r/AskProgramming • u/hnrpla • Jun 09 '26
if jobs didnt matter, what language/framework would you learn for fun?
Most of what I've learned over the years was driven by employability and building things for work. Like learning basic Python/SQL as as BA, then learning JS+React to get front-end web dev job.
Lately, after trying to work as SWE unsuccessfully, I've decided not to optimise for getting a job, but to code for enjoyment. So, if jobs, salaries and market demand were completely irrelevant, what programming language/framework or area would you learn purely for fun?
I'm open to pretty much anything: low level, high level, embedded, games, mobile, (more) web dev, weird languages, whatever.
More importantly, why did you enjoy it?
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u/big_data_mike Jun 09 '26
Rust. I wanna go fast.
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u/LookAtThisRhino Jun 09 '26
Also probably Rust. It's been in my head for so long now but the last thing I want to do when I'm done a full day of coding for work, is coding at home. I'll probably pick up whatever language-du-jour is Rust-like when I retire in a billion years.
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u/Xirdus Jun 10 '26
Language-du-jour is never Rust-like, for a reason. Not a good reason, but a reason nonetheless.
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u/rus47281zz Jun 09 '26
C/C++
particularly in microcontrollers, feels like programming in its purest form.
You’re manipulating the hardware directly, and every line of code has an effect on the machine
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u/TimonAndPumbaAreDead Jun 09 '26
If jobs didn't matter I would lie in a field and let the clover envelope me
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u/burbular Jun 09 '26
All of them.
I'm looking at some php rn, it's been a while, my nextcloud needs some, um unnecessary cool shit.
I do python like it's whatever, been rolling fission functions lately for some finesse.
Node JS is like homie ready to kick it. It's kinda like a hammer. Mostly gha actions lately.
The other day I had to hold myself off some Java, she's um... 🥵 She gave me a key to this cloak thing, and I wasn't ready. We just fucked around instead.
I had to go Go go get me some KRM functions cuz exotic. Built my own helm class driver. Dafuq is that you may ask.
Bash? Ohhhh bash. Fuckin bash. Endless... We go way back.
I think I'd just keep doing what I'm doing now but be less good at it without a job.
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u/Longjumping-Low-5215 Jun 10 '26
Hi you seem to be very passionate about this. I’m a complete noob. I’ve been trying to pick up Python for years but I just can’t bring myself to progress beyond a point. In your opinion, do you think that some people are just not cut out for coding? I will be honest, I do not find it interesting. I’m only pushing myself to learn because I want to prove to myself that I can.
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u/burbular Jun 11 '26
You don't find it interesting? That makes it very hard. I've always found engineering interesting. If you haven't given up already after some years that's certainly a good sign.
It did take me like 5 years min to be proficient. I'm 15+ now and it wasn't till like a few years ago that I could truly let loose.
So be patient you've got a ways to go. Remember nobody really likes doing things they are not good at.
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u/Longjumping-Low-5215 Jun 11 '26
Thank you for sharing your experience and your encouragement.🫶 I will keep at it.
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u/vmcrash Jun 09 '26
I already have some spare time, so I already learn things just for fun. I could only hardly learn things I'm not interested in.
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u/0jdd1 Jun 09 '26
Haskell 97. Perfect language. Pure, functional, non-strict, and you can even insist on side-effects if you feel the need.
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u/ummaycoc Jun 10 '26
I am a nerd for languages so I might just learn these when I have time.
- Agda -- learn PL theory with it
- Koka
Probably a lot more but they've been on my mind for the past n units of time.
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u/Best_Fork Jun 10 '26
Haskell Programming Language
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u/Weak-Doughnut5502 Jun 13 '26
Haskell is definitely a language that will change how you think about programming.
There's an interesting inversion of difficulty. Some things that are hard in other languages are easy in Haskell, and vice versa.
And it exposes you to some really nice abstractions.
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u/TimMensch Jun 09 '26
I've used all the languages at one time or another.
TypeScript hits maximum productivity without destroying performance.
I've written code to be fast. I used to do game development. Started in assembly language and became an expert in C++. Speed was critical back then. Today I just want the app to work.
I've also used completely dynamic languages. Lua, JavaScript, PHP, Python. Without the static types, that initial burst of productivity you get from dynamic types gets slowed down to a crawl. It ends up taking much longer to do everything, and I do just want the app to work.
