Building an application, running a server, or even implementing a game needs a programming language as the foundation. There are almost more than 700 programming languages which are the most popular ones and this number will increase day by day. But, you don’t need to learn all of them. Having a good command of anyone is enough for you to grow your career in it. But before choosing your language, make sure it has amazing career growth and you have an interest in it.
When it comes to solving a problem using a programming language, Competitive Programming can’t be ignored. Competitive Programming prepares you very well with the solutions and you also get rewards and cash prizes in return. It helps you in building your logical thinking ability and you also require the use of data structures and algorithms to solve questions of Competitive Programming. It helps in reducing the time and space complexity of the problem thus making the program more efficient. After talking a lot about Competitive Programming, let’s get to know the Top Programming Languages For Competitive Programming.
Top Programming Language For Competitive Programming
The most challenging question we all face today is which programming language should be used to learn Competitive Programming? Let’s take a look at the top programming languages that you can start with.
Here is a list of the most popular programming languages for Competitive Programming:
1. C language
The C programming language is a powerful general-purpose programming language used to develop operating systems, databases, compilers, and so on. It is the first programming language for a huge number of individuals (including me!). Indeed, it is strongly recommended to start your programming journey with C language as it helps to understand a lot of underlying processes on the ground level, which enhances your fundamental knowledge & boosts your confidence, which further makes it easier for you to learn other high-level programming languages as well.
Features of C Programming Language:
- Procedural Language: Instructions in a C program are executed step by step.
- Portable: You can move C programs from one platform to another, and run them without any or minimal changes.
- Speed: C programming is faster than most programming languages like Java, Python, etc.
- General Purpose: C programming can be used to develop operating systems, embedded systems, databases, and so on.
- Libraries with rich Functions: Robust libraries and functions in C help even a beginner coder to code with ease.
- Rich set of built-in Operators: It is a diversified language with a rich set of built-in operators which are used in writing complex or simplified C programs.
How to Start Competitive Programming with the C Language?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the C language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of C Programming: No matter what type of question you are solving, you need a programming language to implement the concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of C programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in C, such as:
- Basic Syntax in C
- Variables and Data Types in C
- Control Structures (Conditional Statements and Loops) in C
- Functions in C and how to use them
IDEs to Use:
Resources to Learn C Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the C language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
- C Programming Language Tutorial
- C Programming for Beginners – Self Paced
- Data Structures in C Programming
2. C++
C++ programming language is a subset of C which is a very popular object-oriented programming language and also the best choice for DSA. It is used to create computer programs and also can be found in operating systems, Graphical User Interfaces, and embedded systems. C++ allows reusable code and lowered development costs. The main reason behind using it is that it is portable and can be adapted to multiple platforms for which developers prefer to use it for building applications.
Features of C++ Programming Language:
- Object-Oriented: C++ follows OOPs concepts like classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Platform Dependent: The programs written in C++ can be executed on that same operating system, not on any other.
- Memory Management: C++ supports dynamic memory allocation.
- Pointers: C++ supports pointers which are variables that store the address of another variable.
- Rich Libraries: Has sufficient In-built functions which make development easy and quick.
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with C++ Language?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the C++ language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of C++ Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of C++ programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in C++, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in C++
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in C
- Functions in C++
- Basic Syntax in C++
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn C++ Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the C++ language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
3. Java
Java is class-based, an object-oriented programming language that can be used to build applications. It is an independent language that follows the “Write Once, Run Anywhere” principle. DSA with Java is the best way to solve complex problems. Java is the best programming language for DSA due to its advanced features and Java is more beginner-friendly, it also has a garbage collector due to which there’s no need to worry about memory.
Features of Java Programming Language:
- Object-Oriented: Java follows OOPs concepts like classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Multithreaded: Performs multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Platform Independent: Code written in Java can be compiled on any platform be it Windows, Linux, and mac.
- Security: Java programs run inside a virtual machine sandbox and provide security.
- Robustness: Has strong memory management, and exception handling, and also has a garbage collector.
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with Java?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the Java language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of Java Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of C++ programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in C++, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in Java
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in Java
- Functions in Java
- Basic Syntax in Java
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn Java Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the Java language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
4. Python
Python can be considered the best choice for DSA. Python is dynamically typed (no need to declare types)and highly abstracted, it has a very clean and simplistic syntax. To find a solution to any problem, you must first define the solution, analyze it and implement the solution. Since Python has a very simple syntax for writing codes, it’s good for writing algorithms comparatively.
Features of Python Programming Language:
- Object-Oriented: Python follows OOPs concepts like classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Dynamically-Typed: Python gives you the freedom to declare the type of variable during runtime.
- Portable: Python code can be run on different systems such as Windows, Linux, and mac.
