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10 Programming Languages You Should Learn Right Now

eweek.com — Knowing a handful of programming languages is seen by many as a harbor in a job market storm, solid skills that will be marketable.

Who dugg this? Made popular Sep 16, 2006

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  • rolosworld, on 10/12/2007, -7/+681. PHP
    2. C#
    3. AJAX (Programming language??????)
    4. JavaScript
    5. Perl
    6. C
    7. Ruby and Ruby on Rails
    8. Java
    9. Python
    10. VB.Net (Visual Basic .Net)
  • nreynolds, on 10/12/2007, -2/+43c sharp... unless that's a joke.
  • carguy84, on 10/12/2007, -4/+45Here's an idea, how about you learn something like C and HOW to think like a programmer and then not worry about what the latest whizbang programming language is and just adjust your syntax as necessary.

    Ahh, cause that would make for a dull article, nvm.
  • Dayz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+29Dont forget assembly for the electrical engineers. I think thats #1 on my list followed by C
  • daldredge, on 10/12/2007, -4/+30@n
    AJAX isn't a programming language.
  • Wolfghost, on 10/12/2007, -1/+26herrshuster,

    Because today's high school graduates have a sixth grade education. The title "10 Programming Languages You Should Learn Right Now" is captialized correctly and your title example should have been...

    By the Way, Why is Every Title on Digg Like This these Days?
    ("This" would normally be lowercase, but for this usage)
  • fatnutz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20Is this sort of a reverse psychology thing, should I learn languages other than these now, because theoretically if all digg users learned how to program, I'd never get a job.
  • prockcore, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19A good PHP programmer is hard to find.. there are a lot of bad PHP programmers however.

    And judging from the number of resumes on my desk, there are tons of out-of-work Java programmers.
  • DesiGUY, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15I would say instaed of learn 10 languages, learn
    a OO language(C#/Java),
    a database(Oracle/SQL Server),
    a scripting Language(JavaScript/ Ruby),
    a functional language(C), etc

    It would help in overall development.
  • fyngyrz, on 10/12/2007, -17/+30And then there are the languages that I would *actually* hire you for knowing:

    1. C - for high performance applications
    2. Python - for web scripting and low performance applications

    ...and you'd get extra points for having written anything significant in assembler, because then I'd know you understood how computers actually work and can at least entertain the hope that you'll write decently performing code.

    For the others... PHP isn't clean, VB and C# are proprietary, Java and Javascript tend to encourage client-side work which in turn breeds compatibility problems, Perl is a foolish, outdated investment in incomprehensibility, and Ruby is basically a slower, mutated version of Python.

    C can be used to do almost anything, including the most powerful and important OO work; private and public functions on objects, etc. It is available on every platform worth working on. Python is a beauty of a language that provides for anything from massively OO to linear line-by-line thinking, whatever you're up for at the moment. Python is available for almost any platform, and development in Python is both quick and easy because the language is, at its root, a sensible language.
  • nevenmrgan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Geez, I'll get to it next week.

    Seriously, though, anyone who put all 10 of those on a resume with a solid proficiency level next to each should be marked with a big BS. Or to qualify that: anyone who's not so 1337 that they would emanate a glow of web development with their entire being as they enter the room.
  • deepspaceant, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17Ajax is listed. Don't you love how hype just goes everywhere? Another list of "cool" things.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13i440

    if you think assembly is intimidating you've never seen Electrical Engineering.

    the sad part is. most EE's learn about HW for 4 years then go out and get jobs writing software.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Obj-C? Cocoa?... riiiight...
  • vafada, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15@nevenmrgan

    but AJAX isn't even a programming language....
  • Klowner, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16Ajax is hard to learn? Are all these people idiots or something?
  • Dayz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@i440

    Assembly may be scary at first since if doesnt really follow the basic programing struture. It is used by engineers because its the fastest language and speed matters.
  • joeolivas, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12If you just want to be a code monkey, learn a language. If you really want to improve your skills, learn to program.

    Most of these languages are basically the same. I think the best thing you can do is really learn how to program, then the language doesn't matter, and picking up a new one is simple.

