• 0

I need to learn a programming language, which one is easiest out of this list ?


Question

I have a really important job interview coming up in 10 days.
This company contacted me about a year ago, but I had just accepted an offer for a 1 year contract and couldn't back out.
So, I contacted them back, and they are interested still woohoo !

Only problem is, the position they want me for requires some coding - I dont know any.

Which would be easiest for me to submerge in a crash course for the next 10 days?  ( I once heard python is pretty easy)

Java
.NET
Node.js
PHP
Python
Ruby

And I need familiarity in 1 of these:

Git, Perforce, SVN, TFVC

Obviously this job is out of my comfort zone, and I am taking a slight risk, but I am wanting a change - :/

Thanks Everyone

Recommended Posts

  • 0

Do you know any other languages already? If not it's fairly unlikely you'll learn enough for an interview in 10 days.

If you really want to give it a try then stay away from any language that isn't type-safe. :p

  • 0

There's a difference between learning a programming language (such as C# or VB.NET), a framework (such as .Net), and the kind of program types you might be building (such as building desktop software or a web sites/services). So, what do you want to learn?

10 days isn't going to be long enough to get you very far.

  • 0

Python and SVN would be the easiest. The resources online to learn these are abundant.

You can start coding right away and see immediate results without installing anything here: https://repl.it/languages/python3

That said, it's unlikely you can learn enough to gain even basic proficiency in programming in less than 2 weeks. There's much more to it than learning the grammar of any particular programming language.

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 04:24, Eric said:

Do you know any other languages already? If not it's fairly unlikely you'll learn enough for an interview in 10 days.

If you really want to give it a try then stay away from any language that isn't type-safe. :p

Those are the most fun though! :p

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 04:24, adrynalyne said:

Don't know any and you want to know enough to be hired in 10 days?  Good luck, I'll say a prayer for you :)

I'd go PHP myself.


Well, this is just 1 part of the job descrip.  I didnt have anything mention coding in my resume, they knew this - so I am thinking it isnt a dealbreaker - but I would like to be able to answer a couple cursory questions.

  On 29/10/2015 at 04:24, Eric said:

Do you know any other languages already? If not it's fairly unlikely you'll learn enough for an interview in 10 days.

If you really want to give it a try then stay away from any language that isn't type-safe. :p


Honestly Eric, it has been over 20 years since I wrote a program, and it was in Turbo Pascal and I was about 12 years old.  So  - nope!  

 

  On 29/10/2015 at 04:26, virtorio said:

There's a difference between learning a programming language (such as C# or VB.NET), a framework (such as .Net), and the kind of program types you might be building (such as building desktop software or a web sites/services). So, what do you want to learn?

10 days isn't going to be long enough to get you very far.


My role would be to know enough of the language to be able to look at a part of the code, and possibly find the error as a root cause.
My position is a Cloud Support Engineer, so I would be working with Engineers of other large companies when there are problems - identifying problems, and solving them.  Part of a team 

 

  On 29/10/2015 at 04:27, Andre S. said:

Python and SVN would be the easiest. The resources online to learn these are abundant.

You can start coding right away and see immediate results without installing anything here: https://repl.it/languages/python3

That said, it's unlikely you can learn enough to gain even basic proficiency in programming in less than 2 weeks. There's much more to it than learning the grammar of any particular programming language.


Thanks - thats what I heard about Python.


You guys are totally right,  I wont be able to grasp anything but the most basic terms/concepts in 10 days.  I have a hard time learning things I am not interested in (my ADD becomes a real bitch)
But if I can at least immerse myself in it for a week or so, that way - when the 1 hour phone interview rolls around - I wont be stressed as much.  I need to stay positive, in the right frame of mind.



Thanks Guys, I really appreciate it.  I was worried someone was going to be an ass about it telling me there is no way, or "you're doing it wrong"  -or some crap.


Right now, I am just trying to get through to the next interview which is a face-to-face w/ 4 interviewers.  I always interview well, so even if I may not know as much as another candidate - I can BS with the best of them.  (plus I'll find out where the other candidates live and burn their house down) :shiftyninja:

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 04:53, T3X4S said:

Well, this is just 1 part of the job descrip.  I didnt have anything mention coding in my resume, they knew this - so I am thinking it isnt a dealbreaker - but I would like to be able to answer a couple cursory questions.

Honestly Eric, it has been over 20 years since I wrote a program, and it was in Turbo Pascal and I was about 12 years old.  So  - nope!  
 

My role would be to know enough of the language to be able to look at a part of the code, and possibly find the error as a root cause.
My position is a Cloud Support Engineer, so I would be working with Engineers of other large companies when there are problems - identifying problems, and solving them.  Part of a team 

 

Thanks - thats what I heard about Python.


