1. Best programming languages to learn on your own time
With thousands of programming languages out there, it can be daunting to find a language to start
with and a good course that assumes no prior knowledge. Especially if you are someone who is
busy and wants to learn on their own time and don’t have the flexibility to take an in-person class,
getting started with programming can be difficult. This post highlights programming languages
that are good for beginning programmers and some resources to get started.
For those with no experience
These courses have been designed for people who have little or no programming
experience.
C
C is one of the most widely used programming languages and often used as an introduction to
programming. It has influenced many languages that came after it, and knowledge of C will make
learning later languages, such as Objective-C (used by Apple), easier. It influences many later
languages you could want to learn, so starting with C will give you a deeper understanding of
how computers work.
Java
Java is a higher level language which is designed to be compatible with any operating system. It
has similar syntax to C and C++. It’s a great programming language to start with because it is
widely used and practical, however it won’t give you as deep of an understanding of computer
operation as a lower level language like C will.
C++
C++ bridges the gap between a language like C and Java as it has features of both low-level and
high-level languages. It’s another commonly used language that has a wide range of uses and
compatibility. It’s based off of C and adds object-oriented features. It has also influenced many
other languages such as C# and Java.
Python
Python is a language that was designed with human readability in mind. Because of this, it
doesn’t take as much code to execute programs as other languages. It’s a great, easy way to learn
recurring concepts in computer science and has real world use in the creation of scripts.
Ruby
Ruby has similar function to Python but is less readable. It’s more object-oriented than Python
and is similarly designed with simplicity in mind. It has many applications, but is most often used
for web applications.

2. HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS are used for webpage design. While these languages won’t really help pave the
way for learning more traditional programming languages, they are essential for webpage design.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a “markup language” which allows you to put content
into a webpage whereas CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), is used to format and define the layout of
a page.
What’s next?
If you already have knowledge of another programming language then these are great follow-up
languages.
C#
C# is primarily used for Windows applications in the .NET Framework. Learning C# is easy if
you have experience in C, C++, or Java. The syntax is similar. It’s popularity has been increasing
as C# is used for third-party apps on Windows 8 or Windows Phone.
Objective-C
Objective-C is primarily used for Apple’s operating systems, OSX (for Macs) and iOS (for
iPhone and iPad). If you are looking to develop for Mac, Objective-C is the way to go. Apple
provides lots of support for learning Objective-C through their developer program.
Javascript
JavaScript (little relation to Java) is a common language used to make webpages more dynamic.
With syntax similar to C, it doesn’t require a lot of effort to set up as it’s built into web browsers.
It’s also used in other applications such as PDFs.
PHP
PHP is another language often used for web development, although it works well as a general-
purpose language as well. PHP can be implemented directly into HTML. Those looking to learn
PHP should already know HTML, CSS, and Javascript.