Side hustle: best programming language to learn?

eastsideTT

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I'm sure there's a lot of coding threads on here - but the ones I've seen are geared more towards long term career choices.

What would be the best language to learn and practice, to potentially pick up some side money or telecommuting coding jobs?

I have a day job that I love (unrelated to coding/tech), but could always use some side income, and would also like to expand my skills because honestly as great as my day job is, I don't feel safe having just one income source.

I have a background in computer programming though. I had a job when I was in HS doing programming (shell scripting, Progress Database, a little C) - took c++ classes and all that as well. So it's not like I'm starting from scratch. this was a long time ago so I'm not fluent in these languages, but I feel like it would come back to me quickly if I got back on it

Everyone says PYTHON but wouldn't that mean the Python market is over-saturated with coders? I see Indian dudes on Fiverr doing stuff in PHP and Python for what looks like little to no money at all.

Any recommendations? What about some languages that aren't as sexy as Ruby, etc... but still in $$ demand like Assembly, regular C, etc... ? Basically what language would have the greatest ROI if I started to do some online classes, got a compiler and started practicing?
 

eastsideTT

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Thanks for the replies guys


SQL. Data science and analytics will get you a top paying job in most markets.

I don't necessarily want a job, just something to help pick up side projects / short term contracts / etc.. so I can supplement my income. I have a good full time 9-5 gig that I really love, but I also have 2 days off during the week - so I'd be available 2 days in the middle of the week, plus downtime, to work on coding etc...
 

McTwerk

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Is it harder to learn than java/phyton?
I'd argue it's easier to learn honestly. Python is fairly easy but to use it as a full fledged dev language isn't trivial. Great to know and easy to read syntax. Java is the hardest of the three. I taught myself to learn how to read java code but I'll be damned if I had to write something in it.

A lot depends on your goals and what you want to do once you learn a language.

My comment on SQL was generic in the sense that the market is short on SQL devs and the demand to fill roles is there. OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is another interesting area imo and is in the data analytics arena.
 

Big Brown Areola

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I'd argue it's easier to learn honestly. Python is fairly easy but to use it as a full fledged dev language isn't trivial. Great to know and easy to read syntax. Java is the hardest of the three. I taught myself to learn how to read java code but I'll be damned if I had to write something in it.

A lot depends on your goals and what you want to do once you learn a language.

My comment on SQL was generic in the sense that the market is short on SQL devs and the demand to fill roles is there. OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is another interesting area imo and is in the data analytics arena.
Me, i just wanna start working and make some money, do you think it's possible to learn the basics in 5-6 months?
 

kevm3

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programming isn't something you do as a 'side hustle'. maybe you could do web design and html/css for a little extra money, but if you want to make any real money doing programming, it's not something to do on the side.
 

McTwerk

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Me, i just wanna start working and make some money, do you think it's possible to learn the basics in 5-6 months?

It's certainly doable if you dedicate yourself to it. Entry level IT for most is help desk/tech support. It would be hard to jump into a senior programming job in any language after only 5-6 months of studying. My advice is to setup a github page and post all your programs there. Even if they are trivial, its something tangible you can include a link to on your resume so potential employers can see what work you've done, what your skill set is, etc. If you adapt to it quickly ave can preset your work, you may be able to land a junior role to start out.
 

Big Brown Areola

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It's certainly doable if you dedicate yourself to it. Entry level IT for most is help desk/tech support. It would be hard to jump into a senior programming job in any language after only 5-6 months of studying. My advice is to setup a github page and post all your programs there. Even if they are trivial, its something tangible you can include a link to on your resume so potential employers can see what work you've done, what your skill set is, etc. If you adapt to it quickly ave can preset your work, you may be able to land a junior role to start out.
I see, i think ill take the a+ cert and then get more into coding. Thanks for the info.
 

null

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Is it harder to learn than java/phyton?

That depends.

