So, you've completed high school and are now contemplating a career in programming. Great choice! But like every aspiring programmer, you're faced with an important decision—which programming language to learn?
Let us be upfront—it’s not an easy choice! With over 250 programming languages available, each serves a unique purpose. Some are designed for game and application development, while others are essential for building websites, programming machines, automating processes, and even advancing IoT technology.
You may already know which programming language to learn, but if you're wondering which ones to avoid, we've got you covered!
Can You Hate a Particular Programming Language?
Much like any other skill, learning programming takes time, patience, and persistence. The real challenge, however, lies in choosing the correct programming language and deciding what kind of software you want to build.
While every language has its strengths, some are feared by programmers due to their steep learning curve, complexity, or outdated nature, making them harder to master and less practical for modern development.
BusinessInsider.com once claimed that;
Some programming languages are known to cause massive headaches for developers. Sometimes it's because these languages are hard to learn. Sometimes it's because they're older and more likely to have bugs in the code or even crash. Or sometimes, writing in a specific language is simply frustrating.
A recent survey of 65,000 users by Stack Overflow made a list of Earth's most dreaded programming languages. So, if you are contemplating learning a new programming language, this will be a handy guide.
10 Most Disliked Programming Languages
Here is the list of the ten worst programming languages ranked from least to worst.
10. R
R is a programming language primarily used for statistical computing and data analysis, widely adopted by statisticians and data miners.
First introduced in August 1993, R is a free, open-source language. While many of its standard functions are written in R itself, C, C++, and FORTRAN are often used to enhance performance, particularly for developing graphs and handling complex computations.
For beginners, learning R may take at least three weeks, while experienced programmers can grasp the basics within a week. However, many seasoned developers find R challenging to learn since its syntax and structure differ significantly from other programming languages.
R is often criticized for its perceived steep learning curve, complex syntax, particularly for those without a strong statistics background, and potential performance issues, especially when dealing with large datasets,
Despite this, R is considered beginner-friendly, as it requires no prior coding experience. As pointed out by r-project.org, one of R's strengths is the ease with which well-designed publication-quality plots can be produced, including mathematical symbols and formulae where needed.
9. Java
Learning Java can be challenging, but it remains one of the most in-demand programming languages with countless practical applications.
Many programmers struggle with Java initially because it requires mastering core concepts such as variables and functions and more abstract principles like objects, inheritance, and polymorphism. These concepts can feel overwhelming at first, but as developers apply them in real-world projects, Java becomes much easier to grasp.
Learning Java can be more intuitive and rewarding for beginners with a strong, logical mindset.
Regarding the popularity of Java, Jack Mannino of nVisium points out,
This may be an unpopular opinion due to JavaScript's immense popularity, but it's often quite a mess to work within reality. The code is unsustainable; it becomes quickly convoluted and hard to maintain.
8. C++
Many programmers find C++ intimidating due to its complex syntax and steep learning curve, making it particularly challenging for beginners.
The frustration often stems from a lack of deep understanding of the language. Additionally, poorly written C++ code can be difficult to debug and maintain, discouraging many from continuing with it.
Despite these challenges, C++ remains the fourth most popular programming language. Its efficiency and high-performance capabilities make it essential for software that demands speed and reliability, such as Adobe products, web browsers, game engines, and system applications.
The benefits of using C++ include portability, object-oriented, multi-paradigm, low-level manipulation, memory management, and extensive community support.
It can be an excellent career choice for aspiring programmers. Don't mind the difficulty!
7. Ruby
Thanks to its clean and concise syntax, Ruby is one of the easiest programming languages to learn. With a strong understanding of blocks and Procs, mastering Ruby becomes relatively straightforward.
Some programmers dislike Ruby due to its slower performance than statically compiled languages like C++. Additionally, it lacks flexibility for adopting new frameworks or building highly customized features.
Despite these drawbacks, Ruby remains a top choice for web development and is widely used in various industries. Its adaptability, continuous testing, and rapid development cycle make it ideal for building scalable and high-quality applications.
This is why Ruby on Rails is still one of the most popular web development frameworks today
6. PHP
PHP is often considered one of the easiest programming languages to learn, yet mastering its full capabilities takes time due to its vast range of features and applications.
With a structured set of coding rules, abbreviations, and algorithms, PHP is a versatile language used across various domains.
However, despite its simplicity, many programmers criticize PHP for its technical inconsistencies, poor design, and security vulnerabilities, making it less appealing compared to modern alternatives.
Still, PHP remains widely adopted, powering over 75% of websites, thanks to its early popularity, extensive community support, and ease of integration with web technologies.
5. C
Did you know that C is one of the world's oldest and most influential programming languages? Developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972, C was designed to power a wide range of computer systems and hardware and became the foundation for many modern programming languages.
Languages like PHP, Java, and C++ borrow heavily from C, yet many programmers prefer C++ over C due to its enhanced features.
However, C is often criticized for its lack of modern capabilities, such as module systems, namespaces, lambdas, automatic memory management, garbage collection, and object-oriented programming (OOP).
Despite its perceived limitations, C remains a critical language, widely used for systems programming, embedded systems, and high-performance computing, proving its enduring relevance in the tech world.
4. Assembly
Yes, Assembly Language bridges high-level programming languages and machine code, making it essential for direct communication with hardware. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn.
Programmers familiar with Assembly often describe it as challenging, as it requires a deep understanding of system architecture, memory management, and processor instructions at the most fundamental level.
Despite its complexity, Assembly remains highly relevant. It is widely used for direct hardware manipulation, performance optimization, and low-level system programming. If you're interested in working closely with hardware or maximizing system efficiency, learning Assembly is a valuable skill.
3. Perl
Perl is not difficult to learn—in fact, you can grasp its fundamentals within weeks.
Many programmers dislike Perl due to its age and declining relevance, especially compared to modern alternatives like Python and Ruby. As a result, younger or less experienced developers rarely work with Perl today.
Once a dominant language, Perl saw its peak popularity fade as newer, more efficient languages took over.
Despite this, Perl remains valuable for prototyping, large-scale projects, text manipulation, system administration, web development, and network programming.
2. Objective-C
As Brent Simmons, a renowned Mac and iOS developer, once said: "Objective-C looks hard because of the [and] syntax and all those words."
Despite its complex syntax, Objective-C is relatively easy to learn quickly. It is primarily used for developing macOS and iOS applications, offering language-level support for object graph management and object literals.
Many programmers dislike Objective-C for its lack of method visibility modifiers, absence of class namespacing, and inefficient importing system.
A common complaint is that Objective-C still feels like "plain old C" with added object-oriented features, making it less appealing than modern alternatives like Swift.
1. VBA
With the right training, anyone can master VBA (Visual Basic for Applications)—a language primarily used for automating and managing Microsoft applications like Excel.
VBA is built into most Microsoft Office programs, allowing users to automate repetitive tasks such as cleaning tables, generating pop-up reminders, and formatting documents.
Despite its practicality, many programmers dismiss it as outdated and limited compared to modern scripting languages.
However, VBA remains a powerful tool for workflow automation and business process optimization, making it an essential skill for professionals working extensively with Microsoft Office.
Conclusion
Which is the most challenging programming language for you? Comment below to let us know. The most commented language will be featured in our next section.
This list is compiled by Searchable Design. We specialize in developing business-centric products such as web applications, websites, and mobile applications.