Devnaija Academy | 09-09-2024
Every developer, whether starting out or a seasoned pro, has asked this question: “What is the Easiest Programming Language to Learn?”. It's as though people are looking for an easy way into programming.
It is a common belief that coding is one of the toughest skills to master. But here’s the thing: while coding isn’t easy, it’s not the impossible challenge many make it out to be. Learning to code is like picking up a new language. Sure, there are rules and logic to understand, but with the right guidance, it becomes manageable.
Before diving into the seven easiest programming languages to learn, it’s essential to understand what makes a language “easy” in the first place. In this guide, we will walk you through the characteristics that make certain languages more beginner-friendly and highlight the ones that are perfect for starting your coding career.
The answer to this question can be quite subjective.
Programming languages that make you write the code and see the results quickly are the best ones. These languages make you see the visual effects of what you’ve done; examples are HTML and CSS.
Another factor we can consider is Syntax—how easy to read it is; they’re closer to English than other languages. The more a language contains numbers or several notations denoting different meanings, the harder it will be to understand and process it. Language like Python is a great example.
We will list these programming languages, and starting with any of them means you can write code immediately. This doesn’t mean they are not powerful languages; many of these languages still power the world's most-used websites and applications.
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It’s a markup language that tells a web browser (like Google Chrome or Firefox) how best to display the images and documents of a webpage.
To build webpages, documents, and internet navigation, you need to understand this language. Understanding HTML alone can’t make your webpage look good and interactive; CSS and JavaScript assist it.
HTML is straightforward, which makes it the first language most programmers learn.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a stylesheet language that describes how the HTML elements should be displayed. This includes colors, branding, fonts, layouts, and other visual elements.
Simply put, HTML tells your computer how best to display a page, while CSS tells it how to style it. This is the reason why these two languages are learned in tandem. This makes them an easy programming language to learn because you’ll get instant feedback on the code you just type.
In just a few hours of practicing these two languages, you can create beautiful web pages.
This is the most popular language in the world. According to Wikipedia, 99% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for web page behavior. It’s used in both frontend and backend development and can interact with other programming languages.
JavaScript is used to create dynamic elements on a page like jumping, scrolling, and moving. Many employers look for JavaScript programmers because it’s one of the most common client-side programming languages.
You can easily start this language by installing a text editor on your computer.
Python is an open-source language, meaning anyone can contribute to its development. This language is written in English, so it’s easy to understand and read. The English words in this code guide you from getting lost.
One of the good things about Python is that with fewer lines of code, you can start seeing results, and it can even be used by nonprogrammers. Major apps like Instagram, Netflix, Spotify, and even Google have been built with Python, but you can use it for smaller projects too.
Knowing Python is important for anyone who wants to start a new career in coding.
PHP is a backend language used within HTML to manage databases. It helps generate dynamic page content such as text, audio, send and receive cookies. PHP is highly secured, making it useful when trying to secure data within your programming. WordPress, Wikipedia, Tumblr, and Facebook use PHP within their systems.
This programming language is beginner-friendly, and its syntax is clear and straightforward.
Java is used to develop mobile apps, desktop apps, web apps, and game development. This programming language is one of the most popular, and the demand for Java programmers is always on the rise.
This language is easy to learn as it handles memory management automatically, allowing you to focus on its syntax and concepts. The syntax of Java is readable and consistent.
Ruby is considered one of the easiest programming languages to learn because of its simplicity (has a relatively small and straightforward set of core language features). It can hold values of any data type without the need for explicit declaration. This makes it more approachable to beginners.
It comes with rich libraries and frameworks that take away many common programming tasks and allow programmers to be productive quickly.
Now that you’ve been able to identify the languages that are easy to understand, the next thing is to determine your learning approach. Make sure you spend quality time understanding the fundamentals of any language you choose.
Don’t develop bad habits, write your code yourself. Learning to code is worth it, but work must be done. Make sure you network and participate in coding challenges to boost your skills.
If you wish to enroll in any computer programming bootcamp, do check out Devnaija Academy, they’ve transformed so many lives through coding. Also, there's a 20% discount currently on their Fullstack Development Program.