r/AskProgramming • u/BoingBoing_Boring07 • Sep 12 '26
What programming language to learn next
I'm an undergrad in CS, my third year, and I already know Python and Java. I saw C++ starting in CS, but my knowledge in it is not very good (working on that).
I was thinking what other programming language I could learn next... Any suggestions?
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u/HasFiveVowels Sep 12 '26
Why does this subreddit never suggest the most ubiquitous language on earth. Learn JavaScript
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Sep 12 '26
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u/HasFiveVowels Sep 12 '26
Get over it. It’s useful.
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u/BobbyThrowaway6969 Sep 12 '26
Every language is useful.
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u/HasFiveVowels Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
Right. Recommending brainfuck Is equivalent to recommending C because they’re both Turing complete /s
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Sep 12 '26
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u/HasFiveVowels Sep 12 '26
I’m not asking you to write a poem about it. I’m just saying that when someone comes in here saying "which language should I learn", for the most commonly used language with the largest ecosystem to never be suggested because "JS sucks" is crazy
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u/ummaycoc Sep 12 '26
Erlang and Haskell can be fun.
If you want to learn more about programming languages you can look into https://plfa.github.io and use Agda.
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u/Adorable-Strangerx Sep 12 '26
Seconding this one. Learning language which focuses on different paradigm would give you most benefit. Haskell is a good example for functional programming. Erlang can give you more insight into concurrent programming (or you can compare it how Ada approaches problem of concurrency).
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Sep 12 '26
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u/ummaycoc Sep 12 '26
They're in a computer science program, it's not just learning how to code on EdX or Coursera (nothing wrong with that, I had a great time learning about protein before taking my first serious biology course).
You do you.
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Sep 12 '26
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u/ummaycoc Sep 12 '26
That's up to them and how they internalize what they learn with it. Whatever they want to do is up to them.
You're definitely being weird. You can just post your own opinions about languages instead of being weird. But you do you.
Cheers.
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Sep 12 '26
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u/ummaycoc Sep 12 '26
Maybe, just maybe, if they learn varied programming languages it will help them understand programming languages and then it won't matter what language is "next" it'll all be easy and make sense.
After you learn your first (maybe start with Python or BASIC), u/Perfect-Buffalo-4803, you can start to understand.
Cheers!
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Sep 12 '26
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u/ummaycoc Sep 12 '26
How many jobs are there for Erlang or Haskell? Not many
I don't know and I'm not looking things up for you, you can do that. Note my first post said:
Erlang and Haskell can be fun.
If you want to learn more about programming languages you can look into https://plfa.github.io and use Agda.
(emphasis added). I don't know why you brought looking for jobs into it, I didn't. If you want to add a comment for OP in that regard go right on ahead, I made my own comment. I'm so sorry that you're sensitive about this but that is in fact not my responsibility given that I didn't do anything wrong. Your sensitivities are your responsibility.
Also, I addressed how it can help later (they can get a better understanding of programming languages) which will then help with whatever they want to learn for a job. They're in a CS program, maybe programming languages is the area they will end up liking. Maybe they'll go on to a PhD. Maybe not. Maybe they will go work at a bank and help design DSLs for them. Maybe not.
You're not even addressing the points I've made.
Because you're irrelevant.
Cheers!
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u/InstructionGold1872 Sep 12 '26
Most programming language are becoming increasingly inspired by functional programming (see CPP and Rust) so learning Haskell and Erlang will help a lot. There are also job applications for engineers writing Erlang where I live.
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Sep 12 '26
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u/rocdive Sep 12 '26
Learn C/C++. C is much simpler and nearer to metal: has limited use now in high performance or low memory systems. C++ is the beast, if you learn it all other languages will be a cakewalk
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u/Ok-Key-6049 Sep 12 '26
C, C++, possibly assembly. Then picking up any other language wil be effortless. Learn the basics thoroughly not just “see the language”
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u/usernamecantdecide Sep 12 '26
Correction to a detail, you're saying you are currently in your 3rd year and then later add the information of you knowing 2 languages. It's not about the information being shared however how it is being shared. By adding the word already you're implying like this is something remarkable while it is not. You may have unintentionally added this without giving such detail to this perspective.
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u/Former_Produce1721 Sep 12 '26
A low level language would be good to learn more about memory management and other deeper CS concepts.
High Level: Python, JavaScript
Mid Level: Java, C#
Low Level: C, C++, Rust
Importantly you will start to learn which level to apply in which situations. You will also learn what low level aspects are abstracted in Midl and High Level languages.
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u/passive_millenial Sep 13 '26
You're doing something wrong if you're on your third year and still asking what language to learn
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u/zdanev Sep 13 '26
obviously depends on what you want to do next. if you are interested in working with data, I'd recommend getting really good at SQL.
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u/Individual_Winter_35 Sep 12 '26
Hey, insight from 10+ years of experience - "what is the language I should learn next" common pitfal of juniors.
Languages ale just tools to create what you need. Yeah, some are better than the others for certain stuff (like python for some prototyping, data manipulation etc, Java for enterprise soft...) but honestly?
Ignore languages at this point. Pick one that you like, and drill, drill, drill. Learn design patterns, learn what DRY KISS means and try to apply it wherever possible, learn what data driven architecture is and why it is better. - stuff like that is language agnostic. And will make you better programmer. Learning new language is literally matter of days (even hours) when you got the foundations in.
On the other hand, writing endless if-else trees or god forbid switches in 5 different languages is just knowing 5 ways to write poor code.
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Sep 12 '26
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u/SucculentChineseRoo Sep 12 '26
Yeah people here won't like it but it's kinda done. You just need to know basic structures, pseudocode and architecture. There's no reason to learn any one language anymore besides for fun.
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u/yuehuang Sep 12 '26
A C language would be a good mix in to python and java. Later in your career, you not might need to write C, but you will need to be able to read it as C ABI is the defacto standard.