Coding isn’t just for computer programmers; everyone can develop a basic understanding of coding languages since they are similar to English. However, the complexity of transitional programming languages deters beginners and non-technical users from diving into coding. This guide aims to guide you toward the 10 programming languages so you can choose the easiest programming language to Learn.
History and Evolution of Programming Languages
Programming languages have evolved significantly over the years, adapting to changing technology and developer needs:
- 1940s-1950s: Early languages like Assembly and FORTRAN emerged, focused on hardware-level instructions and scientific computing.
- 1960s-1970s: Languages like C introduced structured programming, while COBOL and LISP addressed business and AI applications.
- 1980s: Object-oriented programming (OOP) rose with C++ and Smalltalk, emphasizing modularity and code reusability.
- 1990s: The internet brought languages like Java and JavaScript for web development, and PHP for server-side scripting.
- 2000s-Present: Modern languages like Python, Swift, and Kotlin focus on simplicity, security, and efficiency, catering to fields like data science, AI, and mobile development.
Programming languages continue to evolve, adapting to new demands like cloud computing and AI, making development more accessible and efficient.
10 Easiest Programming Languages to Learn and Why
Starting with an easy programming language can make learning to code much simpler. Here are the 10 easiest languages to learn, perfect for beginners looking to build skills quickly and effectively.
1. JavaScript
To create dynamic and interactive websites, JavaScript is a great text-based scripting language, which is one of the core technologies of the internet. It can develop search bars, on-site animations, and hamburger menus to create interactive client-side web elements. Additionally, it can combine HTML, CSS, and frameworks like React, Angular, and Nodes to build server-side web apps.
This most popular web programming language can handle programming loops and make logical decisions based on inputs. Usually, front-end engineers and full-stack engineers master this language with a combination of HTML and CSS, a trio of web-page design languages.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
It is considered the easiest because it can be easily embedded and interpreted in languages like HTML. Besides, coders can write complex snippets of code and test them in the web browser quickly, giving them a head start in learning JavaScript.
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2. Python
For general purposes, you can rely on Python, which is a high-level programming language that builds websites and software. It can be used for rapid prototyping, production-ready software development, connecting to database systems, reading, and modifying files. Notably, its latest version is Python 3, which is famous for its security updates, while other features are the same as Python.
According to the University of Michigan and Coursea instructor, writing Python is a rewarding and creative activity. In summary, Python can do data analysis, machine learning, web development, automation, and software testing.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
This most popular programming language 2024, is easy for programmers and non-programmers since it uses simple syntax to mimic natural languages. Moreover, it’s an open-source language with a large community that contributes to resources and libraries for new learners.
3. Ruby
In the list, Ruby is the third easiest programming language, which is highly portable, open-source, and belongs to the high-level programming class. It is a great general-purpose language that can build desktop apps, static apps, web scrapping, and crawling, which are vital for website indexing.
Additionally, it’s an object-oriented language that breaks out pieces of code into objects that one can use and create on demand. Yukihiro Matsumoto was its inventor, who brought this easiest programming language to learn in the mid-90s. One of its key features involves garbage collection, dynamic typing, and four levels of variable scope.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
Simply, using this language could be fun and increase productivity since it has a simple syntax that makes it easier. Besides, it requires minimum and crisp code commands to implement heavy tasks and has an excellent community for learners.
4. CSS
CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a programming language that shapes how information looks and sounds on a webpage. It combines HTML, a building material, whereas CSS is a design layout, so they are both learned sequentially. Clearly, it’s not a programming language nor a markup language; it’s a style sheet language that polishes HTML elements.
Initially, Tim Berners-Lee introduced it in the 1990s to display website content, as HTML did not offer styling options. When it is used in combination with HTML and JavaScript, it creates dynamic websites, enabling stylistic rendering of web content.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
Other than human-readable syntax, this most popular programming language has a large community of developers. Moreover, changes in CSS can be quickly seen in the browser, and this immediate feedback makes it an easy language to experiment with.
5. HTML
Although HTML is a Hypertext Markup language rather than a programming language, it is the first step for new coders on their journey. This is because HTML provides an idea of essential while letting users define the text, color, and appearance on a web page. Furthermore, its modified versions can define a page and an entire web application, such as FBML in the Facebook case.
Moreover, HTML uses a tag system to determine media type and back-end placement while allowing CSS to be used. Together with JavaScript and CSS, it indicates how webpages will look and enable dynamic functions, an excellent foundation for coders.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
It uses a straightforward structure of elements and descriptive tags that are easy to read for beginners, such as \<img>. In addition, it’s a fundamental web technology that clarifies understanding of other programming languages. What’s more, it doesn’t require additional setups and complex logic, loops, or conditions.
6. Java
To resolve your query of “what is the easiest computer programming language to learn,” Java is the next language on the list. It uses object-oriented programming and works on the “Write Once and Run Everywhere” principle to build desktop software. Plus, it can create games, big data, and mobile applications with complete back-end support.
Java is a multipurpose language with an English-like grammar, well-written documentation, and community backing for novices. As one of the oldest languages, it is evident that it is usable in popular apps like Pinterest, Airbnb, eBay, and Spotify.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
This language is easy for people with prior knowledge of object-oriented programming because of its simplicity. Besides, Java has a concise nature of codes, excellent documentation, and automatic memory management through garbage collection, making it the easiest one.
7. SQL
After Java, you can count SQL, abbreviated as Structured Query Language, and is responsible for working with databases. It allows users to add, modify, and delete records within database management systems such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Dell. Moreover, it helps engineers retrieve data from the database, define and manipulate it, and execute queries against it.
