I'm a beginner in programming and I saw several people saying that it will be easier to learn Python or any other programming language to start by learning the basics (C). Does it really make a difference?
Hey everyone,
I have done a little bit of Python already, but I took a break from it and am deciding if I should continue with it, or try to learn C.
I am an aspiring electrical or aerospace engineer, so I know Python will be helpful for me in that sense. But I also know that learning lower level languages may be better for me if I wanted to do electrical engineering, as well as creating code for microcontrollers for my 3d printed rocket.
I am interested in ai/ml, so I would like to know Python, but I am also interested in electronics, so I’m confused what to start with.
Thank you.
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I am a high school student. I want to become a "good" software engineer in future. I want to learn programming due to my interest in computers and technology. I don't have any specific goal or interest, like web development or any other.
Some say to start with Python, as it will help to start easier, then learn other languages.
Some say to start with C, as it will teach me basics of programming and will make it easier to learn other languages. Python will make it difficult to learn complex languages, like C++, and I will learn bad habits from Python, as it is very easy.
I know I may be wrong, but I don't have much knowledge about programming. Please help me decide between Python and C.
I'm a newbie in programming and i've a roadmap for Data Science that contains learning Python but i've heared i can't start leaning Python without C++ is it true? And which will be better?
In my opinion it's better to start learning Python.
I found it easier to learn then C or C++. It has libraries to do virtually anything you might need, and can do essentially anything.
The only reason to use a more difficult language like C/C++ is if you need the performance or are writing code for an embedded system. They are not, however, what you should be learning initially.
C# is a fine language, but nothing beats Python for ease of use.
The scope of Python is quite broad, here are some examples:
- Create a website (Django, etc.)
- Create scripts to do tasks ranging from image manipulation to server maintenance
- Create GUIs (Tkinter, etc.)
- Create games (pygame)
- Scientific computing (SciPy)
Python can interact directly with arbitrary C code, meaning anything which can be done in C, can be done in Python with a little work. Python is popular enough that an interface has been created for virtually everything already.
For a better look at what can be done with python out of the box, take a look at the standard library which comes with python: http://docs.python.org/library/
In short, if it can be done with a computer, and doesn't require the speed of C/C++, it can be done with Python.
I would say it depends on what you want to achieve (cheesy answer...)
The truth is, learning language is a long process. If you plan on learning a language as a step toward learning another language, you're probably wasting your time.
It takes a good year to be proficient with C++, and that is with basic knowledge of algorithms and object concepts. And I only mean proficient, meaning you can get things done, but certainly not expert or anything.
So the real question is, do you want to spend a year learning C++ before beginning to learn Python ?
If the ultimate goal is to program in Python... it doesn't seem worth it.
I'm fully new to programming and have been doing research on what a good first language to choose is. For the most part, I have seen Python and C. I do plan on learning both but I don't know what to start with. What are the pros and cons of starting with each? Which one trains universal programming skills better? What do you recommend?
I am a senior in high school, and I have already applied & gotten accepted into EE Majors at a few schools. I've taken engineering class for 4 years and have slight experience with robotics but almost zero with coding. I trust that I will learn programming necessary for my career in school, but I want to learn C now to create projects with Arduino. Everywhere I look it seems like Python is the best language for complete beginners, but it doesn't seem to match what I had in mind like C does. Is it worth it to learn Python first? Or should I just go straight to C???
Hi there. I had started to learn Python and then I found a curriculum of MIT and some other sources said that one should learn C and C++ first to be a good developer. Do you think this is really matter what language to learn first? I would like to do it properly in the long term. And what else should I learn from the very beginning except of programming language and math (I learn Calculus)?
Hi everybody, sorry if I’m asking a common question here. As a little background, I’m starting from the ground up in math and science, starting from pre-calculus and chemistry, so it’ll be a while until I get my first CE course in college. Since I have some time until then, I thought it’d be a good idea to get a head start on programming now so I’m not going into everything completely blind later on.
My school’s course seems to focus more on C++, but a lot of people online recommend total beginners to start with Python. Which would be a better place for me to start?
I have frequently read that learning C can give you a great foundation for learning other languages, but I am worried about the time commitment. If my goal is to become an expert in lets say Python, first learning C well enough to be usable may take months or even a year. Is the time commitment to learning C first before other languages really worth it in the end? Especially if you’re trying to get a job with the newer stuff sooner rather than later?
Appreciate any input!
So the reason I say that is I learned some rust and then just jumped to C after deciding to test my hand in embedded.