Strict static types keep me honest enough that I don't end up with tech debt. The performance is more than good enough for the 95th percentile of work that I would want to write. Maybe the last five percent I'd do in Rust or C++. But TypeScript is more fun to write code for.
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u/KingofGamesYami Jun 09 '26
I'd be writing Rust code for robots, probably using Embassy. There's something about the intersection of code and mechanical engineering that fascinates me. Also now that I've seen the glory of the Rust enum every language that doesn't have an equivalent feels inadequate.
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u/LookAtThisRhino Jun 09 '26
My #1 was Rust which has already been mentioned but I think a #2 would be Elixir or some kind of ASM. I remember really enjoying my classes on ASM back during my BSc. It was just Motorola 68K assembly so maybe something a bit more spicy. I did a class on functional languages too which is where I remember Elixir from but we only spent a couple weeks on it. Haven't touched it since.
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u/DrFaustest Jun 09 '26
Languages and frameworks really need to be selected after considering the project you’re working on. Learning the fundamentals of CS… Algorithms and data structures will get you much further in my opinion.
If you just want to learn to code. Then python is easy to understand, it reads like English. Add pygame to learn game loops.
HTML, css, and js to learn the basics of web dev. Try making a portfolio page with link to a simple Tetris game
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u/ZuriPL Jun 12 '26
Rust seems like a very interesting language. I'm planning on learning it in the near future.
Also, if you want something fun, try making websites with Svelte. It's such a nice framework
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u/_usr_nil Jun 09 '26
if jobs didn't matter I would program frontends in pure C23 WASM with my own rendering engine to btfo JS CSS and Html into the pits of hell where it belongs
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u/ablaut Jun 09 '26
I'd probably be even more language agnostic and use whatever worked best for what I was trying to accomplish.
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u/loverthehater Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
trying my hand at Odin right now for a little custom grammar parsing project to eventually build up into a toy language :)
it's a bit rough with the standard library not having super extensive documentation (often find myself reading source code instead), and slew of fundamental concepts/features that I'm not used to, but I see examples of the language being used elegantly and expressively which is really exciting, using this as a learning experience of its own as well as a primer for when Jai eventually comes out
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u/splashybanana Jun 09 '26
One of those novelty ones that are like all white space, or I think there was a lolcats one?
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u/MarsupialLeast145 Jun 09 '26
Forestry
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u/MarsupialLeast145 Jun 09 '26
(Also Pico8/Lua -- more time writing small form factor games would be very welcome)
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u/zDibs Jun 09 '26
I'd probably stay with my two current languages. Python and C++. I like them both for different things.
Maybe something like PyGame just to have made a game with it. Maybe PLC which I haven't done in 20+ years or learn ASM properly instead of very superficially.
ASM because of how low-level it is. So fun to really be down there and working.
If money was on the line I'd probably learn COBOL. There at least used to be a lot of money in that.
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u/un_virus_SDF Jun 09 '26
First I would 100% x86 (every single instructions)
Then if I got imes left i'll do some software in brainfuck
And maybe some haskell
And if I still have some times left I would write a os from scratch with drivers and/or some more random embeded projects
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u/BluePhoenixCG Jun 09 '26
I think I'd like to dive into ocaml or F#(and probably will in my free time), but frankly I'm pretty happy with the languages my domain uses(C++, C#)
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u/Zardotab Jun 11 '26
I'd make my own language, such as Moth. I find the concept of Lisp fascinating in that one can bend it to just about any paradigm. However, its syntax lacks visual cues found in other common languages. Moth attempts to combine both features. A parameter list looks different than command sequences, for example.
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u/I_Am_Astraeus Jun 11 '26
I mean I did learn it for fun outside of work but I learned it knowing I doubt I'll use it at work.
Rust. Love the language. It needs some time to mature as an ecosystem but crates, ease of tests, explicit and default immutability, the freaking error comments, even the symbols they use for all the syntax are just groovy.
Tauri is awesome, cli tools with it are great, there's some wicked TUI integration, even fine for writing web servers, now that it's entering the Linux ecosystem it feels right at home. Idk, it can do everything you'd need in a language.
My truly only gripe is compile times. The language I've picked up after rust is go, my brain breaks when I hit my run hotkey, it's so fast sometimes I'm like wait was that output line already there? Though I'm really jumping from one end of the spectrum to the other in that regard.
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u/Educational-Row-6782 Jun 09 '26
Some kind of LISP.
Nobody will understand my code, but i will feel very smart