Are you interested in becoming a web coding specialist? Starting to learn different programming languages but not sure where to begin? In this article, you will learn a few of the different programming languages taught in many vocational school web coding classes and five reasons to learn multiple programming languages.
Multiple Programming Languages
Programming languages are used for controlling the different behaviors of a machine rendering a web application or website. Programming languages must conform to the rules for syntax and semantics. There are thousands of programming languages, and new ones are created all the time. The following are the different programming languages that are taught in vocational school web coding classes.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work together to build interactive web pages. Java, Python, and PHP are the foundations for many different web applications. SQL is used to communicate with a database. These different programming languages have a purpose and specific roles for web coding specialists to create websites and web applications.
HTML – HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It’s a standard system of tagging text files to create fonts, color, graphics, and hyperlink effects on web pages. HTML elements are the building blocks of HTML pages. HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. Web browsers do not display the HTML tags but use them to define the content and render what you see on the web page.
CSS – CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. These are used to control how a web page is presented when it is written in HTML, XHTML, or XML. Along with HTML and JavaScript, CSS is used by most websites to create visually engaging web pages and user interfaces for web applications. CSS is designed to enable the separation of presentation and content on multiple HTML pages by sharing the .css file.
JavaScript – JavaScript is an object-oriented computer programming language used to create interactive effects within web browsers. Used in conjunction with HTML and CSS, JavaScript helps the programmer create dynamically updating content, control multimedia, and animate images.
Java – Java is an all-purpose computer programming language. It is a programming language that developers use to create web applications. Java is designed to run on all platforms that support it without the need for recompilation.
Python – Python is a high-level object-oriented programming language using a syntax that makes the programming language easier to read. It is easy to learn and requires less code to complete basic tasks. Python code can be three to five times shorter than Java.
Python is also an object-oriented programming language like JavaScript, C++, and Ruby and can be a steppingstone to learning these more complicated programming languages. Many mainstream websites use Django (written in Python), including Pinterest and Instagram.
SQL – Structured Query Language is used to communicate with a database. SQL introduced the concept of accessing many records with one single command and eliminates the need to specify how to reach a record.
PHP – PHP is a general-purpose scripting language that is used for web development and can be embedded into HTML.
What Is a Polyglot Programmer?
The term “polyglot programmer” refers to a programmer who knows multiple programming languages. Polyglot programming describes a computer program written in a valid form of many different programming languages.
What Are the Five Reasons to Learn Multiple Programming Languages?
There are five reasons to learn multiple programming languages. Programmers will have greater earning potential; flexibility with the projects they are capable of doing; use of different programming languages which have different applications; knowledge of multiple programming languages that may become more or less popular over time; and expertise in a diverse set of programming ideologies.
It is important to point out that knowing multiple programming languages makes it easier for the programmer to learn new programming languages. After learning the second programming language, the third and fourth become easier as the programmer starts to recognize similarities between languages, syntax, and semantics.
1. Earning Potential
As a programmer who knows many different programming languages, you are more in demand and will have many more opportunities to work on applications than a programmer who knows only a single programming language. You will also have bargaining power to get the most out of each project you work on. You can turn down programming projects that are more difficult or don’t pay the minimum for your services.
As an employee, employers will pay for programmers to learn a new language and may even pay more upfront for programmers who have already proven they can learn multiple programming languages.
2. Flexibility
Your new clients may already be using a specific set of programming languages and want to keep their application or website coding the same. You will have to be a jack of all trades when it comes to different programming languages to work with multiple clients and multiple web applications.
More flexibility means more fun. Instead of doing the same thing over and over, knowing multiple programming languages will mean that your work will come with some variety. This will give you new challenges and keep your mind alert.
3. Different Programming Languages Have Different Uses
Every program has a specific use, and knowing what programming language to use is paramount for a programmer. If you are coding a basic website or application, then using HTML and CSS is important. Adding animation will bring in the use of JavaScript. If the website is attached to a database, then you will need to learn SQL.
Different programming languages have different uses, and you will need to use the right programming language to get the website or application built properly.
4. Programs May Become More Popular
The fact that programmers will need to learn a new language over the course of their careers is almost guaranteed. You don’t want to be stuck as an expert of a programming language that goes out of style. HTML, for instance, is in its fifth iteration, so continuing to keep up with new additions to a programming language is also important.
Once you have learned one programming language the hard work is done. Learning another programming language will be easier because you are already familiar with the first programming language, its syntax, and semantics.
5. Get a Reputation as a Coding Expert
Good programmers not only know code but how to think about different programs and produce efficient code to solve difficulties. Learning Python will teach you how to break apart problems in a traditional object-oriented manner. This will prepare you to solve programs using that approach. Learning JavaScript and how to solve problems with a more functional programming approach will allow you to understand that, as well. The more languages you learn, the likelier you will be able to solve many different problems that comes your way.
Do these five reasons to learn many different programming languages interest you? Are you ready to become a web coding specialist? The Web Application Design and Development program at Hunter Business School transforms beginning computer coding students into entry-level full-stack web developers. The Web Application Design and Development program focuses on the main programming languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, Python, SQL, and PHP.
Contact us today to find out more on how to become a web coding specialist on Long Island.