you to another. It depends what you want to do with it. Although there's little stopping you from doing anything with either at this point, Python is used more frequently for data work and JS more naturally for web development. So if this is for employment, look at the sort of jobs you're thinking of and see where the priorities are. Or ask here. When it comes to coding languages there exists the concept of language communities. That is to say, when you go online and ask a question, what is the manner of response you would expect? In general, software engineers and developers are very helpful people, but not always able to articulate that helpfulness. Python (and Ruby) are generally well-regarded as having more helpful online communities than Javascript (and certainly more than C, or C++, which can be quite caustic). For many people - but not all people - Python's (and Ruby's) focus on indentation and ability to function with English-like syntax makes them feel easier to read. This is entirely personal preference, but it helps a lot of people in the early stages. A lot of programmers talk about programming "religion." That is to say, a lot of what individuals say as fact is really just a reflection of the teachings they received, their own pathway, and how this informs their preferences and prejudices. When people tell you that "Python is better than JS" you should take this with a truckload of salt, because all they're really saying is "I feel like Python is better than JS based on my own pathway." Javascript is a silly language that might as well arrive in a clown car.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › should i switch from javascript to python
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Should I switch from JavaScript to python
March 19, 2023 -

I stayed away from python at first since I wanted to build cool stuff immediately but as a programming beginner the mingling syntax between js, html and css just frustrates me and I can’t make a lot of progress quickly.

I’m wondering if switching to python would be a good move since I’m studying engineering and I won’t have that frustrating part of not knowing the syntax for three different things.

Just focus on one program and build it correctly you know.

Thanks for reading.

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I’d recommend not learning Python and sticking with HTML/CSS/JavaScript - why? The web is king, if you want to share what you build, you use the web. JavaScript is the only programming language you can use for the frontend. Yes there is more to learn, but it is so rewarding once the pieces start falling together. You can get so much done with just the basics of CSS once you understand Flexbox and/or Grid. HTML is so easy you can learn it in a few hours. What do you want to build? I’d only bother with Python if I was exploring Machine Learning, Statistics, data structures and algorithms, or I wanted to create APIs with Flask/FastAPI. Python is crap for gaming, GUIs, and definitely not first choice for a backend language. Python is a great second language to know, it is a great support language and data language, it’s a great beginner language, but it’s not the best language for almost anything except data. If you just want to build local things for yourself sure it’s a good choice and easy to get started. I say all this as someone who started my programming journey with Python as my first language for about 2 years, before branching out. Really think about what you want to build and choose a language based off that, rather than choosing what’s “easy”
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Why switch use both? I use JavaScript for web apps and compile them with Vite. For web services I use Python and FastAPI. It is a great combination. Python is also great for talking to hardware. I am using Python on a project to communicate to a NFC reader. Bosses also like it if you can show competency in several languages. I feel like it definitely helped my career.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › java vs python vs c++
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Java vs python vs C++
May 23, 2023 -

Hey y'all, I'll be needing to choose either one of Java, python, c++ or web programming for my second semester in electronics and communications but i have no idea where to start from

I've learnt all the basics of c programming in my first semester and i have to choose between the above mentioned for the second semester and it's really rattling my brain

Which of them would be better for a beginner to programming language and which would be most helpful in the future, if you'd have to say?

Thanks in advance!