SQL stores and processes information in a relational database that collects data in tabular form, columns, and rows. Therefore, coders can use SQL statements to update, remove, and search information from the database, which can even optimize database performance.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
Since SQL commands follow a logical and consistent structure, they are easy to predict and remember. That’s why it’s the most popular programming language in 2024, allowing coders to remember how to write queries while accessing immediate results.
8. PHP
Once you know HTML and the basics of coding, PHP will also become the easiest programming language to learn. PHP, also known as Hypertext Preprocessor, is a general-purpose scripting language for creating dynamic and intuitive websites. Rasmus Lerdorf introduces this open-source and server-side general scripting language, a de-facto coding standard in the web development industry.
About details, PHP can produce dynamic page content and create, read, open, or write files on the server. Furthermore, its new PHP 7 can handle errors more efficiently, support new operators, and strict type declarations, bringing innovation with ease.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
PHP is known for its straightforwardness, lenient syntax, documents, and properties, making it an easy-to-start-with language. What’s unique is that it can be embedded in HTML, has good error tolerance, and has broad hosting support.
9. Swift
Apple launched this programming language in 2014 as an Objective-C alternative to develop iOS applications with modem features. It addresses the “What is the easiest computer programming language to learn” concern of beginner coders well. Generally, it is known as an open-source, compiled, and general-purpose language, which has an LLVM compiler and involves Xcode.
This official language of Apple is gaining popularity year after year because Apple makes it as intuitive as possible. Regarding its latest version, Swift 5.10 has faster and easier strings than ever that retain Unicode correctness for managing substrings.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
Swift codes are easy to read and concise, reducing the amount needed to accomplish tasks and making them easier for beginners. This allows coders to focus on writing rather than worrying about typing declarations.
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10. Kotlin
It’s an object-oriented, interoperable programming language that uses the Java virtual machine, Android, and Java Class Libraries. Java initially designed this language to launch Android applications, but it’s now used for general-purpose developments. It can also be used alongside Java for back-end web apps and front-end development.
It’s one of the most popular programming languages, and it allows developers to write less code than others. Despite being popular and easy, it is a safe and concise language with extensive community support.
Why It’s Easy to Learn
Google declared it an official language for Android app development, making it a need for Android app developers. Besides, it has a gradual learning path, emphasis on clear readability, and the ability to write sage and expressive codes.
Which Programming Language Should You Learn?
There are numerous coding boot camps, online tech courses, and learning resources when you decide to learn a language. However, the question still remains the same: What are the easiest programming languages to learn? To address this precisely, we have listed some use cases defining where a programming language excels.
- Mobile App Development: If you need to create mobile apps, choose Swift for Apple and Kotlin for Android apps. Furthermore, you can opt for JavaScript, which can safely and securely share code between iOS and Android platforms.
- Web Development: For web development, you must learn HTML, which isn’t a programming language in the traditional sense, but it structures content on websites. Moreover, you should explore JavaScript for front-end web development, PHP for server-side scripting, and Python for back-end development.
- Game Development: Although C# and C++ aren’t easy languages, popular game engines use them for game development. C# could be relatively easy among them as it has accessible resources and community support for beginners.
- Data Science and Machine Learning: Python is a dominant and widespread language in data science and machine learning, mainly thanks to TensorFlow-like libraries. They make learning, manipulation, and analysis easy through rich community support and libraries.
- General Purpose Programming: Finally, when you are unsure of the purpose of learning a programming language, you can start with Python, as it’s easy to read. Java and JavaScript are also good choices, as they have a strong presence in the job market and are versatile languages.
Choosing the Right Programming Language for Seamless Integration with ZEGOCLOUD
With ZEGOCLOUD’s real-time communication solutions, developers can easily add robust features to their apps using beginner-friendly languages. By integrating the in-app video call SDK, even new coders can build interactive applications. For developers looking to add live streaming SDK for apps, ZEGOCLOUD provides a flexible, high-quality solution. Mobile applications benefit from features like voice chat API for mobile, which enables smooth and reliable communication. For web applications, interactive messaging SDK and video conferencing tools offer seamless integration, enhancing user engagement.
ZEGOCLOUD’s low-latency video call features make it ideal for building social and educational apps. With these varied communication APIs, creating an engaging, interactive experience has never been simpler. By utilizing ZEGOCLOUD’s SDKs for social engagement, developers can deliver high-quality, real-time interaction to users with ease.
Conclusion
In summary, learning coding has become a crucial skill, but many individuals are confused about where to start and which programming language to learn first. Therefore, this article has explored the 10 most popular web programming languages and their reasons for being easy to use. At the end of the session, we must say that trying ZEGOCLOUD APIs and SDKs in combination with other programming languages would be great.
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FAQ
Q1: What is considered the easiest programming language for beginners to learn?
Python is widely regarded as one of the easiest programming languages for beginners due to its simple syntax, readability, and versatility. It mimics everyday English, making it easier to grasp and use for people new to programming.
Q2: Can beginners consider learning Java as their first programming language?
Java can be a good choice for beginners, especially those interested in enterprise-level development or Android app development. While it has a steeper learning curve than Python, it introduces beginners to fundamental programming concepts and object-oriented programming, which are essential for further development in other languages and technologies.
Q3: Is Swift an easy language for beginners interested in app development?
Swift is designed by Apple specifically for developing iOS and macOS applications and is a good choice for beginners interested in app development. Its syntax is concise yet expressive, and the language incorporates safe programming patterns that make it not only easy to learn but also robust and secure.
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