Hi there! I’m pretty new to coding and trying to figure out which language to focus on for server-side development. I’m torn between Python (using Django/Flask) and JavaScript (with Node.js).
A bit about my situation:
Already working on frontend stuff like HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript
Want to eventually create complete web applications from scratch
Python feels really clean and easy to read, but I don’t mind diving deeper into JavaScript
Down the road I might get into machine learning or data analysis, where Python seems popular
What’s been your experience with either of these options? Which one would you recommend for someone just getting started? I’d love to hear your thoughts on which route might be smarter, plus any good learning materials you’d suggest!
totally agree! if ur comfy with js, go for node.js. switching between frontend and backend will be super easy. python is cool too, but unless ur into ml right now, js is def the safer pick.
wait, what kind of web apps are you planning to build? that’d help me give better advice. also, how’s your js knowledge? are you comfortable with async/await and promises? if you’ve got those down, they translate directly to node.
I made the switch from frontend JavaScript to Python backend about two years ago - honestly way easier than I expected. Python’s clean syntax killed most of the debugging nightmares I had with JavaScript’s weird type coercion and quirky behavior. Django’s admin panel and ORM are huge time savers. My first full-stack project would’ve taken forever without them. The learning curve wasn’t bad either since Python basically forces you to write readable code. I can actually understand what I wrote weeks later, which is nice. Since you’re thinking about machine learning down the road, Python’s got a massive edge there. TensorFlow, pandas - that whole ecosystem just doesn’t exist for Node.js. Sure, JavaScript everywhere sounds appealing, but Python hits web dev, data science, and automation. Better long-term bet for your skills.