Programming Languages Are Invented Almost Like Art

You know, sometimes I wonder: where do programming languages really come from? Was Guido van Rossum just minding his business one day, chilling with a pet python, and suddenly thought, “Hey, I’ll name my language after you!” Or maybe Brendan Eich was pondering Java over coffee (a latte with extra foam, I’m sure) when he whipped up JavaScript in just ten days. It’s funny to imagine, but the real stories behind some of these languages are almost as wild as the code they produce.

So, buckle up as we dive into the quirky histories of two beloved languages—Python and JavaScript. You might even start seeing code as art by the end of it!

》Python: A Language Inspired by… British Comedy?

When I first learned Python, I assumed the name had something to do with slithering snakes or maybe some ancient Greek myth. But as it turns out, Guido van Rossum, Python’s creator, actually named it after Monty Python. Yes, that’s right—our beloved, clean, beginner-friendly language was inspired by the British comedy group, Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

In the late 1980s, Guido was working on a project at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands. He wanted a language that was easy to read and fun to work with. So, as a fan of Monty Python, he thought, “Why not name it Python?” I like to think he had a laugh every time he imagined a code error with a rubber chicken in it.

And like any good artist, Guido was specific about his vision. He designed Python to be simple and intuitive—qualities that have made it incredibly popular today. It’s like he took an art canvas and painted a language that anyone, from a novice to a data scientist, could appreciate. (Or maybe it’s more like finger-painting at first—you know, print("Hello, World!")—but hey, everyone starts somewhere!)

》JavaScript: Created in 10 Days (And It Shows!)

Now, if Python’s story makes you think of late-night comedy sketches, JavaScript’s story is more like an episode of The Office. In 1995, Netscape Communications wanted a scripting language for web browsers. They brought in Brendan Eich, who was given an insanely tight deadline of 10 days to create it. Yes, JavaScript, a language we all rely on to run our websites and web apps, was cooked up in under two weeks.

It was originally called Mocha, then LiveScript, and finally rebranded to JavaScript as a marketing move to ride on the coattails of the then-popular Java language. And guess what? Java and JavaScript have about as much in common as cats and dogs. But hey, marketing!

Imagine Brendan sitting there, chugging coffee, making decisions like, “Let’s use double equals and triple equals—why not?” and “What if we made all variables var by default?” JavaScript feels almost like a mad scientist’s art project, and it still shows its quirky personality with features like NaN === NaN returning false. It’s like the Jackson Pollock of programming languages—bold, chaotic, and sometimes incomprehensible.

》Languages Are Crafted Like Art, Not Science

If you look at it, creating a programming language is closer to art than science. It’s a mix of inspiration, deadlines, and a sprinkle of madness. Just like a painter decides on their color palette, programming language designers choose syntax and features that will shape how we code. Each choice, from Python’s indentation rules to JavaScript’s quirky type coercion, reflects the unique vision and (sometimes rushed) thought process of its creator.

And every language has its personality. Python is like that artsy friend who insists on minimalism and whitespace ("No brackets, please—just vibes"), while JavaScript is the unpredictable one who keeps you guessing.

》Why the Art of Programming Languages Matters

Think about it: every time you write code, you’re participating in a kind of art form. We take the brush strokes—the syntax, the libraries, the quirks—and create something entirely new. Python gives us a canvas that feels accessible, while JavaScript hands us an open-world adventure with way too many dragons (yes, I’m looking at you, undefined errors).

For Guido, naming Python after Monty Python wasn’t just a nod to his favorite comedy—it was a way of making programming fun, accessible, and a little less serious. And Brendan, with JavaScript, threw conventions to the wind, creating a language that encourages experimentation (and hair-pulling). Each language is an expression of its creator’s philosophy and their view of what code should feel like.

》Final Thoughts

So, the next time you write console.log or define a function with def, remember the art behind the code. Guido and Brendan, whether they knew it or not, created languages that turned into tools of expression. They gave us more than syntax—they gave us creative freedom, a sense of humor, and, let’s be honest, endless hours of debugging.

And who knows, maybe someday we’ll get a language inspired by rock music or abstract art. Or maybe I'll invent one myself and name it after my coffee mug. But for now, I’ll keep enjoying the quirks of Python and JavaScript, knowing that every line I write is part of a weird, wonderful history😉