re: How many languages should I learn VIEW POST


So I started to learn programming with PHP about 4 years ago. I started with some data processing connecting to some APIs then moved to web with Symfony. If you work in full stack web then javascript is required. For about 3 years I let myself stagnate, per se, in learning new languages and simply learned everything you could do with PHP and js. ES6 and PHP7 came out in that span which added some nice goodies, but for the most part I focused on making PHP and JS better. Added in webpack, abstractions, integrating kafka and plenty of other good things. Then I discovered Typescript and realized I was missing a lot.

While typescript is 98% js it got me thinking and I had the opportunity to pick a new language for a small project. I decided to learn Go while completing the project to give me some experience with a lower level language. Fortunately Go is a very simple language and something you can pick up within a day or two and be really productive within a week.

Since Go felt like cheating a bit I have in the last week or so started a udemy class on modern C++. I will say I understand why Go was made given on how much syntax C++ has comparatively.

Regardless I don't think there is a limit to the number of languages you can learn, going back to an old one you know well will be pretty quick once you get going again. You might forget the argument order of some standard library function, but that's about it in my opinion.

code of conduct - report abuse