Choose a Programming Language

For this Course

Course Recommendations for languages to use

• C: Very low level. Allows you to deal with pointers and memory allocation/deallocation, so you feel the data structures and algorithms in your bones. In higher-level languages like Python or Java, these are hidden from you. In day-to-day work, that's terrific, but when you're learning how these low-level data structures are built, it's great to feel close to the metal.
  • C is everywhere. You'll see examples in books, lectures, videos, everywhere while you're studying.
  • The C Programming Language, 2nd Edition
    • This is a short book, but it will give you a great handle on the C language and if you practice it a little you'll quickly get proficient. Understanding C helps you understand how programs and memory work.
    • You don't need to go super deep in the book (or even finish it). Just get to where you're comfortable reading and writing in C.
• Python: Modern and very expressive, I learned it because it's just super useful and also allows me to write less code in an interview.

This is my preference. You do what you like, of course.

You may not need it, but here are some sites for learning a new language:

• Exercism
• Codewars
• HackerEarth
• Scaler Topics (Java, C++)

For your Coding Interview

You can use a language you are comfortable in to do the coding part of the interview, but for large companies, these are solid choices:

• C++
• Java
• Python

You could also use these, but read around first. There may be caveats:

• JavaScript
• Ruby

Here is an article I wrote about choosing a language for the interview: Pick One Language for the Coding Interview. This is the original article my post was based on: Choosing a Programming Language for Interviews

You need to be very comfortable in the language and be knowledgeable.

Read more about choices:

• Choose the Right Language for Your Coding Interview

See language-specific resources here