7 Most Hardest Programming Languages To Learn
It's a lot like starting an artistic journey to learn the hardest programming languages in the world. Imagine that you have a clean board and some simple building blocks. You decide how to turn these things into logical work by mixing parts of science, art, and skill. First, you draw a rough shape of the shape, then you paint the background, and finally, you add all the small details. During this process, you often step back and look at your work with fresh eyes. You may throw away your canvas and start over sometimes.
When you try to learn these hard programming languages, you might get stuck on tricky nodes and complicated code. Learning a language, whether it's very simple or is coding difficult, does take a lot of time and work. It's important to do much study and choose a language that fits with the job path you want to take.
Interestingly, the market worth and actual usefulness of a programming language are not always related to how hard or easy it is to use. When picking a language, think about how easy it is to use and how well it fits your needs. Computer programming is a lot like using query languages and serial statements to make sense of choices. This comparison shows how important it is to approach computing with both a logical and an artistic mind.
What's the Hardest Language to Learn?
Most software engineers know what computer languages like C, C++, Java, and Python are and how they work when we talk about them. But some computer languages are not only hard but also impossible for many people to understand. People call these programming languages "esolangs," which means "hard to learn."
Here is a detailed list of the top hardest programming languages to learn in 2024:
1. C++
C++ is a general-purpose programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of the C programming language. It is used a lot in apps like machine learning, data gathering, making games, and building websites.
In recent years, high-level languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript have become more popular, leading developers to question: Is C++ hard to learn? The quick answer is yes.
Learning C++ is hard because it has a complicated syntax and supports multiple programming languages. It is extremely hard for newbies and even expert coders who need to learn how to use low-level languages. Low-level memory handling is possible in C++. If this is done properly, it can lead to clarity behavior and memory leaks. The C++ Standard Template Library (STL) also has strong high-level ideas that might need help understanding at first.
Even with these problems, C++ is still very popular. There are many job openings for C++ developers, which shows that the language will continue to be useful in the tech business.
1. C++
C++ is a general-purpose programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup as an extension of the C programming language. It is used a lot in apps like machine learning, data gathering, making games, and building websites.
In recent years, high-level languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript have become more popular, leading developers to question: Is C++ hard to learn? The quick answer is yes.
Learning C++ is hard because it has a complicated syntax and supports multiple programming languages. It is extremely hard for newbies and even expert coders who need to learn how to use low-level languages. Low-level memory handling is possible in C++. If this is done properly, it can lead to clarity behavior and memory leaks. The C++ Standard Template Library (STL) also has strong high-level ideas that might need help understanding at first.
Even with these problems, C++ is still very popular. There are many job openings for C++ developers, which shows that the language will continue to be useful in the tech business.
2. Malbolge
It is well known that Malbolge is one of the hardest programming language to learn. Many developers have had trouble understanding and using it. Ben Olmstead created Malbolge in 1998, and it took almost two years to create its first program. This shows how complicated this language is.
The intricacies of Malbolge arise from several unique features:
- Restricted Instructions: The language has a very limited set of commands, making it challenging to perform even basic operations.
- Instruction Substitution: After execution, instructions in Malbolge are automatically substituted, which means the behavior of the program changes dynamically.
- Loadable Data Restrictions: There are stringent constraints on how data can be loaded and manipulated.
Malbolge's code looks messy and often doesn't make sense because of these things. A lot of people think that Ben Olmstead never actually wrote a program that worked in Malbolge. Despite this, Hisashi Iizawa wrote a programming guide in Malbolge and suggested that it be used to protect software by making it harder to understand. The unreadability of Malbolge programs makes them resistant to alteration, adding a layer of security. For example, if Alice gives Bob a program that has been encrypted, it would be very hard for Bob to change the program even if he knew how to decode it.
The name of the language comes from the eighth circle of hell in Dante's Inferno, which is for people who have committed theft. Symbolically, this shows how hard and almost hellish it is to work with Malbolge. Malbolge has been aptly called "a programming language that came from hell," and those brave enough to try to learn it are still challenged and interested in it.
