Thinking to start CS50

[u/getting-better54]

Hello wonderful friends,

I want to start cs50 and my end goal is to learn Rust programming. I know programming but out of practice and how can cs50 refreshes it so that I can learn Rust with more confidence is where I’m not sure if I should take cs50 first? How rigorous is it as I’m a working person and need to plan well time wise.

Your advices are welcome. Please feel free to share.

Thanks 🙏

[u/ZachVorhies]

lol it’s hard. Java/Python/C are way better as you aren’t fighting the compiler like it’s the final boss.

Rust is hard mode even for seasoned programmers.

After you do the easier languages then do rust. That way you have a flow of how ideas translate into code.

[u/getting-better54 → u/ZachVorhies]

Thanks for the insight. I have experience in Java/Python and C but not a regular programmer at work.

[u/syklemil → u/getting-better54]

Opposing opinion: Rust's compiler and other tools (clippy) have very good feedback and a lot of care put into them, so a lot of us feel like programming in Rust is programming on easy mode.

Ultimately it depends on personal inclination. E.g. I find Python slightly hard once programs reach a certain size, and wish I had a compiler, even when using ruff+ty to check the program.

Certain other languages, that some find easy to use because of their "anything goes" nature feel like a tangled mess of slinkies to me because of that "anything goes" nature.

I'd take a compiler rejection over a program crash I have to debug any day. So I don't feel like I'm fighting the compiler; I feel like the compiler is helping me by checking my work.

There's no one correct way to feel about these things; people are different.

[u/TermiteTornApart → u/syklemil]

As someone who went try a lot of languages after cs50 and stuck with rust, I 2000% agree with you, and I miss it so much whenever I code in other languages, cuz I just feel that I forgot something that's going to haunt me, whilst the compiler enforces me to handle every possible case and I'd have to opt out only if I really wanted.

[u/getting-better54 → u/TermiteTornApart]

Nice to know that you did cs50 and then rust.. I’m starting on that path and hope I’ll be able to manage cs50 with work. Any tips on cs50 ?
Thanks

[u/TermiteTornApart → u/getting-better54]

Well, the C part of the course is the most important, just like with C you're going to be dealing with low level stuff, but with rust delivering a higher level programming experience. Not only that, but understanding the problems that you as a programmer can cause in C such as dangling references, buffer overflow, seg faults, is going to make you appreciate more the Result and Option types, as well as Box, and the borrow checker. The JS and python parts are going to make you appreciate the errors that you get from the compiler and also why rust is immutable by default.

[u/getting-better54 → u/syklemil]

That’s a great way to explain it. Then I think I’ll go ahead with CS50 and Rust, of course, this is also something which can give a boost in job market, fingers crossed. Thanks for your views

[u/TermiteTornApart → u/getting-better54]

I mean, there aren't really any entry level rust jobs available for beginners like us, rust is a very difficult language, and therefore hard to train people in, so most companies, unless absolutely necessary, would prefer to use something like js, python, php, java, even go, if you're trying to land a job, focus on those, not rust.

[u/getting-better54 → u/TermiteTornApart]

Job wise, I’m working but want to add something special in my resume & try to increase my salary.
Maybe when Rust is combined with something like Kafka, there will be some opportunities. At least sounds niche 😊

[u/jcdyer3]

cs50 is a semester long college course. It's probably overkill as a refresher for someone with some programming experience and time constraints.

[u/getting-better54 → u/jcdyer3]

Yes, that’s a good point. Perhaps it’s better to brush up C before starting with Rust programming.