- GUI Support: Python supports GUI (Graphical User Interfaces), it gives users the option to interact with the software.
- Extensible: Python is extensible i.e., it can be extended to other languages
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with Python Language?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the Python language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of Python Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of Python programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in Python, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in Python
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in Python
- Functions in Python
- Basic Syntax in Python
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn Python Programming Language
If you want to learn about the Python language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
- Python Tutorial
- Python Data Structures and Algorithms
- Data Structures Using Python Programming – Self-Paced
5. JavaScript
JavaScript is also one of the best options to implement various Data Structures and Algorithms. Since JS is a client-server-based application it’s easy to implement various concepts like Heap, Stack, and Queue. Also, JS is used to make the application interactive hence, you can learn about the fundamentals of JavaScript including arrays, variables, objects, loops, and functions. You can also use JS methods like splice() and object.keys() to access and manipulate data. As JS is a functional language, it is the best and the most appropriate language to learn data structures.
Features of JavaScript Programming Language:
- Object-Oriented: JavaScript follows OOPs concepts like classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Statements Looping: JavaScript allows performing the same operations repeatedly.
- Case Sensitive: It follows a specified UpperCase and LowerCase else, else the output is wrong.
- Dynamic Typing: Variable type is defined on the basis of the stored value.
- Async Processing: Supports promise which enables asynchronous requests (all the requests are processed parallelly).
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with JavaScript Language?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the JavaScript language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of JavaScript Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of JavaScript programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in JavaScript, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in JavaScript
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in JavaScript
- Functions in JavaScript
- Basic Syntax in JavaScript
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn JavaScript Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the JavaScript language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
6. C#
C# is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that has a well-defined class hierarchy. DSA concepts can be applied with C#, it helps you make a single variable hold related data of various data types. Recursion is an important part of designing and understanding certain algorithms. The language is static in nature which means the errors can be easily caught by IDE, thus writing codes becomes easier and quicker.
Features of C# Programming Language:
- Object-Oriented: C# follows OOPs concepts like classes, objects, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction.
- Type-Safe: Java makes the application secure since it can only access the memory location where it has been permitted to execute.
- Interoperability: C# programs can do anything C++ applications can do.
- Scalable: C# is auto-scalable and updatable language.
- Structured Programming Language: C# programs can be broken into sub-parts called functions.
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with C#?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the C# language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of C# Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of C# programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in C#, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in C#
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in C#
- Functions in C#
- Basic Syntax in C#
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn C# Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the C# language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
7. PHP
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server scripting language for building dynamic and interactive webpages. Using PHP, you can collect data, and perform file operations (such as create, open, read, write, and delete). Starting from arrays, strings, and linked lists (doubly or circular), to stacks, queues, trees, and graphs, PHP takes care of implementing all the data structures efficiently with minimum time and space complexities. PHP is also object-oriented i.e., you can easily create classes, and perform inheritance. Make sure to have a good grip over the fundamentals of DSA.
Features of PHP Programming Language:
- Simple: It’s a very simple language to learn and very quick in implementing.
- Flexible: You can run PHP scripts on any device (mobile, tablet)
- Cross-Platform Compatibility:
- Case-Sensitive: It follows a specified UpperCase and LowerCase else, else the output is wrong.
- Platform Independent: You can PHP codes on any device and operating system.
How to Start Learning Competitive Programming with PHP Language?
You can follow the following step-by-step method to master Competitive Programming from scratch with the PHP language:
Learn About Fundamental Concepts of PHP Programming: No matter what Competitive Programming concept you are using, you need a programming language to implement those concepts. Hence it is a must to have a fundamental understanding of programming languages. There are some basic concepts of PHP programming that you must know to begin with Competitive Programming in PHP, such as:
- Variables and Data Types in PHP
- Control Structures (Decision Making and Loops) in PHP
- Functions in PHP
- Basic Syntax in PHP
IDEs to Use
Resources to Learn PHP Programming Language:
If you want to learn about the PHP language in-depth, you can refer to the following resources:
Resources to Learn Competitive Programming
If you are a beginner in competitive programming and want a complete guide then don’t forget to refer to the following FREE Complete Guide to Competitive Programming.
If you’re looking for problems to practice all sorts of concepts (basics to advanced – arrays, stack, queue, tree, and graph) go through Competitive Programming – Live which provides you ample set of questions to solve and clear your doubts instantly.
You may also follow the following topics to see how to get started with competitive programming and how to master it
- What is Competitive Programming and How to Prepare for It?
- How to Get Started with Competitive Programming?
- Competitive Programming – A Complete Guide
No matter whichever language you choose, Competitive Programming can be implemented using any of these. It depends on the language you’re comfortable with and have a good command over. Happy Coding!!!