2. Malbolge
It is well known that Malbolge is one of the hardest programming language to learn. Many developers have had trouble understanding and using it. Ben Olmstead created Malbolge in 1998, and it took almost two years to create its first program. This shows how complicated this language is.
The intricacies of Malbolge arise from several unique features:
- Restricted Instructions: The language has a very limited set of commands, making it challenging to perform even basic operations.
- Instruction Substitution: After execution, instructions in Malbolge are automatically substituted, which means the behavior of the program changes dynamically.
- Loadable Data Restrictions: There are stringent constraints on how data can be loaded and manipulated.
Malbolge's code looks messy and often doesn't make sense because of these things. A lot of people think that Ben Olmstead never actually wrote a program that worked in Malbolge. Despite this, Hisashi Iizawa wrote a programming guide in Malbolge and suggested that it be used to protect software by making it harder to understand. The unreadability of Malbolge programs makes them resistant to alteration, adding a layer of security. For example, if Alice gives Bob a program that has been encrypted, it would be very hard for Bob to change the program even if he knew how to decode it.
The name of the language comes from the eighth circle of hell in Dante's Inferno, which is for people who have committed theft. Symbolically, this shows how hard and almost hellish it is to work with Malbolge. Malbolge has been aptly called "a programming language that came from hell," and those brave enough to try to learn it are still challenged and interested in it.
3. Haskell
Learning Haskell, often considered one of the toughest programming languages, typically involves several attempts. It usually takes more than one try to get good at it. Many programmers need help understanding the ideas three or four times before they finally understand them. But once you learn Haskell, you won't want to use any other computer language again!
Haskell is a functional programming language. You can instruct a computer to do a series of steps in an imperative language, and the computer can change states as it goes along. Haskell, on the other hand, focuses on making functions that don't change and composing them. Laziness is one of Haskell's unique traits. It will analyze expressions or compute values once it has to, which is in line with its principle of referential openness. This way of doing things lets programmers see programs as a series of data changes, which makes code behavior more predictable and reliable.
3. Haskell
Learning Haskell, often considered one of the toughest programming languages, typically involves several attempts. It usually takes more than one try to get good at it. Many programmers need help understanding the ideas three or four times before they finally understand them. But once you learn Haskell, you won't want to use any other computer language again!
Haskell is a functional programming language. You can instruct a computer to do a series of steps in an imperative language, and the computer can change states as it goes along. Haskell, on the other hand, focuses on making functions that don't change and composing them. Laziness is one of Haskell's unique traits. It will analyze expressions or compute values once it has to, which is in line with its principle of referential openness. This way of doing things lets programmers see programs as a series of data changes, which makes code behavior more predictable and reliable.
4. INTERCAL
Jim Lyon and Don Woods created INTERCAL in 1972. It is known for being one of the hardest computer languages to learn. In jokes about other computer languages, INTERCAL stands for "Compiler Language With No Pronounceable Acronym." The language has many traits meant to annoy and test coders.
For example, INTERCAL uses words like "PLEASE." The computer will throw out the code because it is "not sufficiently courteous" if the word "PLEASE" is not used enough times. On the other hand, the computer will reject the code for being "excessively courteous" if "PLEASE" is used too many times. As an example of INTERCAL's mocking nature, this silly condition makes it both hard and funny to learn.
4. INTERCAL
Jim Lyon and Don Woods created INTERCAL in 1972. It is known for being one of the hardest computer languages to learn. In jokes about other computer languages, INTERCAL stands for "Compiler Language With No Pronounceable Acronym." The language has many traits meant to annoy and test coders.
For example, INTERCAL uses words like "PLEASE." The computer will throw out the code because it is "not sufficiently courteous" if the word "PLEASE" is not used enough times. On the other hand, the computer will reject the code for being "excessively courteous" if "PLEASE" is used too many times. As an example of INTERCAL's mocking nature, this silly condition makes it both hard and funny to learn.
