How I started my Python journey

How I started my Python journey — I am sure this is a topic you have heard so many times but I just want to share my experience with you, especially a beginner transitioning into Python programming and to you help make an insightful choice.

Many of you who are reading this article now have probably at some time searched for the word “python”, and thought — what is a website? or how did someone even think or have an idea of how to build something like this. If that was not your trail of thought, that was how mine started.

I was watching a movie one day and I saw how the computer engineers were just typing lines of code and telling the computer what to do, how to do and when to do. It was amazing actually, until I found out it wasn’t as easy as it seems on Tv, sorry to burst your bubbles but they were just typing gibberish on their keyboard.

I started with learning web development to be a full stack developer and build websites I see on the web. I learnt the fundamentals which were HTML, CSS3 and Javascript, they call them journey into frontend development. I finished learning enough and a hand-full of languages in the frontend department, then I told myself it is time to look at the back…backend of the web, behind the scenes if you may call it.

I was at cross roads, I had to choose among several languages which at the time all had their advantages. As someone transitioning from frontend to backend development, node js would be the easy choice because you would be pretty familiar with the language which is javascript.

I searched online ‘what is the best language for backend development’ — the result that came back online was Python. It was simple to use and easy learn, very effective and it a cross platform language. As a beginner I wouldn’t just pick python just like that because it was google tells me. I did research on my own, watch videos on youtube and even tested each of the programming languages for backend development to see which oneI would like better.

It all came down to two languages, Python and PHP. Php is a very high and demanding language, used by big companies like Facebook, Viber, Mint, Hootsuite, and more. There so many php developers out there compared to python developers. With php it was sure I would get a job although they are many competitors out there. I said to my self, let me take a look at python again, then I found out that not only that python is used in backend development it has other uses also. It can be used in Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, Bot Application, Web scraping and crawling, Data Mining, Game Development, Desktop Application and so many more. If I pick python isn’t that better I learn what I want to and still have the other benefits.

In programming or learning in general, there is something called barrier to entry. In lamest terms it is the obstacles or blockades that makes it difficult for a new individual to enter a market. There will come a time when you are learning a programming language and you would want to give up and say “nah this is not for me” whatever made you say that or think that way is one of your barriers to enter that market. I had so many when I started learning python.

I learnt the fundamentals of python programming, it uses and applications. Where one hits a wall is when you come across an error and you don’t know how to fix it. I would be stuck on a problem for weeks making research on how to fix it, I could have just given up but I didn’t. I like the trill, the research of finding a fix to my problem, I tell my self, once you fix this now you would not have to worry about in the future and now I am experienced python programmer with not just knowledge of web development but also Machine learning, Bot Application, Web scraping and crawling and Data Analysis.

In my next article I would tell you how I built my first web application with python programming language.