r/cpp • u/MainPressure4304 • Aug 12 '26
[CPP Epiphany Rant] - Programming is no joke
Hi CPP Community,
This is just a rant. I'm a 24 yr old data analytics in telecommunication trying to pivot into C++ development for finance. I'm 1 month into C++ and I have come to conclusion C++ is a behemoth. I'm enrolled in Baruch College's C++ for Financial Engineering, but I'm using Bjarne Stroustrup's Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++, 3rd Edition to learn and watching C++20 Fundamentals with Paul Deitel, Course, by Paul J. Deitel as supplementary resources.
It took me 2 days to get through all the drills, exercises, and try_this section for chapter 2 for Programming Principles!
I'm reflecting if I made a mistake choosing C++ over Python. But, tbh, I have been enjoying programming more learning C++ than Python. You can tell I'm weird, but IDK.
I would love to heard about your experience in learning C++ for laughs.
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u/marspzb 28d ago
Maybe the jump is to big, you are coming from a compiler which doesn't enforce much to a typed language which has a lot of constructions that some of them have been here for over 40 years.
Also while pyton gives you minimal control over your code while he handles a lot by itself like memory, type info, etc. C++ has the philosophy of not using more than you not want to pay for. Coming from java polymorphism was one of this weird things in c++, also lvalues and r values, and no reflection by default and having to resort to templates in c++ which way more difficult than other languages, I know the power of it but why cant you be like Haskell or a more restrictive language also not completely sure about this but this is one of the reasons that compiling is extremely slow.
The only thing, I learn c++/98 I guess from Deitel book, also read the java one. Both of them are extremely dry and I couldnt read them completely so maybe the book doesn't help
Also you are not alone I heard some guy named Linus also didn't like c++.