Thread: Learn C after C++?

It is my question too!

It's not a bad idea to learn C. There is still code out there that is written in C and they're always looking for people that know how to read and write it. Get very comfortable with C++ to the point that you feel you could get an entry level job with your knowledge in it, then you could break into learning other languages such as Java, PHP, Delphi/Object Pascal and older languages such as C.

as far as i know, C++ is the industry preferred language because
of the portability of OOP, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn
C - the more you know, the more employable you are. my C++
lecture says that he still uses printf from C if he just wants some
nicely formatted output on screen for a console app, but i'll leave
it to the more experienced programmers to determine whether it
is good practice to mix in C stuff with a C++ program - in many
cases it probably isn't. i learned C first and am finding C++ fine
as a result, but the other way around might not be so pretty -
look around the C forum to see how many people have problems
with C memory allocation (C++ is far superior in that respect).
I honestly think that it certainly would not be detrimental to learn
C, just so long as you are clear about the differences. whether
you'll find it useful or not is another matter...

>when I get to know enough of C++, is it wise to then go and learn C?
How do you define "enough" of C++?

>I know C++ is the superset of C
Not anymore, and it hasn't been for quite some time now.

>and has new and better ways of doing things
New, but not necessarily better. Don't fall prey to the hype.

>would I stand a better chance getting a carrer in games programming later on?
Yes. Game programming is an incredibly competitive field, and you can expect to be up against many of the most talented programmers in the world. The more you know, the better off you'll be.

Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon

I've been learning c++ for nearly 10 years now and still learning! Does anyone really get to the point where he/she can say "I've learned all the c++ there is to learn?"

I highly doubt it.

Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon

And there are constantly being invented new ways to use to language.

and this is the reason why. If you've read 'Modern C++ Design' cover to cover and understood all of it, and you can explain everything in Boost, and you can write template meta-programs and understand expresion templates, and know WHEN and WHY to use all these, I guess you can say you've completely mastered C++. I doubt anyone on earth would claim that.

That's not to say you shouldn't branch out and learn other languages though. Personnally I wouldn't recommend C unless you plan to work in the embedded world. Try learning a completely different language like python, lisp or (if you're some sort of masochist) perl.

actually no, don't learn perl.

>I've been learning c++ for nearly 10 years now and still learning!
I've been learning C++ also for nearly 10 years, and I wouldn't claim to *know* half of it, much less have mastered that much.

>Does anyone really get to the point where he/she can say "I've learned all the c++ there is to learn?"
Ah, but there's a difference between "I've learned all the C++ there is to learn" and "Okay, enough is enough". Most of us don't want to learn everything C++ has to offer because we simply won't use it. In cases like that it's practical to determine the point at which you can stop an intensive focus because any more would be wasted effort. Such effort would be better spent learning something we actually intend to use.

What C can do that C++ can't?

>What C can do that C++ can't?
Work on some embedded systems that can't handle C++.

Nothing other than that?

If you look at it that way, you see many instances where C code can do more than the higher-level C++ equivalent.

Where can I see those instances? What are they? I only want to know.
I have a C book that will start reading it after current C++ book.

The main point of C++ is to add amounts of dynamic typing to C. This is done with inheritance and templates. Exceptions (and C's lack of them) are another noticeable difference.

C lets you assign the return value of malloc without demanding a cast. That's generally not construed as a feature or misfeature, it's just a difference (and a reason why C++ isn't a superset of C). And you don't have to worry about exceptions leaving behind leaks. (You do have to worry about catching error codes on return values, though). This is another reason you can't haphazardly mix C code in C++. Neither language gives you magical powers (over your computer) that the other lacks.