  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Do people still buy lists like this!? Learn about:

    * An OO language - including the mechanics of what is happening behind the scenes
    * Design patterns
    * Complexity of algorithms
    * DBMSs and SQL

    Everything else will follow with experience and you will be able to move between any other language and technique with ease.
  • Virak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11C is procedural, not functional. Languages like Scheme and Haskell are functional.
  • timetrap, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13FTFA:

    "3 AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
    What it is: Though technically not a programming language, AJAX uses XHTML or HTML, JavaScript and XML to create interactive Web applications."

    I wonder how many people actually take the time to read the articles . . .
  • BluParadox, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14"I saw C# one day in a store and realized I've aged because I've only heard of C++. How do you pronounce "C #"? "C number?""

    Just think of it this way c# = c++++, except with the pluses stacked on top of each other, and pronouced as C sharp (as others have pointed out)
  • Vizin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I'm 5/10

    Though AJAX hardly counts. If you know PHP and you know JavaScript, AJAX is right around the corner.
  • LucasVB, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13What!? No *****!?
  • richmulhern, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I'm not going to take advice from anyone that lists AJAX as a language... especially right before JavaScript. Maybe while I'm learning PHP I'll learn the mysql_connect language too.

    Focus on what you enjoy. Also, no company wants to see this many languages on a resume. Put on your resume what you are comfortable knowing and what you want to work on. You won't be taken seriously if your resume looks like a list of the latest buzz words. You can always mention other languages you know in an interview if you want to show off your skills. It's great to know multiple languages but knowing PHP and C# really won't help because most jobs involving PHP don't also require C#. You may want to try PHP with something client-side like JavaScript. They are both popular and handy tools that compliment each other equally.

  • fyngyrz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9You think Python is like Perl?

    /Me crosses mcrbids off job eligibility list.
  • vafada, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11then change the headline to "9 Programming Languages You Should Learn Right Now".... ok im anal...
  • redxii, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Don't forget the Bachelor's degree, otherwise, no one will want to even interview you.. it's gonna cost a lot of $$$ though.
  • ringo380, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6No better way to get yourself digged up than to comment that people won't/aren't digging you up.

    Nobody likes to be predictable.
  • Virak, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8What the *******? A few corrections and comments:

    C, COBOL, and PHP aren't your only choices for web development.
    AJAX is not a programming language by any definition.
    Using Javascript for form validation is really, really stupid.
    Syntax is the least of the differences between C and C#/Java, and similar syntax isn't going to make them much easier to learn.
    Anyone who finds *Java* beautiful is quite obviously insane.
  • Klowner, on 10/12/2007, -6/+11I guess the 2 digg users that can't comprehend ajax decided to mod me down.
  • locnguyen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5If you want a career in business software development, the safest and surest bet is Java or .NET with SQL on top of that. It's hard to imagine NOT finding a job with that kind of background if you have junior level skills.
  • timetrap, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Am I way off base? I thought coco was only for macs? That seems kind of limiting . . . Of course there is something to be said of a captive audience.
  • sputza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That list of programming languages is crap.
  • Dayz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6They'll hire you, but they'll pay you way below what your suppose to get.
  • asdf25, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4TFA: "Java. Why you should learn it: Hailed by many developers as a 'beautiful' language, it is central to the non-.Net programming experience."

    That's the dumbest sentence I've read in a long time. Who the hell would call Java "beautiful"?
  • Sup3D, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5In my current job, I was asked if I knew C# (pronounced C-sharp). I responded by saying no because I was only familiar with it, but never had used it. The fact I said I did not know something made what I said I did know more believable. If you have all this on your resume, they won't believe you know it all well. If the person hiring you knows their stuff, they may ask you to write something on the spot or debug a method or something. I had to do both in a written test. I did get the job (sql, java, javascript, html). Don't say you know something in a resume unless you can actually write something substantial in it.
  • eclipxe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6"If I could only use one language, I'd pick C. Why? Try compiling a DLL (dynamic link library) in any .Net language. You can't."

    You really need to read a few more books before you proclaim to know-it-all. A DLL is simply an assembly in the .Net world, just like the EXEs. It's simply a collection of classes...maybe you meant a device driver??

