(C FAQ and C++ FAQ) Should I learn C before I learn C++?

The differences between C and C++ can be found here.

Both Bjarne Stroustrup and C++ FAQ LITE believe it is easier to directly start learning C++.

Reasons are:

C++ is safer [1], e.g. it has increased type safety, which makes the use of Hungarian notation unnesessary.
C++ is more expressive [1]. This is due to that C++ enables Object Oriented Programming.
C++ reduces need to focus on low-level techniques as there are better libraries [1](the STL). E.g. using a std::vector saves you a lot of time managing and writing functions for arrays. See here to make a C analog of a std::stack.
C uses malloc instead of new, the latter being safer [3].
C uses printf instead of cout, the latter being safer [3].
C unnecessary uses type-dependent switch statements, where C++ can solve these using polymorphism [3].
C++ has error-code exception handling, as it supports the keywords try and catch [3].
C++ makes #define macros unnecessary, using template or inline functions [3].
C++ can overload functions with the same name, if the compiler can distinguish them from the functions' arguments.

After having learned the common subset of C and C++, it is easier to find out the trickier parts of C [1,2]. See C++ keywords for a list of C++ keywords and if these have an equivalent in C.

References

1) Bjarne Stroustrup. The C++ Programming Language (3rd edition).ISBN: 0-201-88954-4, chapter 1.2 'Learning C++'
2) http://new-brunswick.net/workshop/c++/faq/how-to-learn-cpp.html, topic [28.2]
3) http://www.research.att.com/~bs/bs_faq.html#prerequisite

last edited (December 24, 2006) by bilderbikkel, Number of views: 2676, Current Rev: 8 (Diff)

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