You guys are totally right,  I wont be able to grasp anything but the most basic terms/concepts in 10 days.  I have a hard time learning things I am not interested in (my ADD becomes a real bitch)
But if I can at least immerse myself in it for a week or so, that way - when the 1 hour phone interview rolls around - I wont be stressed as much.  I need to stay positive, in the right frame of mind.



Thanks Guys, I really appreciate it.  I was worried someone was going to be an ass about it telling me there is no way, or "you're doing it wrong"  -or some crap.


Right now, I am just trying to get through to the next interview which is a face-to-face w/ 4 interviewers.  I always interview well, so even if I may not know as much as another candidate - I can BS with the best of them.  (plus I'll find out where the other candidates live and burn their house down) :shiftyninja:

You might want to read up on the different types of errors as well (syntax, logic, runtime, etc).

Are you sure this job isn't language specific? It would help you to find out so that you can get a general idea of how errors look and how to determine their source.

  • 0

Programming is not a language

So given the time frame you should not select a language but instead select the best vehicle - i.e a non-joke Crash Course of some sort.

I guess a language used in Cloudy stuff BigData couldn't hurt such as "R"

 

  • 0

Start by reading this:

http://worrydream.com/LearnableProgramming/

But the instant feedback of the Khan editor might actually be good for some people:

https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming

Poking through Codepen is a useful trip because again it's live:

http://codepen.io/

Microsoft has an "Absolute Beginners" series:

https://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Beginner

And there is a lot of resources from "Hour of Code"

https://code.org/learn

 

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:00, adrynalyne said:

You might want to read up on the different types of errors as well (syntax, logic, runtime, etc).

Are you sure this job isn't language specific? It would help you to find out so that you can get a general idea of how errors look and how to determine their source.


It isnt language specific - but I do remember the syntax, logic errors - so I can at least draw upon something

  On 29/10/2015 at 05:06, DevTech said:

Programming is not a language

So given the time frame you should not select a language but instead select the best vehicle - i.e a non-joke Crash Course of some sort.

I guess a language used in Cloudy stuff BigData couldn't hurt such as "R"

 


I have a list of things to choose from.  I just need to learn a little of one of them.

I did find this great little video - seems pretty helpful.  Flies through stuff, doesnt drill down into too much detail, and covers a bunch of topics.  I think if I can memorize this whole video - I will feel a little more confident about it.


 

  On 29/10/2015 at 05:15, DevTech said:

Start by reading this:

http://worrydream.com/LearnableProgramming/

But the instant feedback of the Khan editor might actually be good for some people:

https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming

Poking through Codepen is a useful trip because again it's live:

http://codepen.io/

Microsoft has an "Absolute Beginners" series:

https://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Beginner

And there is a lot of resources from "Hour of Code"

https://code.org/learn

 



Wow - thanks !
 

  • 0

And sadly (because I think it's BS), be prepared for FizzBuzz because it has captured the tiny little brains of HR people everywhere!

Jeff Attwood brought the FizzBizz solidly into the programming meme-set with this blog entry:

http://blog.codinghorror.com/why-cant-programmers-program/

And so, your chance of getting hit with it is quite high, even though it's trivial to memorize a solution...

This site has the trivial program done in a zillion languages!

http://rosettacode.org/wiki/FizzBuzz

And this guy evolves it through various modern programming styles:

http://www.tomdalling.com/blog/software-design/fizzbuzz-in-too-much-detail/

 

  • 0

find a friend*

who knows how to program, ask them to teach you.

Better find out what they use at your new place of work and start learning that.

I started in javscript/Jquery and then PHP, but for me, PHP really did NOT cerement what I was actually doing,

in other words i was just learning syntax and what works and what does not.

BUT PHP it did not teach me about, Classes, inheritance, instance, Enums, Encapsulation, Interfaces, Domain driven design.... Design patterns.

I learnt all of this from Dot net environment and the language c#.

Visual studio is free and possibly the best coding studio/platform/tool there is.

The language syntax of c# and java.... are so similar!!! if you can code in the one you should be able to in the other.

Again... learn the language and tools which they use...

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:27, DevTech said:

And sadly (because I think it's BS), be prepared for FizzBuzz because it has captured the tiny little brains of HR people everywhere!

Jeff Attwood brought the FizzBizz solidly into the programming meme-set with this blog entry:

http://blog.codinghorror.com/why-cant-programmers-program/

And so, your chance of getting hit with it is quite high, even though it's trivial to memorize a solution...

