[TADIL]

Hello all, as I get closer to finishing my general education credits I am considering to pursue a computer science degree.

Couple questions that popped into my head:
-what sort of things could I look into to have general understanding of things?
-Is there a preferred language that will supplement learning others easier? (Java, C#, etc.)
-are sites like tryhackme worth putting effort into?
-is there bad languages i should stray from(ex:lazy languages)

[Infinity.]

Rust is probably the best place to start.

You will get the general programming introduction and knowledge about Rust from this book

"Rust in Action" 2nd edition. Feel free to ask me anything if you're confused/stuck

[BPName]

VBNet
Lua
is god for noobs

[Py_Dev]

This all typically refers to what you would like to accomplish. I started with Python and loved it. Every lang has its strengths and weaknesses. It all matters on what you are trying to do. If you want to become a software developer for windows, Id suggest a low level for windows c/c++ if you want a lang that is cross platform use python. If you want to develop websites use html/php/css/python and java script. If you can learn one lang you can learn multiple. So just aim for whatever you want to do in the private sector.


Personally for me I learned Html first because it was easy to see it in real time while working on a website locally. Then I learned Python. From python - c# was a easy migration for me. People love certain langs for their unique features. If you master any certain lang you will make money.


As far as "bad langs" there really is none. The best would probably be ASM or python in my opinion. I personally dont like java.

[RangoWorld]

Java and Python. Python is easy to get started. But Java is good as well considering the number of applications it can be used in and really with these two languages you can become a good coder.

[Infinity.]

VBNet
Lua
is god for noobs

Come one!! Please don't say this. It's redirecting beginners on a wrong path

[Klonopin]

Csharp is extremely easy and user friendly, i highly recommend.

And a lot can be done with csharp.

[Doug Dimmadome]

I also recommend C# while at the same time recommending you DO NOT learn VB.NET. C# is Microsoft's focus these days. I don't know if VB.NET is deprecated yet, but it will be eventually. Modern C# (.NET Core, not .NET Framework) is amazing to work with. It runs on Windows, Linux, and MacOS with the official runtime (no Mono needed), it's insanely fast, there are tons of very mature libraries for anything you can think of:

Web framework? ASP.NET Core
ORM? EF Core
PDF Generation? IronPDF (as well as free alternatives)
Identity Management? IdentityCore (built-in to ASP.NET Core) and for more complicated scenarios, Duende Identity Server (free for most things)
Cross-platform UIs? MAUI or Avalonia
Threading and async IO? It's built-in, it just works everywhere without thinking about it unlike Rust

Modern C# feels both mature and bleeding edge, it's a great time to be in the ecosystem

[Ramsey]

I'd recommend Java. Make sure that you understand things from the ground up.

[iCodexx]

I've started with Python, then eventually to other languages due to the flexibility and good integration's between the different languages. It all depends on what you are aiming to accomplish as each has their pros and cons.

[AeroBlue]

Rust is probably the best place to start.

You will get the general programming introduction and knowledge about Rust from this book

"Rust in Action" 2nd edition. Feel free to ask me anything if you're confused/stuck

I would have quit programming if I started with rust. I understand the philosophy of starting with something like Rust as it forces you to do this correctly, but it's extremely frustrating and way to complex for someone starting out. They would have to focus on everything but programming. I started in Python, it was fun and easy to learn and I developed the ability to think logically and problem solve. After that in college I learned about all the underlying stuff and lower level stuff like C and assembly. Before you even start you have to be able to "think" like a programmer, inputs and outputs, problem solving. That's my opinion anyway, I'm not saying that approach is wrong but you have to be the right type of person for it. I see so many beginners so focused on doing things the "best" way possible, they forget the goal. I recommend learning the language you like the best. If you want some structure, Java is a very good language for beginners and has stricter typing. Python and Java were the first two languages I started with. Sure you may have some "bad" habits but that's to be expected and you can fix those later on once you have more knowledge.

Also OP: there are no "bad" or "lazy" languages (exlcuding meme languages). They are just different. There are high and low level languages, you sacrifice fine control over things but don't have to deal with all the extra complexity. Rust is safe and reliable but development is difficult and slow. Python is flexible and simple, but lacks control.

[Hackers]

Most of the answers here are pretty good.

I recommend Python if you want to get going quickly. It is used in most industries, pays well, and is easier to learn than others. Just be careful, you can get away with a lot so you don’t want to develop bad habits.