Programming

I like Scala:

• multi-paradigm, you can explore many ways of doing something, within one codebase - arguably the most complex language, if you want, but doesn't have to be: start simply, later scales robustly
• compiles and interoperates with JS, JVM, native
• Scala3 dropped brackets - easily readable like python
• great tooling (recently) - compiler infers so much -> less puzzles / testing
• developed mainly in europe, not controlled by big-tech

Fwiw, here's my interactive climate system model running in pure scala.

When I first ventured into programming, I felt like a complete novice. With no prior experience, diving into the complex world of coding seemed daunting. That's when I stumbled upon full stack development service. These services offered a comprehensive solution, covering everything from front end to back end development. It was like having a guiding hand through the intricacies of programming. With their expertise, I was able to navigate the complexities of software development with confidence. Full stack development services became my stepping stone into the world of programming, helping me transform from a novice into a proficient developer.

If you want something that feels more quirky, go with Lisp.

If you haven't done any Clojure, may be Elixir?

Since you already know Java, you could jump straight to C++ with Bjarne's book "Programming - Principles and Practice Using C++": https://www.stroustrup.com/programming.html

You can then move to more modern C++ with his other book "A Tour of C++": https://www.stroustrup.com/tour3.html

And then if you're curious to know how software design is done in modern C++, even if you already know classical design patterns from your Java experience, you should get Klaus Iglberger's book: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/c-software-design/9781098113155/

In parallel also watch the "Back to Basics" video series by CppCon (see their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CppCon , just type "back to basics" in that channel's search bar).

Learning proper C++ should give you a much better understanding of the hardware while the syntax still remains elegant, and you get to add a new skill that's in very high demand.

• modern PHP (version 8.x with some modern framework like Symfony)
• Typescript
• C#
• C++ (this one's always fun, I recommend the Qt framework since you have a Java background - it would be easier than raw C++)

COBOL

The languages I've been meaning to learn, and do something "meaningful" in, are:

• nim
• erlang (or whatever is the most sensible modern variant)
• lisp (ditto)

I think Rust and C# are the future.

Controversial opinion, but I think Python, Java, VB, and others will become legacy languages. They'll be around for 30-60 years, just like Cobol, but I expect things to settle around other languages.

I tried to get into Python, but always found it boring. Ruby was more my speed because it was inspired by Perl and that's the first language I learned. But Python will likely get you more job opportunities.