This site has the trivial program done in a zillion languages!

http://rosettacode.org/wiki/FizzBuzz

And this guy evolves it through various modern programming styles:

http://www.tomdalling.com/blog/software-design/fizzbuzz-in-too-much-detail/

 


Thanks man, I really appreciate the tip

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:31, Seabizkit said:

find a friend*

who knows how to program, ask them to teach you.

Better find out what they use at your new place of work and start learning that.

I started in javscript/Jquery and then PHP, but for me, PHP really did NOT cerement what I was actually doing,

in other words i was just learning syntax and what works and what does not.

BUT PHP it did not teach me about, Classes, inheritance, instance, Enums, Encapsulation, Interfaces, Domain driven design.... Design patterns.

I learnt all of this from Dot net environment and the language c#.

Visual studio is free and possibly the best coding studio/platform/tool there is.

The language syntax of c# and java.... are so similar!!! if you can code in the one you should be able to in the other.

Again... learn the language and tools which they use...



I already have a list in the job description.  And unfortunately, I dont have any friends that code.

I am picking Python because it was in the job descrip.


What is strange, is a year ago when they contacted me, I told them that it was outside of my field of expertise,  that I didnt know any code, but they still wanted to fly me out for an interview.

 

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:06, DevTech said:

Programming is not a language

So given the time frame you should not select a language but instead select the best vehicle - i.e a non-joke Crash Course of some sort.

I guess a language used in Cloudy stuff BigData couldn't hurt such as "R"

 

Ah - debugging.  What Fun.  When I got into it, I had to deal with business mainframe programs (COBOL and FORTRAN), then databases (dBase, then Interbase, then Access and SQL).  Git is not a programming language at all, but a code repository (and any number of programming languages - including those for databases - can use git-style repositories; I have no idea whether COBOL or FORTRAN are among them; however, consider that both started out as mainframe-targeted languages, and both have moved to the GUI - including Windows NT - it wouldn't surprise me one bit that the current iteration of either or both can).

  • 0

Oh I almost forgot.

One of the most irritating parts of learning to program is the complete lack of getting cool visual feedback in the typical text console.

A lot of the links on the code.org site are to languages with visuals "ready to go" just for that reason.

I wanted to make sure I included this note because you mentioned attention problems when learning.

Skipping a couple of C++ variations on this for obvious reasons, I know of these solutions for standard languages:

Java - https://processing.org/

Javascript - http://processingjs.org/

C# - https://channel9.msdn.com/coding4fun/blog/End-of-Summer-Fun-with-FunSharp

---------------------------

On version control the invasion of Git is pretty much complete and universal. It would be insane to look at anything else...

 

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:36, T3X4S said:



I already have a list in the job description.  And unfortunately, I dont have any friends that code.

I am picking Python because it was in the job descrip.


What is strange, is a year ago when they contacted me, I told them that it was outside of my field of expertise,  that I didnt know any code, but they still wanted to fly me out for an interview.

 

 

well then its a no brainier, if Python is on the job spec then learn that.

If they listed all of those you mentioned in the original post, then i would skip this company.

jack of all, master of none. For me just leads to $hitty programming... or you were only required to write 10 lines which i that case it wouldn't matter.

Best of luck.

  • 0

I googled for some system similar to Processing but in Python and all the Python solutions (really quick search of course) looked very very surprisingly awkward.

Then I came across this article:

http://compscigail.blogspot.ca/2012/05/python-vs-processing-as-first-language.html

Very short read and then poke through the comments section with a lot of teachers posting.

It gives one pause for thought that the "easy" in Python might be from the perspective of experienced programmers and not actually for beginners.

Anyways done my best....

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn a programming language in 10 days. As always, should you fail in your mission we will disavow all records of having advised you. These posts will self-destruct in ....

 

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:50, Seabizkit said:

 

well then its a no brainier, if Python is on the job spec then learn that.

If they listed all of those you mentioned in the original post, then i would skip this company.

jack of all, master of none. For me just leads to $hitty programming... or you were only required to write 10 lines which i that case it wouldn't matter.

Best of luck.


Im not required per se to write any of it - just know enough so it isnt complete gibberish if I have to debug it.



The company is Amazon :)

  • 0
  On 29/10/2015 at 05:57, DevTech said:

I googled for some system similar to Processing but in Python and all the Python solutions (really quick search of course) looked very very surprisingly awkward.

Then I came across this article:

http://compscigail.blogspot.ca/2012/05/python-vs-processing-as-first-language.html

Very short read and then poke through the comments section with a lot of teachers posting.

It gives one pause for thought that the "easy" in Python might be from the perspective of experienced programmers and not actually for beginners.