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All of those languages are useful in different situations. Python's very popular with scientists, ML engineers, and the like. Non-programmers who need to write programs love it because it's approachable and has a plugin for basically anything. It's my favorite language for writing tiny, one-off programs and doing hackathons and coding competitions and stuff. Java's the workhorse of the corporate world. If you're writing a giant application full of business logic for a big corporation, and you're gonna maintain it for two decades, Java's still the default choice. C++ is the most powerful option. If you need something to go as fast as it can go, C++ is your default choice. But whole types of bugs around stuff like memory that are basically impossible to cause in Python or Java are really easy to cause in C++, and its error messages aren't so much legible as they arSegmentation Fault (core dumped). You can go far with any of them, and there's a good chance you'll end up learning all three at some point.
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Love Python, but I’m in the “it’s better as your 2nd/3rd language” camp. The others are ‘harder’ and force you to gain a deeper understanding. Then you can pickup Python super easy. “Oh hey, it basically works the same but just does all the fiddly bits for me”. But you would know what those fiddly bits are, and can check the docs and be certain that behind the curtain it really is doing what you think it is. People who do it the other way around seem to have it harder, they don’t know how much Python is doing for them, why, or that it even is.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › the differences and similarities between javascript and python
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: The differences and similarities between JavaScript and Python
September 15, 2022 - A big difference between javascript and python is that javascript uses a non blocking callback design, where python is blocking by default. ... There isn't a need for double underscore in JS.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/java › do you find java more aesthetically pleasing than python?
r/java on Reddit: Do you find java more aesthetically pleasing than python?
January 25, 2024 -

I have been programming for about 5 years now, and I started with Java then moved to Python before returning back to using a bit of both. After getting a good tour of Python, I have come to appreciate the static typed nature of Java. I find the way OOP works in Java to be much more aesthetically pleasing to look at than python code. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule when concepts get more complicated.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › suggestion: should i learn python or java?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Suggestion: should I learn python or java?
August 3, 2024 -

Hi! I'm a junior DevOps engineer and I would like to start developing backend too. I already know intermediate python and worked a little bit with django and I would like to dive deep into python and learn it well.

I asked my supervisor for his advice and he thinks that it's better for me to learn Java first. From his point of view Java is more technical and I can become a better developer by learning the fundamentals with it (like polymorphism, interfaces, data types). He considers python as an uneffective shortcut to learn bad software development practices.

At first he convinced me with his argument but then I documented myself better and I saw that even python has all of those concepts, so I feel like if I'm not lazy and l study python well I can achieve the same expertise I would get with Java.

Since I want python to be my main language I'm essentially very skeptical in using my energies in learning java from zero while I could dive deep in python and get solid with it. It's not like I only want to know python overall, but reading a book of 1600 pages like "learning python" takes time and effort and I feel like I want to make that effort on python, not java.

What do you think about it? I could really use your advice, thanks a lot in advance.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › learn java or python?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Learn Java or Python?
June 6, 2023 -

Hi,

I am a university graduate who would like to change my career to IT. I want to apply for a requalification course and basically I have two options available - both courses are "Programmer of web applications" - one is in Java and the other is in Python.

I need some help from someone who knows the industry and the pros and cons of choosing either language. I have read a lot of articles and watched youtube videos and it's practically 50:50. I am leaning towards Python though.

I know your first question will be: What do you want to do in IT?

But that's the problem, I don't know. I have never worked in IT and I haven't experienced different types or jobs to be able to know which I like the most. It's like asking me which food from the menu I liked the most before I had a chance to taste it. I like design, so possibly frontend. But I am open to anything. I think fullstack would be a good skillset to have to find lots of work?

What I know:

Java is more complex to write, harder to learn for a beginner. It is used in web development, Android and in a lot of big companies. It is supposedly harder to change fields in IT if you know Java. The popularity of it is slightly decreasing and the community as well (from what I've heard).

Python is easier to write and read, is used in machine learning and AI and databases. Generally slower than Java to execute, has more potential when you are trying to change fields in IT as it is more widely used.

That's what I know. What I need, is help with this question: As someone (a teacher) who is trying to change career and do something that will enable me to find work easily, which language should I choose to learn to open myself to most job opportunities, something that will be a good start, give me most options for the future and will not lock me in in a specific field, should I realise I do not like it. How should I make a decision? Can you tell me in more detail which language is used in which specific types of jobs and what kind of stuff I could do should I learn Python/Java?

Thank you in advance!

