Bjarne Stroustrup says
Author
Hello all
Bjarne Stroustrup says "The most important thing to do when learning
C++ is to focus on concepts and not get lost in language-technical
details" and "Focus on programming techniques, not on language
features" in his book <The C++ Programming Language>.
I don't follow these.
What does Bjarne Stroustrup actually mean?
He means you should focus on the concepts (like inheritance, polymorphism, etc) and understand those. Getting caught up in the specific syntax of how to use those concepts is trivial once you understand the concepts themselves.
Which is why I so often say that C++ isn't the best language for a beginning programmer to start with. You spend so much time trying to get the syntax right and mucking with the low-level details that people claim make the strength of C++ that, in the process, you end up forgetting to learn how to program.
Granted, thanks to things like std::string, std::vector ... it's not as bad as it is in C, but it's still nowhere as smooth as it is in say, Python, which though it has its own set of quirks, lets you experiment much more easily.
Granted, C++ is an OK language, and worth learning, but as you figured out, learning C++ while you're learning to program isn't a good deal. A "can't see the forest because the trees hide it" kind of thing.
At least you've picked a real C++ book, that will help. [smile]
Granted, thanks to things like std::string, std::vector ... it's not as bad as it is in C, but it's still nowhere as smooth as it is in say, Python, which though it has its own set of quirks, lets you experiment much more easily.
Granted, C++ is an OK language, and worth learning, but as you figured out, learning C++ while you're learning to program isn't a good deal. A "can't see the forest because the trees hide it" kind of thing.
At least you've picked a real C++ book, that will help. [smile]
Quote:Original post by petewood
Python is excellent for beginning, intermediate and advanced programming tasks.
as is Ruby
I actually love python so much... but what I hate is the untyped variable types. (oh wait, thats a strength :P)
Pascal was the first "real" language I used. It seemed like a good language for learning to program (it seemed like it was a lot harder to shoot yourself in the foot, compared to C or C++). Then again, not too many people use it anymore.
But what I think Stroustrup means, is that when you're learning, it should be irrelevant that you're using C++. Concentrate on how techniques work (for example sorting algorithms) rather than how to implement them in C++ (though the implementation is also important) Simple example - you should know how the quicksort algorithm works regardless of the language you're using.
But what I think Stroustrup means, is that when you're learning, it should be irrelevant that you're using C++. Concentrate on how techniques work (for example sorting algorithms) rather than how to implement them in C++ (though the implementation is also important) Simple example - you should know how the quicksort algorithm works regardless of the language you're using.
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