5. Brainf**k
Brainf**k is a esoteric programming language that was made in 1993 by a Swiss physics student named Urban Müller. The goal when making the language was to make a translator that was as small as possible. Müller got ideas from Wouter van Oortmerssen's FALSE, a similarly simple and hard-to-understand programming language that he made earlier that same year. The programmer Van Oortmerssen, who now works at Google, made FALSE into a Turing-complete language with a very small compiler. Modern computer languages like C++ might need a compiler that is 2.6 MB in size, but the compiler for FALSE was only 1,024 bytes, which is about 2,600 times smaller.
Brainf**k took this simple method even further, making a translator that is only 240 bytes long, which is a million times smaller than FALSE's. There are only eight statements in the language: >, <, +, -, [, ],., and,. Despite being very simple, Brainf**k is notoriously hard to learn and use because it needs a lot of code to do even the most basic things.
For instance, in most programming languages, a simple "Hello, World!" program is typically concise and easy to write. In Python, the code looks like this:
Python code
print("Hello, World!")
However, in Brainfuck, the same program might appear as:
Css code
++++++++++[>+++++++>++++++++++>+++>+<<<<-]>++.>+.+++++++..+++.>++.<<+++++++++++++++.>.+++.------.--------.>+.>.
This complexity is part of what makes Brainf**k one of the most perplexing and difficult programming languages to learn and use effectively.
5. Brainf**k
Brainf**k is a esoteric programming language that was made in 1993 by a Swiss physics student named Urban Müller. The goal when making the language was to make a translator that was as small as possible. Müller got ideas from Wouter van Oortmerssen's FALSE, a similarly simple and hard-to-understand programming language that he made earlier that same year. The programmer Van Oortmerssen, who now works at Google, made FALSE into a Turing-complete language with a very small compiler. Modern computer languages like C++ might need a compiler that is 2.6 MB in size, but the compiler for FALSE was only 1,024 bytes, which is about 2,600 times smaller.
Brainf**k took this simple method even further, making a translator that is only 240 bytes long, which is a million times smaller than FALSE's. There are only eight statements in the language: >, <, +, -, [, ],., and,. Despite being very simple, Brainf**k is notoriously hard to learn and use because it needs a lot of code to do even the most basic things.
For instance, in most programming languages, a simple "Hello, World!" program is typically concise and easy to write. In Python, the code looks like this:
Python code
print("Hello, World!")
However, in Brainfuck, the same program might appear as:
Css code
++++++++++[>+++++++>++++++++++>+++>+<<<<-]>++.>+.+++++++..+++.>++.<<+++++++++++++++.>.+++.------.--------.>+.>.
This complexity is part of what makes Brainf**k one of the most perplexing and difficult programming languages to learn and use effectively.
6. COW
The name "COW" could make many people think of the wrong thing. It's neither a technology that lets you talk to cows nor a Google Translate feature that lets you find out what "MOO" really means. Instead, in 2024, COW was one of the six hardest programming languages in the world to learn.
When it was first made in early 2013, COW got little attention from the software community. But as time went on, it became known as the world's most difficult computer language. After being inspired by the strange language Brainfuck, COW was made with a cow idea in mind.
There are 12 commands in COW, which is four more than in Brainfuck. It is also Turing complete. Interestingly, all 12 directions are just different ways of saying "MOO." This strange and difficult language continues to puzzle and interest developers, confirming its reputation as an interesting and difficult programming language.
6. COW
The name "COW" could make many people think of the wrong thing. It's neither a technology that lets you talk to cows nor a Google Translate feature that lets you find out what "MOO" really means. Instead, in 2024, COW was one of the six hardest programming languages in the world to learn.
When it was first made in early 2013, COW got little attention from the software community. But as time went on, it became known as the world's most difficult computer language. After being inspired by the strange language Brainfuck, COW was made with a cow idea in mind.
