I often receive questions like , or . which is a first programming language to learn? Is Java a good programming language to start with? how good Java is as a first programming language? which is the best programming language for beginners, shall I start with Java or Python? Well, the answer to all these questions is, Java is one of the most popular programming languages, and there are a lot of , starting with Job opportunities to leveraging community support. reasons to learn Java But, in the context of beginning programming or choosing Java as the first language, my most significant reason is that . it's simpler to learn People may argue that is even simpler and doesn't even require to compile but I personally found Java much easier to read and understand. Python The last generation of programmers started learning to program using languages like BASIC and then grew up learning C and with as their second or third programming language. C++ Java One reason for this could be that C and C++ were more prevalent in those days than Java, the other most curriculum was designed to teach C and C++, and there was no those days, at least not in our college. Python This is true, * , and we learn as part of the programming curriculum at school and colleges. In my time, was the first programming language in our engineering college, and then we learned C++, VB, VC++, and finally . often we don't make a choice C Java Now I am saying Java more straightforward and easy to learn, but I still remember saying it was more complicated than C++ because I had to type instead of simpler cout to print something on the screen, but that was just a momentary feeling. System.out.println() When I started writing and maintaining bigger programs, I found Java much more readable, and you can think what code is doing. Debugging and finding a problem was also much more comfortable in than compared to or . Java C++ C By the way, I learn professional programming, or you say real coding only on my first job, and that was when I seriously started learning Java. Is Java a Good Programming Language to Start With? Here are my couple of reasons, why I think Java is the right programming language to start learning to code: 1) Java is simpler, the syntax is much more readable than C, C++ or any other language. 2) Java is good to learn Object-Oriented programming, but not so good for procedural one, prefer C there. The OOP or is a useful skill because it handles the complexity of a real-world application quite well. It's easier to think in terms of class and objects. Object Oriented programming 3) Java has a rich API, and you can do a lot more with Java including graphics, sound and most likely writing small games like Tic Tac Toe, Tetris, etc. Not that you cannot do that with other languages, you often need to download and install different modules and library, which is a tough job for a starter. When you install , most of these feature comes as part of the installation only. Java 4) Java has , no matter what kind of questions, doubt, or issue you have, Google can find answers for you. If not Google, then StackOverflow, Java forums and a lot of other communities are there to help you out. strong community support This is really the single biggest reason I suggest beginners because when you are starting to learn to program you will face many different kinds of issues to understand for both programming fundamentals and Java. learn to code using Java Because there are millions of Java developers around and a big community is there to support, most likely you will find answers quickly without getting frustrated and disappointed. 5) Java is a , which catches many newbie mistakes. Also valid, to a lesser extent, for static typing. This is another reason I suggest beginners because Python is dynamic typing language, you don't need to define types which make learning confusing a bit. strongly typed language learn Java first then Python 6) Java comes with in-built Garbage collection, which is a big plus for a complete beginner. Dealing with memory management is a big thing at the start of learning programming. These are some of the reasons why I think beginners should learn Java first than any other language. I may be biased because I am a , but I also know , and I have also done professional programming in C and C++. Java programmer Python From that experience, I can say that Java is undoubtedly one of the and you can definitely choose Java as your first programming language to learn programming. best programming languages for beginners If you have already made up your mind to learn Java, then you can join to start your journey into the beautiful world of Java. This is one of the best course to learn Java for beginners. It's comprehensive but at the same time hands-on and suitable for beginners. The Complete Java Masterclass Is Java Enough for a Successful Programming Career? Now the question is the difference, It's NOT. As a programmer, you must know a lot of things, like , , , , etc. and different language teaches you a different thing. data structures, algorithms memory management object-oriented programming scripting Once you are comfortable with Java, you can move to other useful programming languages like , or also go towards scripting langue's, like , which doesn't need to be compiled. Scala JavaScript Python To be successful in a programming career, you need to keep learning and evolving, that's the biggest challenge of this field. If you happen to love and learn new technologies and languages, then this is the right field for you. programming Another important thing for a successful programmer is to develop , which is a reasoning based skill. If you want to become a better Java developer, you can also see my recent post about . debugging skill 10 tips to become a better Java developer in 2019 If you are good with reasoning and can make a conclusion based upon limited available information, then it will be easy for you to troubleshoot issues and find problems. Having a good knowledge of IDE like , , or will also help you with your coding and debugging journey, Java is blessed with a really excellent tool. Eclipse Netbeans IntelliJIDEA That's all on this folks. In my opinion, , because it's simpler than many others and focuses truly on programming rather than managing systems, like memory management. Java is definitely an excellent language to start programming with If you are convinced to start learning to code with Java than pick up a copy of or join and start your journey of programming with one of the best programming language, Java. Head First Java The Complete Java Masterclass In short, You can definitely and once you are comfortable, try to learn a couple of more, e.g. JavaScript or Python. choose Java as your first programming language More Resources Java Tutorial for Complete Beginners (FREE) Data Structures and Algorithms: Deep Dive Using Java Java Fundamentals: The Java Language Java Basics for Beginners (FREE Course) Practice Java by Building Projects (FREE Course) 10 Free Java Courses for Beginners and Intermediate developers 10 Things Java Developer should learn in 2019 21 Websites to Learn Coding for FREE Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like this article, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note. If you like books, you can also check out this list of to learn Java in depth. P. S. - Must-Read Java Programming books