research-article

Here we go again: why is it difficult for developers to learn another programming language?

Authors:

Nischal Shrestha,

Chris ParninAuthors Info & Claims

ICSE '20: Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE 42nd International Conference on Software Engineering

Pages 691 - 701

https://doi.org/10.1145/3377811.3380352

Published: 01 October 2020 Publication History

Abstract

Once a programmer knows one language, they can leverage concepts and knowledge already learned, and easily pick up another programming language. But is that always the case? To understand if programmers have difficulty learning additional programming languages, we conductedan empirical study of Stack Overflow questions across 18 different programming languages. We hypothesized that previous knowledge could potentially interfere with learning a new programming language. From our inspection of 450 Stack Overflow questions, we found 276 instances of interference that occurred due to faulty assumptions originating from knowledge about a different language. To understand why these difficulties occurred, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 professional programmers. The interviews revealed that programmers make failed attempts to relate a new programming language with what they already know. Our findings inform design implications for technical authors, toolsmiths, and language designers, such as designing documentation and automated tools that reduce interference, anticipating uncommon language transitions during language design, and welcoming programmers not just into a language, but its entire ecosystem.

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Cited By

Geçitli EYurdakul B(2025)Teaching Programming Through MetaphorsEffective Computer Science Education in K-12 Classrooms10.4018/979-8-3693-4542-9.ch012(319-348)Online publication date: 24-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-4542-9.ch012
Li HRajbahadur GBezemer C(2024)Studying the Impact of TensorFlow and PyTorch Bindings on Machine Learning Software QualityACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology10.1145/367816834:1(1-31)Online publication date: 13-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3678168
Kumar JChimalakonda SBaysal OLinares-Vasquez MMoran KSteinmacher I(2024)What Do Developers Feel About Fast-Growing Programming Languages? An Exploratory StudyProceedings of the 32nd IEEE/ACM International Conference on Program Comprehension10.1145/3643916.3644422(178-189)Online publication date: 15-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3643916.3644422
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Index Terms

Here we go again: why is it difficult for developers to learn another programming language?
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. Empirical studies in HCI
2. Software and its engineering
  1. Software creation and management
    1. Collaboration in software development
      1. Programming teams

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cover image ACM Conferences

ICSE '20: Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE 42nd International Conference on Software Engineering

June 2020

1640 pages

ISBN:9781450371216

DOI:10.1145/3377811

General Chairs:
Gregg Rothermel
North Carolina State University
,
Doo-Hwan Bae
KAIST, South Korea

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Published: 01 October 2020

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Cited By

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https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-4542-9.ch012
Li HRajbahadur GBezemer C(2024)Studying the Impact of TensorFlow and PyTorch Bindings on Machine Learning Software QualityACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology10.1145/367816834:1(1-31)Online publication date: 13-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3678168
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https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3643916.3644422
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