How I Mastered 30 Programming Languages in 25 Years – Lessons & Insights

The author began programming in 1997 at age 12, writing a Logo program on MicroWorlds, then moved to Visual Basic to solve problems in Microsoft Office.

Early Web Development

He bought Sierra Web Artist, learned HTML 3/4, CSS, and JavaScript, spending time making code work in Internet Explorer 4 and Netscape 4, and preferred Netscape, later transitioning to Firefox.

Server‑Side Experience

His first serious server‑side work was VB6 with Microsoft ASP on IIS, followed by self‑studied PHP on Linux (SUSE 7.2) to complement web development.

Formal Education and C/C++

At 17, through a German dual‑track apprenticeship, he encountered C, C++, and C# as .NET emerged in 2002, finding the learning curve steep but eventually mastering them.

Expanding the Language Palette

He later learned ActionScript, AppleScript, Delphi, WML/WMLScript, Objective‑C, Swift, Go, Java, and many others, eventually favoring ten languages: Swift, Go, C, JavaScript, C++, CMake, SQL, Java, C#, and Scratch.

Learning Approach

He emphasizes combining hands‑on practice with structured reading, noting that short intensive study (e.g., 2‑3 days for Go) plus books can solidify understanding, while JavaScript was learned mainly through online docs.

Broader Technical Knowledge

Understanding computer architecture, networking (TCP/IP, IPv4/IPv6, HTTP) and using tools like Wireshark are crucial; reading documentation across platforms (Linux, Windows, BSD, macOS, mobile OSes, Arduino, etc.) deepens insight.

SQL and Databases

He has extensive experience with MySQL, T‑SQL, Oracle PL/SQL, writing stored procedures, functions, triggers, and views, stressing that mastering SQL is essentially mastering relational databases.

Languages and Tools No Longer Used

Languages not touched for over a decade include Objective‑C, Visual Basic, Delphi, Perl, ActionScript, Logo, OpenScript, WMLScript. IDEs retired include Visual Studio 6, Visual C++, Borland C++ Builder 5, Borland C++ 2.0, Borland Delphi, ThinkC/MPW, CodeWarrior, Dreamweaver UltraDev.

Current Toolset

He now primarily uses VSCode, Xcode, and vim for development.

Complete List of 30+ Languages

ActionScript, Arduino, Assembly, Bash, C, C#, C++, CMake, COBOL, ColdFusion, Dart, Delphi, Go, Java, JavaScript, Logo, Objective‑C, OpenScript, Perl, PHP, PL/SQL, PowerShell, Scratch, SQL, Swift, T‑SQL, TypeScript, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic Classic, WMLScript.

Mindset and Motivation

He advises embracing mistakes, balancing theory with practice, and focusing on enjoyable projects; recommends Linus Torvalds’ biography "Just For Fun" for inspiration.

Choosing a Domain

After exploring many languages, he found his passion in mobile computing, developing apps for Android and iOS.

Final Advice

Learn what excites you, stay relaxed, and remember that programming should be fun; avoid being overly hard on yourself and keep learning foundational tools like vim.