I recently got memed into learning python

...like Excel did for basic data analysis?

it's very likely, if they make it even easier so absolute normies can start using it while pros can modify/edit and share their code with them

It's a very useful language to know and probably a reasonable starting point.
There's generally two approaches to your first programming language.
>learning the language, finding programming knowledge along the way
what you're likely doing
>learning general programming and python just happens to be the language
Much harder, can also be done after you have some familiarity with Python. A good resource, along the lines of the famous SICP book, is at composingprograms.com

A general note on Python: There are some caveats which are hard to grasp if you only know Python. That is true for a lot of high-level languages and should not discourage you. But that's usually the reason many people here will try to push C/C++ onto you.

>it's not a good first language, because it has many mechanisms which manage edge cases for you
>what is BASIC? everyone's first language decades ago
are.. you even trying to make up bullshit excuses? because this is weak as it gets.

>becoming a de facto toolkit for data science
it already is and has been this way for quite a few years.

>de facto toolkit for data science

Already the case.

Is Codecademy any good for learning basics?
If not what else is good starting point?

Then python is without a doubt the best option.

Python uses weak typing but variables have types. JavaScript uses prototyping but python doesn't.

>coping with never having learned C

Julia will take over for this very reason.
You can prototype more quickly, and then incrementally optimize for implementation.

> oh noes! im caught out lying like a fucking moron
> yes, it's all about how someone doesn't know C
I know C. do you? seriously doubt it. imagine being you, this pathetic and a dumb cunt? suicide is your only option. if you're going to make up stories about languages, at least try harder instead of embarrassing yourself.

The Dummies book
but it's best to have a project and just roll with it and use resources for reference

It's easy, it's widely used, it's fucking slow.
The only bit where you get fucked on with Python is performance, but boy do you get fucked.
the ease of Python does mean that something that you can write in ten minutes in Python (and takes like seven seconds to run on your data set, say processing pixels in an image), vs an hour writing the same thing in C++ or C (but it'd take under half a second to run on the same image)

this example wasn't picked out of a had, this is a semi-recent personal experience (probably could have done a C++ version in the same amount of time, but I'd have dropped a bunch of features)

>out of a had
wew, should have been
>out of a hat

>How fucked am I?
Someone might hire you.

Yes, this is exactly what python is for. Check out 'Automate the boring stuff'. Great for automation scripts, terrible for writing applications because of performance and dependency issues.

This is why many python libraries are written in C++. Use python as the glue, C++ based libs to do the heavy lifting.

It is a great combo really.

Funny that I ran into this post. I am looking into learning Python but can not attend any classes due to my FT job. Any recommended online courses or tutorials?

bamp

how long does it learn to automate stuff from scratch?

Python is only good for basic scripts and some AI databases you can steal from github.
Use C++ for everything else.
You can get a python job but they won't give it to you unless you have Bachelor's and 4 years experience.

Codeacademy is good for learning syntax, nothing else.

Stop lying you son of a bitch. I got hired on as a Jr Network Engineer after my 15 years working at McDonalds.

Julia will take over shortly after the human race goes extinct. Stop being an idiot.

It’s pretty much the swiss army knife of programming languages. Good at everything, but not neccesarily the best for anything.

It very much depends on the problem domain.
If you know the basic syntax and semantics of the language, it's primarily about the libraries for the given problem.
Libraries are where Python shines. So it usually doesn't take long to get going automating. People are doing it a lot so you can find good advice online for many problems you might try to tackle.
Most automation is very simple in terms of algorithms so not a lot of programming is required. Unusual/very specialized problems require more programming.

Learn the basics of Python, then do c++. That'll make you a little rounded. Just find projects you want to make.

I've been migrating to python from MATLAB. Some things about python are quite nice, like zero-based indexing and the ability to to index from the end of a list with negative numbers. It's a real pain in the ass to accomplish the same data processing compared to MATLAB though. There are many fewer elegant ways to make complex indices. Also there is a metric shit load of libraries that all have their own data types and require sitting around for hours fucking with data conversion. If you don't mind wasting a lot of time with a dildo in your ass it seems like a very good alternative (and by some metrics, superior) to MATLAB.

how much does the publisher pay you to do this

Learn Lisp.

Hijacking this thread, where is a good online source for C++ tutorials?

I have dabbled in it for years to do some basic math related projects, but I'm worried I have stacks of bad habits.

programming in python its so easy, do not learn about algorithms and shit, the only thing to learn its import , what ever problem you have you just search for the right answer in stack overflow then copy paste the solution and tune it until it seems to work.

>just search for the right answer in stack overflow then copy paste the solution and tune it until it seems to work.
This should be entered as a banner for Jow Forums

Fuck data scientists. They are not scientists and they are not programers.
Fuck data scientists.

Data scientist here, I am a scientist and a programmer :^)