Learning how to make programs and apps by researching online is a smart move as there are plenty of free resources available. However, you might be overwhelmed with the sheer number of different programming languages and their derivatives. Of course, you will have to expose yourself to the basics no matter which language you pick but some programming languages are better than others for first-time coders. Be sure to pick one of the following languages from this shortlist.
Ruby
Ruby may not be close to the most popular programming language at the time of writing but it is often mentioned as a requirement in many companies offering computer programming positions. On top of that, Ruby is very easy to learn as it is a higher level language compared to some of the older languages out there. Once you familiarized yourself with the language, you can immediately move on to the Ruby on Rails framework where you can build some wonderful Web apps.
Python
Python has a pretty small learning curve as well and is well-equipped with more than enough libraries to make building apps fun. It is a pretty popular programming language among teachers too because Pyhton’s official website has a special section dedicated for educators. Those eager to learn the Python basics can resort to this page at the Python Wiki. Finally, Python is highly flexible supporting procedural functional and object-oriented programming styles so mastering this high-level programming language is a huge plus.
C/C++
C sounds old-fashioned compared to what’s available today but so is cooking food on an open fire. The point is, learning a foundation language is highly beneficial in the long term. You can’t expose yourself to the basics of C and C++ without learning the fundamentals of programming in general. Even if you don’t plan on using this language as your top pick for building that dream application, having knowledge in C will help you understand other languages in this list better and could even drive up your creativity execution-wise. Besides, C and C++ are still widely used today.
Before you embark on your quest for free resources, check out this post too for some fun ways to learn programming in general. If JavaScript is your focus, this page may help as well.