Well if i end up prefering to code apps and what not then I wont need html right?

what does "code apps" mean? web apps are apps....

html doesn't exactly take a long time to learn, so i hope you're not trying to avoid it to save time. i already suggested starting with web. beginners usually like it because beginners like to "see" what their code is doing. given a choice between seeing text in a console vs seeing colours and pictures in a browser, most beginners like to go with the visuals.

This post was edited by carteblanche on Oct 12 2016 09:00pm

I'm going to start learning html from codecademy but I just didn't really understand his comparison. Because if in the future I am to not become a web developer then I wouldn't need HTML. Hmm best way I can describe it is if I wanted to create the next avast anti virus, I don't need HTML right?

there are two different mindsets:
1) software engineers understand programming and use different tools to solve different problems. they tend to chase different opportunities and learn different tools over time. they get the best jobs and pay.
2) java developer, web developer, xyz developer. these are people who lock themselves into their comfort zone and don't want to learn anything new. their careers tend to stagnate; they might be doing the same thing for 20 years at the same company.

everyone else in the thread belong to the first. we recognize that "programming" is beyond just syntax or a framework and we strive to learn what's needed to do what we want. if a client comes to us with a problem, we figure out how to solve it.

the reason you don't understand his comparison is because you belong in the second mindset. your mind has already narrowed down that you're gonna do xyz for the rest of your life and you dont wanna hear anything else. you just wanna figure out what it is then learn it and coast the rest of your career. that's perfectly fine. you'll still always keep a job and you won't have problems feeding your family. if that's what makes you happy, then stick with it. a lot of my coworkers are oracle developers and they feel the same way. they keep doing the same oracle code for 10 years and they cringe at the thought of learning any other tool. they're still happy and making 100k+/year so why not?

This post was edited by carteblanche on Oct 12 2016 09:17pm

I didn't know about the first mindset, that sounds like something I would be interested in.