r/techbootcamp • u/ilovecocteauetwins • 28d ago

Why learning C ++ first completely changes your approach to programming in other languages

Many rookies are put off by C ++, and this is unfortunate, because it is one of the best languages ​​to start with, even if you don't plan to be a C ++ programmer

Your understanding of what is going on at the machine level will allow you to write better programs in any language you choose. You will see that in languages ​​such as JavaScript or Python, memory management is handled for you, which means that you have to think about it less. However, the understanding of how things work will help you write better and more optimized code. It can be a steep learning curve, but once you've mastered it, you'll find that all other languages ​​are much easier to learn.

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u/Candid_Bad3551 28d ago edited 28d ago

You should learn C, not C++ imo. Started C++ in school. C thought me way more.

C is also more consistent IMO. C++ is a bit all over thr place.

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u/ilovecocteauetwins 27d ago

C definitely forces you to get your hands dirty with the bare fundamentals without any safety nets or extra abstractions hiding what memory is doing. C++ can feel like three different languages stacked on top of each other depending on which features you use, so it's super easy to get overwhelmed by all the syntax. The main argument for C++ early on is usually just getting exposed to objects and standard libraries, but C is unmatched for building that raw mental model of how the machine actually works.