Ben

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Java is more complex to write, harder to learn for a beginner. It is used in web development, Android and in a lot of big companies. It is supposedly harder to change fields in IT if you know Java. The popularity of it is slightly decreasing and the community as well (from what I've heard). True that Java has way more boilerplate than Python due to the full Object Oriented paradigm. False that it is more difficult to change fields False that the popularity is decreasing as well as the community. Java is the enterprise language #1 and stays there simply because there is already way too much Java out there Python is easier to write and read, is used in machine learning and AI and databases. Generally slower than Java to execute, has more potential when you are trying to change fields in IT as it is more widely used. Python has way more use cases than you list for it. The very web site we are communicating on is running on Python Yes, it is somewhat slower, but it can use precompiled fast libraries written in C/C++ for speed Python does not have more potential when changing fields and is not more widely used The above said: yes, it is a 50:50 chance. I would say that learning Java makes you a better programmer, though. Python abstracts way too much and has too many "convenience features". Don't get this wrong, though. Python is a great language, but so is Java. If you haven't been exposed to programming, I would still suggest Java. The expressive nature, verbosity, explicit static typing, excellent tooling, and excellent elaborate error messages make it an ideal first language, even though the very first steps are more difficult. Python on the other hand has an extremely easy entry, yet, the implicit typing can cause problems that beginners will easily stumble over and then be left dumbfounded. The error messages have improved lately, but still are by far not as clear as Java's. Yet, don't overthink the whole. The first language you learn will definitely not be the last and every consecutive language will be easier. In the beginning when you start from 0 you are battling at two fronts: you are battling with the vocabulary and grammar of the programming language (the easier battle) and you are battling with creating detailed step-by-step algorithmic solutions to problems (actual programming - the difficult battle). Once you understand that learning a programming language only is a necessary evil to tell the stupid computer what we want it to do and that the actual programming, namely analyzing and dissecting problems and then developing detailed step-by-step algorithms to solve that problems are two distinct, decoupled activities you will also see that programming languages are just tools to express trains of thought. Once you can program, the actually used programming language becomes secondary. Sure, the paradigms, the vocabulary, the grammar will be different, but if you know what you want to express, you can do it in any language. Developing the "what" is the tricky part. It is a bit like learning a spoken language with very restricted English-like vocabulary and grammar and writing a comprehensive fully developed novel in said language.
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Remember, that no matter what you choose, it won't define your career for years to come - no matter if you start with Python or Java, you can always learn the other, or a third language in far less time than it took to learn the first. Programming is much more about problem solving and understanding computers, than specific languages. I would recommend Python, because you'll fairly quickly be able to build stuff with it. No matter if you are interested in web-applications, desktop games, scripting, data science or something completely different. Java tends (or tended) to give you a better understanding of Object Oriented Programming, because it is very strict about everything being a class, and so on, and the entire API is extremely Object Oriented, with big-Os :) But in later years a lot of this OOP strictness is becoming annoying, you tend to write a lot, and I mean a lot of extra code, simply to make the Java compiler not throw up on you. And even the folks behind Java has realized this, and newer versions include more and more short-cuts for writing more compact code ... Anyways - as for jobs, I guess it depends a lot on where in the world you live and work. Here in northern Europe, Java is mostly used by banks and insurance companies - there are a lot of Java-code running out there, but it seems like no new products or new companies base anything on Java. Also the banks tends to want university masters with 5-7 years of experience ... But again, it doesn't matter - when you have learned some programming, you'll quickly get ideas as what you want to build, and maybe you need to learn Swift or Kotlin or React or C# to build those kind of applications, but that is the way it is going to be, there'll always be more to learn, so might as well just get started, and have fun along the way!
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › main differences between python and java
Main differences between Python and Java : r/learnprogramming
April 9, 2022 - This is comparable to languages like JavaScript, which... don't really care what you do with your variables. ... Python, being a strongly-typed language, doesn't allow this. Right. But, correct me if I'm wrong, it can only check this at runtime once I go down that code path, meaning that if you hit a bug like this that you didn't find during testing, your program will crash. Because Java knows the types of all variables, it can detect errors like this via static analysis during compilation and alert the programmer much earlier.