First of all, remember, all languages are in some way the same, and all languages can do the same thing. When it comes to choosing a language, it isn’t about it being hard or easy; it’s about how you understand code. Personally, for me, I like to code, so I won’t mind which language I learn and vice versa. However, picking a not so natural language (for a beginner) can set you up for hating to code because you won’t understand the fundamentals of programming.

You are now coming to Java or Python, which one should you learn first? In my opinion, it all depends on the syntax of the language and your understanding of programming. For example, in Python, the way you print “hello world” is more simplified compared to the way you have to do it in Java.

Here’s how it looks like in Java:

And here’s how it looks like in Python:

You can see how Python’s print statement is easy to understand and follow for a beginner programmer, compared to Java’s print statement, which can be perceived as more challenging for a beginner. Python is mainly used for Web development/applications and data visualization. This language is used a lot in real-world applications due to its web development and data visualization capabilities. Java, on the other hand, has a lot more skills than Python, which will get into in a bit. Below I share some advantages and disadvantages of both of the programming languages to help you decide which one to learn.

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Advantages of Java

1. One significant advantage of Java is the object-oriented programming aspect of the language. It permits you to reuse your code in numerous projects.
2. Java is a well-structured and easy language to read. Especially when it comes to real-world applications having that allows the coder to have flow in their code.
3. Java has various libraries and frameworks for adding more functionality. Such as Blade, Selenium etc.

Disadvantages of Java

1. Java is significantly slower and more memory-consuming than other native languages such as C or C++. The result of this will impact big projects that require less memory allocation and speed to execute the program.
2. This disadvantage might not affect beginners, but affects developers and advanced programmers. The default GUI look of Java in applications is a deplorable feature as it does not allow you to do much on it until you upgrade the GUI with some third-party plugin.
3. Java programs often have a boilerplate of code than other programming languages. For example, Java requires you to write sections of code that are necessary just to execute the program and not needed for your application only for the compiler.

Advantages of Python

1. Very easy-to-understand and straightforward syntax.
2. Python is mainly used in Machine Learning/AI, Web development and Data visualization, from modules like Django, Tensorflow etc.
3. Very modular language because of all the modules that exist. Adding modules to your program increases functionality.

Disadvantages of Python

1. Hard to understand core concepts and fundamentals of programming in Python, whereas shifting from Java to Python is better because that way, you can follow the core fundamentals and then go into the more logical side of programming in Python.
2. Another disadvantage is runtime errors because the language is dynamically typed; it requires more debugging and has errors that only show up at runtime.
3. Python is an interpreted language, so when it comes to run the program, it will analyze the code many times before giving an output, so it’s much slower than a compiled language like C or C++.

The Verdict

So we looked at the advantages and disadvantages of both programming languages. Now the real question is, which should I learn first. In my opinion, it all depends on you. As a high school student, I’ve completed four years of learning and have some experience in real-world applications. If you just want to try out and experiment with code, then learn Python because of it’s easy-to-understand syntax. If you are trying to pursue a career in computer science or engineering, then learn Java first to get the core concepts and fundamentals of programming because having those fundamentals in your mind is vital in this particular field. Also, I would suggest for a beginner like you or anyone in that matter should do Java first and then Python, for the fundamentals of programming. Besides, having excellent and trustable resources at hand is very useful in learning programming as a beginner, especially when I first started learning how to code. These resources will correctly teach you and set you up for success in your future career.

Good Luck.

For a Beginner: Should I Learn C or Python? was originally published in DataDrivenInvestor on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.