今日推薦開源項目：《新人歡迎會 railsgirls.github.io》
今日推薦英文原文：《Don』t Buy Into the Ludicrous Idea That Programming is Hard》
今日推薦開源項目：《新人歡迎會 railsgirls.github.io》傳送門：GitHub鏈接
推薦理由：組織一個技術交流會來聚集那些對技術感興趣的人來交流——並不僅限於女性或是什麼人，在技術面前大家應該都是平等的。這個項目介紹了 Rail 相關的學習教程，以及組織一場技術交流會的方法。與興趣相投的人一起交流技術可以交換靈感，是穩賺不賠的買賣，而組織一場交流會正好可以提供這個平台，不管是新人還是老手都能夠從中獲利，何樂而不為呢。
今日推薦英文原文：《Don』t Buy Into the Ludicrous Idea That Programming is Hard》作者：David J. Meyer
原文鏈接：https://medium.com/better-programming/dont-buy-into-the-lunatic-idea-that-programming-is-hard-eef404de6164
推薦理由：事實上，編程語言沒有想像中的難學
Don』t Buy Into the Ludicrous Idea That Programming is Hard
It is easier to learn a programming language than you think!
Learning a programming language can be a daunting task. I』m here to tell you it』s not as bad as you might think. Growing up I always thought it was silly that Java, Python, and C were considered 「languages.」 But now that I』m older, I realize there are quite a few similarities between learning a programming language and a real language. If you struggle with learning languages, then this might sound even more daunting now. However, there is still hope for you because learning a new programming language is 100 times easier than learning a new spoken language!If you don』t believe me, take a look at my credentials. First, I have learned around seven programming languages over the past five years. My experience with spoken language is not impressive at all. Over my entire 23 years of life, I have learned English, beginner level Spanish, and at one time I knew how to say 「Hi」 in Italian. Learning a new programming language may be similar to learning a spoken language, but it is shocking how much easier it is to do.
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The Similarities Between Programming and Speaking
Whenever I meet people that are tri-lingual they always tell me that it is easier to learn a new language after learning a secondary language. They tell me that to learn a new language you first need to learn how to learn. This is the exact same in programming.Every programming language consists of two parts: grammar and syntax. Grammar is the most important part here because it crosses over into multiple languages. If you learn Spanish, it is easier to pick up any of the other romantic languages because they all share similar grammar. All you have to learn are the specific vocab words to match a certain grammar rule. This is the exact same in code.
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If you learn how to program in Python, then you will need to learn some basic programming grammar principles. You will learn things like functions, variables, branching, classes, and sync/async. Once you learn those, it is super easy to translate those same concepts in Java or C. All you need to do is look up the specific syntax. I still do this today!
I have programmed for years in Java, C, and Python, but there are still times I forget the specific syntax for functions in Python. I know what a function is and how it works, but I might forget the keyword to use.
So why is learning a programming language this much easier?
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There are 3 main reasons why programming languages are easier to learn than spoken language.
- When you forget the syntax, you can always look it up on the spot. If you are programming, then you are on a computer. If you are on a computer you most likely have internet access. Therefore, you can always look up the syntax.
- There are fewer grammar and syntax rules than in a spoken language. Some programming languages have maybe 50 keywords you need to know. No one would suggest fluency of a language after learning a mere 50 vocabulary words!
- Programming languages are NOT spoken. For me, the hardest part of learning Spanish is speaking it. I can read and write, but listening and communicating is a different beast. Luckily, with coding, we don』t deal with this issue. Code is always written.
If you have any self-motivation at all, then you can easily learn how to code.If you want to learn how to program but don』t know where to start, don』t worry about it. I was the exact same way before college and because of my fears, I didn』t learn anything.
The joy of programming is that once you learn the basics from one language, then you can easily pick up other languages!
Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash
There are easier languages that help learn those skills quicker, though. Python only has 33 keywords versus Java』s 50. Python is pretty simple to pick up and start making things happen instantly. It is also one of the most versatile languages you can use for almost anything. BUT…you can totally learn Java for your first language and learn those same skills too.
Programming is really not as daunting or difficult as it seems. It is a ton of fun too! Especially if you like solving puzzles. I honestly don』t know why this industry pays us so much!
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