Yuneek

This has been an interesting thread to read, as you all throw in your two cents on the subject.

I have one last question...

Which should I learn first (which would I be able to pick up fastest), PHP or Python?

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brkstf

um, python is an interpreted language, isn't it, not a compiled one? therefore "real" language is not an appopriate title.

and, c++ is a pain in the ass to learn, compared to the vhl languages like perl, python, php, etc. but, if you have a grounding in c++, it makes you a better programmer. c++ will help you with your perl. perl will ruin your c++.

Infinite Recursion

when in doubt learn C#

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"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

uman

yep, I agree

anandt4u

believe me its toooo hard ..atleast for me.

uman

nahhh...

Cerulean

How untrue. Of course it's a "real" language. Check your definitions.
How? I'd say i'm fairly capable in C++ and regularly write applications in it. Knowing how and when to user pointers, how to use the ugly C socket API, etc, hasn't made me a better Python programmer. Only practice has.
Learning your second real programming language is hard as you need to juggle the two different syntaxes in your head at the same time. Bringing the correct syntax/style forward at the correct time is pretty tricky but it gets easier. So i'd say any language can momentarily ruin your fluency in another language. Doesn't mean it's not worth learning another language
Depends on what you're going for. PHP is the minimal-overhead language designed for pre-processing text (hence it standing for 'PHP Hypertext Preprocessor'). I wouldn't use PHP for anything else. Python is a general purpose language that can be used for almost anything. It's a utility language - you can (and I myself do), use it to write web apps, GUI apps, game servers, game clients, etc.

brkstf

learning another language, particularly a very high level lang like perl is VERY useful. i didn't say it was a bad idea. in fact, i program a LOT more in perl than in C++. often, it's the difference between 2 lines of codes and 200.

but, it definitely makes you a lazy coder when you rely on all that loose typing, automatic memory management, and easy I/O.

bottom line is this. if you learn c++ first and move onto perl/php, you'll sigh with great relief and say "man, this is a lot easier." moving in the other direction, you'll say "jesus, this is a pain in the ass." and you're likely to be stuck using your VHL language forever, throwing to the wind the geek points you would have acquired otherwise.

Infinite Recursion

this is true...
doing it the hard way first makes you appreciate the features of your new, abstract language more.

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"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."

massive-war

It all depends on you as a person. Are you willing to learn? Do you like being challenged? Personally I started off wanting to know how to program, so I started learning Liberty Basic. 2 weeks into it, I got extremely bored, because it was so limited and had speghetti code (goto functions).

Thank god for c++. If you like to learn, are eager to learn, and want to spend time on a language, learn c++. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. C++ isn't hard, it's just complex, which leads to overwhemling information at some times. But, if you want to have a language that has become the "unofficial" standard for programming software, games, etc. then go with c++. Other languages that "progress" you into programming are just a waste of time.

If you were to start off with, say, basic, and learned everything and finally moved to c++, the only thing you would bring with you is your ability to think, and knowing the basics, which can be easily covered in a decent c++ book anyway.

Trust me, start off complex, learn a lot, and you'll be surprised on how fast you learn the language. Just remember, practise practise practise.

All other languages are a waste of time

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