There are dozens and dozens of programming languages to learn, each with a specific purpose or use case.
What makes a programming language easy to learn is subjective; for established programmers and coders, they can pick up new languages easily because part of learning how to code includes the ability to learn other skills and languages. For new coders, certain languages are easier to start learning than others, whether you’re in a technical role or not.
5 easy programming languages for both established and newbie coders
HTML & CSS.
HTML & CSS are often learned and then used in tandem on whatever project or job you’re on. HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It’s a web-based language that tells a web browser (like Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox) how to best display text and images on a webpage. It uses a tag system to determine backend placement and media type. Almost every webpage on the Internet uses HTML to display information.
With it, CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, help you create more descriptive elements. This can include color, font, layout, branding, or other stylistic choices on the same webpage. We like to say that HTML is the house, while CSS are the decor, paint colors, and furnishings.
Anyone aspiring to do web development, software engineering, or web page building should know HTML & CSS. They’re important to know in most organizations, too, in order to function across departments. Because they’re so widely used by people in technical and non-technical roles alike, HTML & CSS makes it one of many easy programming languages to learn.
Python.
For budding programmers or seasoned engineers looking to pick up a widely used, easy-to-read programming language, Python is the one. It continues to grow in popularity, now earning the spot as the most popular programming language in the world.
In addition to web development, Python can be used to calculate mathematical equations and run data sets. It’s super general, so it’s not used to solve a specific problem or a particular use case. This makes it great for any beginner or advanced programmer.
The code is written in plain English so it’s easy to understand and read. It’s also an open source language, meaning anyone can contribute to its development. Furthermore, it can be used for both small and large tasks.
Major apps like Instagram, Netflix, and Spotify have been built with Python, but one can use Python to create even the smallest, shortest of projects.
Read also: 5 Back End Programming Languages You Should Know
JavaScript.
JavaScript is one easy programming languages to learn since most digitally native folks have heard of it, whether they work with it or not. We like to say that JavaScript is the icing on the cake of development; you use it to create dynamic elements more around how the page functions — like scrolling, jumping, or moving. There is rarely a webpage on the Internet that doesn’t use these elements, so JavaScript always has a place in a company’s tech stack (or in your personal skill set).
You can install a text editor on your computer to easily start writing JavaScript. There are also countless free courses on the web to learn JavaScript, as well.
SQL.
SQL is one programming language that has a huge array of use cases. From sales to marketing to data analysis to product and engineering, everyone in an organization works with data and needs a way to make it work better for them.
SQL works with relational databases that hold a lot of data. SQL allows the user to add, delete, modify, or update records within that database. You can do a lot with data and with SQL to find what you need, and it’s relatively easy to learn no matter what role you’re in.
Read also: 4 Front-End Programming Languages You Should Know
Ruby on Rails.
Like Python, Ruby on Rails is an open source development framework used for web development. It has been popular for years and is regularly chosen by development teams at organizations.
Some great examples of Ruby on Rails in the wild include Airbnb, Github, and Basecamp.
Its syntax is straightforward, easy to read, and quick to pick up for anyone aiming to go into web development or software engineering. Typically, budding programmers can learn Ruby easier than other languages and use it as a jumping off point for learning additional languages.
The best place to learn easy programming languages — for FREE
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