There are 12 commands in COW, which is four more than in Brainfuck. It is also Turing complete. Interestingly, all 12 directions are just different ways of saying "MOO." This strange and difficult language continues to puzzle and interest developers, confirming its reputation as an interesting and difficult programming language.
7. Whitespace
Whitespace is a unique and esoteric programming language created by Edwin Brady and Chris Morris. It was released on April 1, 2003, as an April Fools joke meant to show how important unseen characters are in programming. Whitespace is not like other programming languages because it doesn't use visible characters. Instead, it only uses spaces, tabs, and line feeds for its rules. This makes the source code look blank or full of whitespace characters.
Why It's the Hardest:
Invisibility of Code:
Whitespace's main problem comes from how it was made: you can't see the code. Because the code is invisible, it is very hard to understand, modify, and fix because programmers need special tools to see its structure or content.
Syntax Complexity:
Whitespace's syntax is not only unusual but also has many different levels. Spaces, tabs, and line feeds all mean different things, and if you mess up the order in which they appear, it can cause big problems. Because there is no visible input, these kinds of mistakes are more likely to happen, which makes writing accurate code hard.
Lack of Readability:
Maintaining and knowing Whitespace programming is very hard because the code looks like blank space. You have to pay very close attention and remember a lot. It's hard for programmers to remember the exact amount and type of space characters that are used, and they often need to be corrected.
Debugging Difficulties:
Debugging is typically difficult in Whitespace. Standard debugging tools only work if they are made to work with letters that can be seen. To find and fix mistakes in Whitespace programs, you need special processors and debuggers, which makes things even more complicated.
Limited Resources and Community:
Since Whitespace is so obscure, there isn't much information about it, and there aren't many people who use it. This lack of tools can make it even harder to learn and master the language since coders have fewer books and other programmers to turn to for help.
7. Whitespace
Whitespace is a unique and esoteric programming language created by Edwin Brady and Chris Morris. It was released on April 1, 2003, as an April Fools joke meant to show how important unseen characters are in programming. Whitespace is not like other programming languages because it doesn't use visible characters. Instead, it only uses spaces, tabs, and line feeds for its rules. This makes the source code look blank or full of whitespace characters.
Why It's the Hardest:
Invisibility of Code:
Whitespace's main problem comes from how it was made: you can't see the code. Because the code is invisible, it is very hard to understand, modify, and fix because programmers need special tools to see its structure or content.
Syntax Complexity:
Whitespace's syntax is not only unusual but also has many different levels. Spaces, tabs, and line feeds all mean different things, and if you mess up the order in which they appear, it can cause big problems. Because there is no visible input, these kinds of mistakes are more likely to happen, which makes writing accurate code hard.
Lack of Readability:
Maintaining and knowing Whitespace programming is very hard because the code looks like blank space. You have to pay very close attention and remember a lot. It's hard for programmers to remember the exact amount and type of space characters that are used, and they often need to be corrected.
Debugging Difficulties:
Debugging is typically difficult in Whitespace. Standard debugging tools only work if they are made to work with letters that can be seen. To find and fix mistakes in Whitespace programs, you need special processors and debuggers, which makes things even more complicated.
Limited Resources and Community:
Since Whitespace is so obscure, there isn't much information about it, and there aren't many people who use it. This lack of tools can make it even harder to learn and master the language since coders have fewer books and other programmers to turn to for help.
Final Verdict
Learning the hardest programming language might seem like a huge task, but the benefits can be huge. By learning these difficult languages, you not only improve your professional skills, but you also learn more about how technology works and how to solve problems. It doesn't matter if you're interested in the accuracy of Malbolge, the beauty of Haskell, or the flexibility of C++. Learning these languages can greatly improve your computer skills and lead to specific job chances. Remember that the process of learning a difficult language is just as important as the final result. It will give you ideas and skills that will help you throughout your work as a programmer. You should take on the task and let it make you a better and more flexible worker.
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