Core (ANSI based) SQL is far easier. ANSI SQL is (more or less) wholly declarative. To get around the limitations, difficulties and inefficiencies of this, database providers often have their own SQL extensions (SQL - Wikipedia) and these extension languages are more complex.

Oracle for example has PL/SQL and Sybase (ASE) has Transact-Sql*.
SAP Help Portal
Database PL/SQL Language Reference - Contents

These require some understanding about the database product and environment and means that mastering them involves more work than for example just learning python (only).

When an employer talks about SQL (for data science) they are probably including some form of SQL-extension.

Also Data-Science DB's will not always involve SQL. Look at NO-SQL (NoSQL - Wikipedia) DBs/other forms of Object databases or In memory cubes like Active Pivot from Quartet (which uses MultiDimensional eXpressions - Wikipedia).

*NB. Microsoft SQL server and Sybase ASE have a shared genesis and both share some terms, part of the name etc. For the purposes of this discussion (and life) I am ignoring Microsoft.

Core Java itself is not that complicated but it is getting larger and more complex with each release. The problem with Java is that Java environments/frameworks are complicated. Getting to know Java and an environment well, requires more work than learning SQL+procedural language addons.

Good Java books for fhe fundamentals are Core Java Volume I--Fundamentals: 1 and Core Java Volume I--Fundamentals: 2 - Hortsmann (Java 8 2015/2016)

And after that for enterprise software you will need to various APIs (messaging, service, transaction, security, db etc) which can be large topics in and of themselves and will invariably involve learning other products.

If you have the opportunity to master Java+enterprise software then that is the direction to go in. Javascript is more fiddly but as javascript powers much of the WWW (interfaces and even more these days) if you become very good you will not be short of work for the foreseeable.

Us mainly C++ programmers on the other hand..

--

While I am here.. This is a good talk on the state (merits) of (horrible) JavaScript by its no.1 acolyte -
 

Big Brown Areola

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That depends.

Core (ANSI based) SQL is far easier. ANSI SQL is (more or less) wholly declarative. To get around the limitations, difficulties and inefficiencies of this, database providers often have their own SQL extensions (SQL - Wikipedia) and these extension languages are more complex.

Oracle for example has PL/SQL and Sybase (ASE) has Transact-Sql*.
SAP Help Portal
Database PL/SQL Language Reference - Contents

These require some understanding about the database product and environment and means that mastering them involves more work than for example just learning python (only).

When an employer talks about SQL (for data science) they are probably including some form of SQL-extension.

Also Data-Science DB's will not always involve SQL. Look at NO-SQL (NoSQL - Wikipedia) DBs/other forms of Object databases or In memory cubes like Active Pivot from Quartet (which uses MultiDimensional eXpressions - Wikipedia).

*NB. Microsoft SQL server and Sybase ASE have a shared genesis and both share some terms, part of the name etc. For the purposes of this discussion (and life) I am ignoring Microsoft.

Core Java itself is not that complicated but it is getting larger and more complex with each release. The problem with Java is that Java environments/frameworks are complicated. Getting to know Java and an environment well, requires more work than learning SQL+procedural language addons.

Good Java books for fhe fundamentals are Core Java Volume I--Fundamentals: 1 and Core Java Volume I--Fundamentals: 2 - Hortsmann (Java 8 2015/2016)

And after that for enterprise software you will need to various APIs (messaging, service, transaction, security, db etc) which can be large topics in and of themselves and will invariably involve learning other products.

If you have the opportunity to master Java+enterprise software then that is the direction to go in. Javascript is more fiddly but as javascript powers much of the WWW (interfaces and even more these days) if you become very good you will not be short of work for the foreseeable.

Us mainly C++ programmers on the other hand..

--

While I am here.. This is a good talk on the state (merits) of (horrible) JavaScript by its no.1 acolyte -

:picard: that's so much stuff


I think ill be a bum jobless forever.
 
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