Now the thing is I had always pushed off learning C after I put 0.1% brain effort into it a couple of years ago and the syntax of the for loops threw my for a loop and nobody gave the (surprisingly simple) execution flow of the for loops so I gave up and went back to learning more python libraries.
Well fast forward to now and I wish I would’ve just bit the bullet and learned C. For the reason that I feel like I just learned programming all over again languages like Python and JavaScript just give you such an abstracted top level view of everything you build these “false narratives” in your head about how things work and treat programming like instructions going in a magic box and giving you what you want l.
So now Ive just been over here unlearning many a many of bad programming practices while I’m learning a whole lot of new ideas.
But the thing is it’s not extremely hard. It just requires you to take things slower and if I would’ve just been a bit more patient back in the day I would probably have had an easier time then than I do now.
So yeah to anyone that’s new I do recommend you try your hand in some compiled language to start off with some stronger fundamentals than I have been left with for 3 years now.
That’s about it, how does anyone else feel about the topic I’m just venting because I wish I hadn’t had Python shoved down my throat by every YouTuber and blogpost and everybody lol.
So i already did a Python course like 1/2 and I'm repeating it As a second programming language , i read on the web that I have to learn C to kind of have a good grasp of what's going on on the lower level
Hi All,
Bit of background first:
I'm 4 weeks into an intensive 9-month bootcamp. It's mostly self-taught with a new topic every week. Students are required to read some resources, then do some self-learning and complete coding tasks (roughly 30 coding tasks a week so far) and then run them through a checker to pass the task. It's supposed to be fulltime study, however I need to work fulltime and can only dedicate after work hours and weekends to study.
The first 3ish months are all in C and I can already see that I'm doing the tasks and not really understanding what I am doing. After C, we learn Python, SQL, Javascript and a few more topics. I have spoken with quite a few past students who have given feedback that the course is intense, it's hard to study and do fulltime work and some have said its best if you have some coding experience before doing the bootcamp. Most students are in class working through the tasks together, while I am mostly doing it by myself.
Lastly, the reason for doing the course is because the school have good networking opportunities and really help with trying to get a job when you finish. At this stage I am unsure if I want to do data analytics or software engineering.
My questions are:
If I am struggling to learn C, should I push through the course and hope I understand things better when learning Python?
Should I stop the course, take a few months to go learn C at my own pace with some free courses and then reenroll in the bootcamp early next year with a better understanding?
Like point 2, but should I go learn Python first to help me understand the concepts better and then maybe do some C, before reenrolling in the bootcamp?
First off I might not have entirely correct ideas as I'm a complete beginner but I'd like some help deciding exactly what language to start with, and any free locations to start that you believe are the best are very much appreciated a lot.
So as it says total beginner. I want to choose C or C++ over python. What I've found looking at a lot C++ vs Python first questions on this reddit is that, Python makes it easier to pick up programming in general, but if you're willing to take the harder start then it's way more beneficial to your long term understanding of coding to learn C/C++ first because your brain solidifies good traits that are really hard to relearn from python.
If any one has any comments on this specific parity that'd be cool. The formatting of Python also seems to be a cheat that isn't as healthy as having your base reference in C/C++'s symbolic referencing over indentation.
My real question because it does seem C style is better for long term than python first and I intend to learn both, is it best to learn C or C++? It appears C and Python are around the same learning time and C++ is way longer than learning C. Should I do C first then Python to get the benefits of understanding C style code with Python's greater utility and universal usage, or should I tough it out and do C++ , which I guess is extended C, then Python? So essentially my perspective is C is much shorter and faster to learn, but C++ has much more use case, despite the fact they both equally prime you for more "close to the metal" thought than high abstract languages like python, what's more worth it first?
Thank you
TLDR; I think the first impression and perspective solidifying advantages of C and C++ beats the ease of introduction with Python for first language, thoughts? And should I learn C or C++ before Python?
Hi all, it’s the same old question, which language should you start with as someone new to the world of programming.
Typical at university level in engineering majors (Electrical Engineering) you are usually taught C. Thats where i got introduced to programming for the first time. But the way universities are structured, it’s not always the best place to learn programming especially in a non-CS major.
Long story short, I find myself with this passion to dive deep and actually understands what programming is not just a language, but as they say, you have to start somewhere, hence the title statement, where do you start from in 2024?
I narrowed down these options as Python seems to be the most beginner friendly language whereas a languages like C/C++ has always been regarded as the languages to under to understand every other language with ease and especially to really understand the “source code” to programming itself.
Appreciate any advice/experiences, thanks!