Thread: How well will .net C++ skills aid in learning C?

I can't say anything about "C++.net" but I would say if you are asking this question just to find someone who says "oh yeah it will help" and this will be the excuse you need to start picking up books and learn it... then I say don't wait for that somebody because it doesn't matter. If you have some experience, or even if you have no experience, and want to learn and find it interesting and fun, then that's all you need. Personaly I think C influenced a lot of languages so to me when I look at all programming languages they all look the same to me. Maybe that's somewhat of an exagerration but not much.

Originally Posted by Cron

Guess no response means not much

Actually, it means you're impatient .

Standard C++ in is almost a superset of standard C. That basically means that almost any standard C program will also be a valid standard C++ program. So in that regard, it will help you immensely. There is a lot of C++ syntax that is not valid C, basically all the OOP stuff, exceptions, namespaces, etc. However, almost any C program you see is technically also a valid C++ program, even if it doesn't use classes, exceptions, etc. Thus, if you can read any C++ program, you should be able to read any C program.

The whole .net thing, however, is specific to MS stuff. Also, MS doesn't really support C any more. Yes, their VC++ compiler will compile C programs, but they have made no real effort to keep up with the changes in the C language since the 1990s, so basically .net and C don't go together so much. Certainly, if you program C for embedded devices, Linux, or anything non-MS, then .net is useless. But C++ itself is still very useful.

What it all boils down to is this:
Hypothetically, you learned how to program in college, not simply to use C++.net. The tools were C++ and .net, but that's largely irrelevant. What's most important, is whether you learned to solve problems algorithmically, and whether you really learned the core concepts of programming and computer science that makes language transition easy. If you have those two things, then there should be minimal difficulty in picking up C. Even if you just have the former, it should be easy. Basically, it will boil down to learning the standard C libraries, and learning what syntax is only valid in C++ (remember most C syntax is valid C++, so you know the syntax). That being said, there may be a few tough hurdles, and it will be a bit difficult to break your first-language "bias", and habits of thinking in C++.net, but it's not really that hard.

Originally Posted by anduril462

Actually, it means you're impatient .

Standard C++ in is almost a superset of standard C. That basically means that almost any standard C program will also be a valid standard C++ program. So in that regard, it will help you immensely. There is a lot of C++ syntax that is not valid C, basically all the OOP stuff, exceptions, namespaces, etc. However, almost any C program you see is technically also a valid C++ program, even if it doesn't use classes, exceptions, etc. Thus, if you can read any C++ program, you should be able to read any C program.

The whole .net thing, however, is specific to MS stuff. Also, MS doesn't really support C any more. Yes, their VC++ compiler will compile C programs, but they have made no real effort to keep up with the changes in the C language since the 1990s, so basically .net and C don't go together so much. Certainly, if you program C for embedded devices, Linux, or anything non-MS, then .net is useless. But C++ itself is still very useful.

What it all boils down to is this:
Hypothetically, you learned how to program in college, not simply to use C++.net. The tools were C++ and .net, but that's largely irrelevant. What's most important, is whether you learned to solve problems algorithmically, and whether you really learned the core concepts of programming and computer science that makes language transition easy. If you have those two things, then there should be minimal difficulty in picking up C. Even if you just have the former, it should be easy. Basically, it will boil down to learning the standard C libraries, and learning what syntax is only valid in C++ (remember most C syntax is valid C++, so you know the syntax). That being said, there may be a few tough hurdles, and it will be a bit difficult to break your first-language "bias", and habits of thinking in C++.net, but it's not really that hard.

Haha you remind me of a quote that I forgot to continually apply to life.

Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Even though I was joking when I made the second post

Yea I knew .net was a huge bust after college which is why I am wanting to now pickup C.

I did start learning with Java, then vb.net, then java with C++ (forced to take java with college classes really hate the language it is a true pain the rear to use). I did learn all of the theory,algorithms, boolean algebra, program design, logic statements, loops, the core concepts like you said etc... from an excellent professor who really beat it in my head. Great stuff. C++ also really helped in reinforcement.

So I have no worries about anything, but the language specific differences between C++ and C. I am hoping to in the future, after getting a better understanding of C, to pickup low level ASM to compliment C. That is way in the future, but hey it is my next goal.

I love to write beautiful organized code though. I hate ugly crap where the code is practically unreadable (what a joke!).

The one thing my professor always hammered on is COMMENT THE CODE. Hah... I had a great intro to programming teacher.

Thanks for the response I was just curious ,since C is a lower level programming language than C++, if there was any big differences in how things were handled.


Hopefully in the future I will be able to make some kind of a contribution to the open source efforts, and to linux itself.

You already have a few languages under your belt -> You'll be fine.

The way you approach your project design may have to change, because you may be accustomed to event-driven programs.

Being able to make a program with C++.NET will help you with C a lot more than, say, VB.NET.

The best way to learn is by doing it and watching how others do it. Keep an eye on this forum and see if you can fix other peoples problems as you are learning.