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Java or C ?

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  • 30-03-2002 11:28pm
    #1
    Synkronite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 219 ✭✭


    What are the features of Java and C/C++ -- which would be better to learn -- and what are the downsides of each? :)

    ---
    Thanks


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    #2
    DeadBankClerk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭DeadBankClerk


    pandora's box has been opened :)


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    #3
    phobos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭phobos


    It all depends really...

    If you are new to programming, I recommend you learn C first. Not that Java is more difficult or anything, but by learning C, you are guaranteed a good foundation in programming principles. These are the principles you will be reffering to in nearly ever other language you will pick up thereafter.

    If you have fluent in other similar structured prorgamming languages, then I say go forth and learn Java. But java IMO is best suited to distributed/server side stuff. By choice I don't like writing standalone applications in Java. In the future maybe, with the improved Swing API implemented in jdk 1.4, but for now, I would rather code up such programs in languages such as (dare I say VB), but that depends on what target platform you are developing for.

    ;-phobos-)


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    #4
    Bosco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 219 ✭✭Bosco


    Decide exactly what your first biggish project is going to be and exactly what platform it's going to run on, then learn the language best suited to the job. There's nothing stopping you learning other languages later.


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    #5
    phobos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭phobos


    Originally posted by Bosco
    Decide exactly what your first biggish project is going to be and exactly what platform it's going to run on, then learn the language best suited to the job. There's nothing stopping you learning other languages later.

    That's very true, but don't do that if you're completely new to programming. When learning programming, I don't recommend you learn a language specific to your first project. You should take it much slower than that, and learn a programming language that actually teaches you about programming. At this point I know several languages, but none of them were as difficult as my first, and I know if I had to learn another one in the morning, it wouldn't take me long. I thank that to what C put me through all those years ago.

    Let's say for example you were to write a web application, I would be adivsing you to use Java (if you were experienced, but that's up to you). If you were to write a standalone Windows app, I would be advising VC++ or VB to get the job done. But I recommend you don't touch that first programming project, until you understand simple things like

    The development lifecycle (pondering, coding, compiling, executing) ;)

    At this point none of us here can give you the best advice until you tell us more about your background in programming (if you have any? etc).

    ;-phobos-)


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    #6
    Baz_
    Registered Users Posts: 2,660 ✭✭✭Baz_


    Just have to add my support to phobos suggestion, c is the best language to start with, I started off with VB and it didnt affect me too much :p, but the next year I went on to do C and it teaches you so much more about programming and even computers in general. Its a very good language to start off with, just make sure you have someone to ask questions from when you run into trouble, although youll always have us :p


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