I just would like to know whether I should be learning Python or C++ first.
I have already began looking at C++ and I would like to know would it be a better idea to learn python, then explore C++.
Could learning Python benefit me when I delve into the more difficult C++?

Not to sure if I should be posting this in here or somewhere else. If at all. Sorry if this isnt the proper place.

First I would like to say that I think this is not the right place for your question, secund it depends on what your goals with programming is?

C++ and python is quite different from each other so it depends, if you only want to learn some programming for fun and will only do some smaller app that does not need top performance I would recommend you to learn python since it is simply easier and you can get much done with small amount of code. If you would like to do performance tasks like a new game (not just a simple one, a big one game with lots of graphics etc) then C++ is for you, C++ is used for most of the games for PC etc.

Python is easier, C++ is more powerful and complex to understand, so I'm not saying that you should not use C++ but if you don't have any bigger plans you will get more done with python quicker and you don't have to care that much about how things is done, in C++ for example you have to take care of memory allocation etc, that is done automatically in python.

I hope this helped you some!

This post has been edited by Scorpiion: 30 Sep, 2009 - 10:56 AM

Thanks. Python does seem like it could be quite valuable so I am going to continue to read about it.

Okey, I'm glad my post helped you out!

Without anymore information? Definitely Python.

Yes.

Yes, but not because of Python itself, but because you get better as a programmer.

When asked about programming languages, I think many people tend to focus on the languages. That seems to make sense, given how visible the code is. The problem is, the language usually isn't the problem. Look at it from the perspective of people like me who help out others. What do you think most people struggle with? Is it the language? It seems like it.

It's not (in a way). See, programming is about problem solving. It's about facing never seen before problems, and then coming up with a solution. By this definition, claiming that you have a problem in programming because you don't know something is like saying you have a problem with programming because it involves programming...which may actually be the case. Really, what people have trouble with is doing things like breaking down a problem into parts they can tackle, evaluating arbitrary solutions, isolating problems in their code, etc. Notice how none of this is language specific.

So how do you learn these language agnostic skills? By programming in some programming language. This seems to be a contradiction, but the thing is, you can't learn to program without programming. It's why people are told to learn to program by writing countless programs of incrementally increasing difficulty. By practicing and doing over and over and over and over you get better. That's why no one can read their way to competence.

So with that, you want to pick a programming language that requires you to expend the least amount of time in dealing with difficulties arising from the language, and has great tools to help speed up the programming process. C++ is bad not the least because there are alternative toolchains (compilers, IDEs) as opposed to canonical distributions (like Java), distinct varieties of programming styles (programming C++ as C, some modern C++, very modern with Boost, etc.) and a plethora of resources like books, of which the most popular or accessible aren't necessarily good.

It won't matter in the long run. But in the short run, picking a language like Python means that you have a shorter learning curve, you can do more in the same amount of time of learning, and you can focus more on essential skillsets.

It doesn't matter what language you code in. Knowing 1-2 language of different families (i.e. programming languages and scripting languages) is enough to learn any other language of the same family. Programmers made by the ability to program, think about a solution for different problems, come up with idea, not by knowing more languages. Learning a new language is a matter of week-month.

For your question, I would say learn whatever you want to learn, whatever seems more easy, interesting to you. Just not that C++ is a compiling language i.e. it compiles to a byte code that the CPU can run, while phyton is interpretation language (however can be compiled also I think) that need an interpreter to run the code. They both can do similar things. Try to code a simple program at both of them and see what you likes the most. You always can learn the second one later.

Good luck

My very first language was Visual Basic 6.0 (High School)..In college i learned C++ (Computer Sci student) and then learned Visual Basic 6, Javascript, Perl,COBOL, PHP (MIS student) and then independantly i've learned Python, Java, Ruby, and a little .Net.


The point is there is no reason you cant do any language. You just have to have the patience and material (books, PDFs, example code) to learn it.

Good luck



and as for my suggestion...id go with Python..You can learn about just procedural techniques as well as Object Oriented techniques..so its a great starting place. Plus C++ lets you shoot yourself in the foot too much. lol Anyone who has programmed extensively in C++ knows what i mean.

well i heard that python is more for games while C++ is well... more for EVRTHING!

You heard wrong friend. Python IS in games, but it is also in a lot of development tools and software (re)engineering tools as well. Python has a lot of computing power and can do heavy calculations quite fast. C++ is very memory efficient (if written correctly) and CAN produce more acurate results....so basically they even out.

if you dont know programming and you want to teach yourself with the right way then c++

Oler1s said it best. It's not about the language so much as it is about learning how to think like a programmer, and you can do that in just about any language.

If you're just learning to program for the sake of learning to program, of the two, Python will be a better starting point. Again, see Oler1s' post. The learning curve is much gentler than C++, and you'll be able to move from writing the code to seeing the results more quickly (what with not having to explicitly compile it every time you make a change).

Python's a great first language. You can get up and running quickly on pretty much any OS out there trivially, and there are some great resources both online and off.

I have a lot of love for C++ in my heart (as I spent most of my time in it in college), but for just starting out -- it'd work, but not nearly as smoothly as Python will.

Of course, one could argue that you'll get spoiled on all the wonderful things Python gives you that you can't get as easily in C++, but them's the breaks.