    Also, there is nothing wrong with using an IDE, despite your example of simple drag and drop designing, there are several advantages to using an IDE:
    1. Better project management (yeah, Notepad is great for writing a couple of classes but try writing something that is used in the real world...it gets messy quick).
    2. Syntax-highlighting, refactoring, debugger support...
    3. Source control integration

    Don't discount things before you fully understand what you are talking about.
  • kodek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You might want to add Logo to the list while you're at it.
  • maehem, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I am insane then. It looks like poetry to me. I've been looking at a bunch of someone elses C++ code for the last two weeks and I just want to barf my guts out when I look at it. Pointers blow.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"We need you to redo the shopping cart app in Cobol."

    Did that line make it through the profanity filter?
  • dr-steve, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Yesterday's newspaper wraps today's fish."

    When I hire, "three fundamentally different systems and SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT YOU DID ON EACH."

    1. Some scripting language: Perl or PHP or Javascript or wsh or even bash. Tell me about a significant script you've written.

    2. Some modern applicative language. Anything from C++ on so you're good with applicative and object-oriented programming.

    3. Something which demands you think orthogonally to (2). Lisp, APL, or even significantly complex SQL queries mean you're looking at data differently.

    4. Assembly, any form. What's an interrupt? If you can't handle that, forget threading as well.

    Yeah, I listed four. If you are fluent in three, your mind has demonstrated flexibility. If you're a beginner at XXX but have done significant work in YYY and ZZZ, I think you'll have a better chance at producing algorithmically sound code than someone who's a journeyman at XXX but hasn't seen YYY or ZZZ.

    -Steve
  • klang, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"Hello World" written in BrinF*ck
    http://www2.latech.edu/~acm/helloworld/brainfck.html

    (not good for posting it seems)
  • BluParadox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4You're right on. People think they need to put every skill they have on a resume - the trick is to put only the skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for, and back it up heavily with descriptions of what you've accomplished with those skills. If you cant put down any accomplishments that are actually impressive then odds are you don't really have that skill, and if you aren't re-writing your resume for each job you apply to then you're doing something wrong.
  • quisxt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2A list that was actually designed to make you a better programmer would include a functional language like Haskell, one of the lisp family languages such as scheme or common lisp, and a logic programming language such a prolog, and Smalltalk for it's different take on OOP. Each of those languages will show you a new, and different way to approach programming and teach you a heck of a lot more than learning whatever the current Algol/Simula flavor of the month happens to be. IOW don't limit yourself to just one family of languages, branch out a little.
  • captjc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3carguy84 - "Here's an idea, how about you learn something like C and HOW to think like a programmer and then not worry about what the latest whizbang programming language is and just adjust your syntax as necessary."

    This has to be the best advice. As a Computer Engineering student, I take have taken many programming courses. The one thing that I found is that many people in the class focus too much on the constructs of the language (in this case C++) and not the algorithms themselves. It is more important to know the how to solve the problem than to write the program. The best programmers I know realize that the code should come secondary to solving the problem.
  • MrTea, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yeah, I already know C/C++, C#, and VB.NET. If you already know C/C++, C# is a breeze!

    I've been meaning the learn perl. Can anyone recommend to me a good IDE for perl?
  • grumpyrain, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"People that learn to program in a Visual IDE aren't programmers, they're drag-and-drop form designers with little snippets of actual programming knowledge."

    Yep, thats right, we all know that a *real* programmer is someone who spends time writing include statements and filling out method definitions for basic classes. Give me a break. Form design is more than dragging and dropping buttons and labels onto panels. Form design is a skill that most programmers lack.

    The article is a joke. Anyone who lists that they are competent in 10 languages would not get a job under me, because their idea of competency is significantly below my expectations. Being able to grab sample code from a 101 tutorial does not cut it. Anyone who considers that after a day they are competent in a new language is at best naive. A real programmer is one who is able to solve problems using proven techniques using the tools at their disposal including IDE's.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3BTW, VB.net and C# compile to the same machine code and run at the same speed.
  • glock22ownr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yes you can, COBOL.NET since everything gets blown down into the CLR, it doesnt really matter what you write the crap in ... so supposedly its possible... although I have not been on drugs good enough to want to do something like that since college.... :)
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