Anyways done my best....

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn a programming language in 10 days. As always, should you fail in your mission we will disavow all records of having advised you. These posts will self-destruct in ....

 


Thank You, Sir.

You are a Gentleman and a Scholar  (and funny)


 

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Then why didn't Apple upstream their feature?
    • Unix is in fact not open source.
    • Microsoft Weekly: a new Surface, big Windows 11 feature update, and more by Taras Buria Image: terski on Pixabay This week's news recap is here with big Windows 11 updates, more apps rejecting Windows Recall, browser updates, welcome pricing changes for Xbox games, a single Windows 11 preview build, and other stories. Quick links: Windows 10 and 11 Windows Insider Program Updates are available Reviews are in Gaming news Great deals to check Windows 11 and Windows 10 Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions. July 2025 non-security updates for Windows 10 and 11 are here, and they bring a pretty hefty list of various changes and new features. Windows 10 received KB5062649, while Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2 got KB5062663 with fixes for file systems, input, networking, printing, and more. The biggest changelog has Windows 11 version 24H2 and its KB5062660 update. It brings a handful of new AI-powered features, Settings improvements, a redesigned BSOD with Quick Machine Recovery, and a lot more. Speaking of AI-powered features, more and more companies turn their backs on Windows Recall, Windows 11's flagship AI thingy. Brave and AdGuard announced that they will block Windows Recall because the feature itself is unsettling, and Microsoft's privacy efforts are not enough. Microsoft is working on a new tool that can help you upgrade from your old computer to a new one. The app can transfer not only settings but also files. In a newly published support document, Microsoft explained how the recently discovered experience works. In this article, we take a closer look at what is coming soon. We also published a big article that explained everything you need to know about the end of Windows 10 support. If you are a Windows 10 user, check it out here to prepare for the inevitable. If your Windows 10 exodus strategy is to switch to Linux, you may find this app useful. It can transfer important data from Windows 10 to Linux. By the way, Windows 10 is not the only Windows version to lose support on October 14. Certain Windows 11 versions will also reach the end of life on that fateful day. Another useful guide that we published this week explains how to disable reserved storage to free some space on your computer. Finally, check out this article detailing Windows Sandbox, a highly underrated feature, and an overview of 10 Windows 10 features that promised a lot but failed to take off. Windows Insider Program Here is what Microsoft released for Windows Insiders this week: Builds Canary Channel Build 27909 Nothing major in this build. The update only adds a couple of fixes here and there. Dev Channel Nothing in the Dev Channel this week Beta Channel Nothing in the Beta Channel this week Release Preview Channel Nothing in the Release Preview this week Recent Windows 11 preview builds were found to contain a welcome audio feature that allows sharing audio to several devices. Just open Quick Settings, click Shared Audio, and select the devices you need. Microsoft has not announced it yet, so stay tuned for official details. Also, Microsoft wants to improve Windows 11 with a new system that detects performance slowdowns and sends diagnostic data to the company. This system is now available in the latest Windows 11 preview builds. For Phone Link users with Android smartphones, Microsoft released some useful updates. The Link to Windows app now has remote controls, allowing you to lock your PC, send files, or mirror your phone's screen. There is also a redesigned UI and a better onboarding experience. Finally, Microsoft is testing a redesigned news feed in Windows Widgets, with Copilot Discover taking over the classic MSN feed, and a new Copilot Appearance feature that adds non-verbal communication to Copilot, enhancing voice conversations with real-time visual expression. Updates are available This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties. Microsoft has a new Surface in its device lineup. The Surface Laptop 7 with Intel's Core Ultra 200 Series processors is now available with optional 5G connectivity. Microsoft said in the announcement post that equipping a laptop with 5G was not just putting a modem inside. Microsoft had to carefully engineer a so-called "dynamic antenna system" that adapts to the environment and ensures the best reception by having six strategically placed antennas. A rather unfortunate event happened to SharePoint this week. Microsoft revealed details about hackers exploiting an unpatched SharePoint vulnerability, which even managed to breach the US nuclear weapons department, and quickly posted detailed guidance about it alongside much-needed fixes. Files, one of our favorite file managers for Windows 10 and 11, received a big preview update with a reworked address bar. The new Omnibar now combines the address bar and search bar, offering users a more intuitive experience alongside other improvements. Meta is making some significant changes to the WhatsApp client on Windows. The messenger is ditching UWP for a progressive web app, which is now available in beta in the Microsoft Store. Firefox received a big new feature update. Version 141.0 is now available with AI-powered tab groups, vertical tab improvements, WebGPU support, and other changes. Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, received some security fixes and contextual capabilities in the Business Chat work tab. Finally, check out a recap of all the new features that Microsoft added to Intune in July 2025, and a crucial data refresh feature for Excel, alongside a highly-requested PivotTable feature. Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting: Microsoft encourages Windows driver development in Rust for better security. Microsoft invests in European languages and culture to build smarter, more inclusive AI. UniGetUI received a massive update with bulk download options. Microsoft CEO finally addressed the recent layoff of 9,000 employees. Microsoft is planning a huge upgrade for Visual Studio. Microsoft Viva Insights boosts Copilot and learning with new reports. Windows 365 received a big RDP upgrade. Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week: Intel 32.0.101.6972 non-WHQL with optimizations for Killing Floor 3, Valorant's Unreal Engine 5 upgrade, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Nvidia 577.00 WHQL with Valorant UE5 upgrade support, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, and more Reviews are in Here is the hardware and software we reviewed this week Robbie Khan reviewed the GameSir G7 Pro, a fantastic Xbox-licensed controller with TMR sticks, excellent software, optical buttons, and premium materials. Steven Parker reviewed the OXS Storm A2, a wireless gaming headset with hybrid ANC. On the gaming side Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more. This week, Microsoft announced some useful gaming updates. The company is now testing cross-device play history on Xbox consoles and PC, which should let players easily jump back into games that support features like Xbox Play Anywhere or Xbox Cloud Gaming, regardless of what platform they are using. Another useful and welcome update is about the future prices of Xbox games. Microsoft made a sudden U-turn and ditched the $80 price tag, which was supposed to arrive with the launch of The Outer Worlds 2. EA has finally announced the next Battlefield game that is coming soon. The first Battlefield 6 trailer shows off a major conflict breaking out across the world, with what looks to be a rogue mercenary group named Pax Armata attacking NATO and its allies. Nvidia announced new games for the GeForce NOW cloud streaming service. The latest additions include Abiotic Factor, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, Barony, He is Coming, SUPERVIVE, Wildgate, and more. Keep in mind that you have to own these games to play them using GeForce NOW. Deals and freebies This week's Weekend PC Game Deals is here with various discounts across multiple stores and a new freebie from the Epic Games Store. The latter is giving away Legion TD 2. Other gaming news includes the following: Ubisoft confirms Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is getting a third-person mode and New Game+ Assassin's Creed Shadows is getting New Game+, level cap increase, and more ahead of DLC launch Valve is redesigning the Steam Store Menu and Search, wants user feedback Frostpunk 2 arrives to Xbox and PlayStation this September, hits Game Pass on day one Great deals to check Every week, we cover many deals on different hardware and software. The following discounts are still available, so check them out. You might find something you want or need. Acer Aspire C27 AIO Desktop - $739.99 | 13% off HP 15.6-inch laptop (model 15-fc0499nr) - $399.99 | 20% off CMF Watch 3 Pro Smart Watch - $79 | 20% off 2TB Crucial P310 NVMe SSD - $149.99 | 38% off 2TB Crucial T710 NVMe SSD - $229.99 | 36% off Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Wi-Fi - $449.99 | 10% off Motorola Edge 2025 - $439.99 | 20% off This link will take you to other issues of the Microsoft Weekly series. You can also support Neowin by registering a free member account or subscribing for extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.
    • A female Jem'Hadar makes no bloody sense whatsoever... They're a male only, genetically engineered, clone species...  Did the idiots making this not watch ANY of DS9, or bother to check a wiki, at ALL? This is going to be crap, isn't it?    
    • Internet Download Manager (IDM) 6.42 Build 42 by Razvan Serea Internet Download Manager (IDM) is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 5 times, resume and schedule downloads. Comprehensive error recovery and resume capability will restart broken or interrupted downloads due to lost connections, network problems, computer shutdowns, or unexpected power outages. IDM integrates seamlessly into Google Chrome, FireFox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer, Maxthon and all other popular browsers to automatically handle your downloads. You can also drag and drop files, or use Internet Download Manager from command line. The program supports proxy servers, ftp and http protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorization, MP3 audio and video content processing. Changes in Internet Download Manager 6.42 Build 42: Updated Chrome extension to support Chrome manifest 3 Fixed bugs Download: Internet Download Manager 6.42 Build 42 | 11.7 MB (Shareware) Links: Internet Download Manager Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Lokmat Rajasthan earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      TheRingmaster earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • First Post
      smileyhead earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      K V earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      K V earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      639
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      241
    3. 3
      Xenon
      177
    4. 4
      neufuse
      155
    5. 5
      +FloatingFatMan
      123
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!