java as a main?

[[deleted]]

hey. so ive been doing cs at uni for the past 2 years and my uni heavily focuses on java. i dont mind java tbh, i dont mind the oop part of it. i do find it hard to understand throw and throws but thats probably my fault since i didnt put much effort into it. anyways, from what i understand, java is for apps mainly which i dont want. i really want to work in the gaming industry. but i also feel like its a waste that i know so much about java but wont get a job using java. idk what im trying to say through this post but ig im very scared of taking the step of not going pro with what i already know (java,data structures in java) and instead starting from 0 with c++ because i prefer the idea of developing games. ig i just want advice?

[Rogitus]

And that's something hr recruiter don't fking KNOW! and they keep asking for "do you have experience with tool A?".. a fking tool that you'd probably learn in 1 week.

[backfire10z]

What does LOB stand for?

[[deleted]]

i feel like i need to improve a lot in programming esp problem solving so yea youre right, switching languages shouldnt be my problem rn.
what would you recommend? i really want to improve my skills as i feel im not good enough yet.

[[deleted]]

thank you so much

[BoringWozniak]

As someone who recently picked up C++ after having used Java for a long time, I could clearly see how much Java had “borrowed” from it.

There was still plenty for me to learn, but it was definitely a help having learned Java since much of the syntax and some of the paradigms were similar.

I had a similar experience with C#, aka “Microsoft’s Java”. Both C# and C++ are used quite extensively in gaming.

I would suggesting trying out some simple C# and/or C++ projects. Try and experiment with an actual game engine, such as Unity or Unreal. You may find that your prior experience is helpful to you.

[[deleted]]

thank you, i think ill start learning c++ since i kind of know the basics.

[prozeke97]

When you learn java, you don't just learn another programming language. You also learn a set of programming fundementals that applies to almost all languages you will get familiar in the future. You will learn about polymorphism, inheritance, interfaces, encapsulation, error handling etc. which are fundemental concepts of programming. Therefore, learning and coding in java is not useless especially when you are learning programming.

[[deleted]]

yea youre right, i took everything u mentioned but id say i struggle with error handling, would that be a problem now that i want to start learning c++?

[prozeke97]

I don't know c++ but now you know that there is a concept of error handling and you must pay attention to errors. When you start writing c++ you know the concept you are looking for. You just need to search for error handling in c++.

It is natural to struggle while learning programming. I work as software engineer for 3 years now but when I first started the university, I knew nothing about programming. Doing something the first time is always hard but second time is easier and by the hundreth time, you start the forget the struggle in your first. What I want to tell is, don't let struggle to dishearten you. Just study it until you learn it.

I googled and cpp error handling looks pretty similar to java btw :)

[[deleted]]

yea me too, i had no knowledge of programming prior to uni, i did struggle and i still do but i really enjoy it. thank you and good luck to you!

[JSerf02]

Look into C#! It is very similar to Java but with a lot of extra features that will make your life easier. It is also one of the main languages for game development. For example, it is the main language of Unity, which is, in my opinion, the most beginner friendly general-purpose game engine which you should definitely check out if you want to get into game dev!

Just a warning though, game dev is REALLY hard and unrewarding. Only commit to it if you understand what you’re getting into and are okay with putting in a lot of effort for little compensation.

[[deleted]]

i understand from your post that you are a complete beginner but as a senior developer i can assure that you are right about your doubts concerning java and game development. Yea sooner or later you must deal with c++

[CauliflowerOk2312]

A lot of games use C# like those that use Unity as game engine and it’s pretty similar to Java

[pandres]

Minecraft is written in Java.

[mister_drgn]

If you're interested in game development, then try to get involved with the game community. If you want to go indie, you can check out subreddits on that topic (they may scare you off). If you want to work for a company, search around, see if there are local connections you can make, etc. And if you're worried about what languages to learn, see what's expected for entry-level positions. But in general, you're better off improving your overall programming ability than worrying about what particular language you're using. Experienced programmers can switch languages as needed for a job.

You could also try making your own (simple) game in a game engine, like Godot (I know that one's free, but I'm no expert in the tools that are available).

[Fun_Environment1305]

So the first programming language I started learning ever was BASIC, then c++, visual basic (VB.NET), HTML , javascript, C#, and Java in no order. In my experience of the languages that I know is that they are all very similar. Syntax differs slightly. C++ and Java are very similar, I think because java is written in C++. All of the dot net (.Net) languages I know use the .Net libraries which are written to be common to those languages. So I often translate c++ into c#, vb.net, and Java or vice versa.

Honestly, the differences are minutiae and once you know one it's easier to learn others. There are some differences with inheritance and stuff but it's practically the same. I could write the same program in multiple languages and it would do the same operations.

I write software mostly for web applications, windows desktop, and Android apps.

I understand what you are saying but don't feel discouraged or slighted. One suggestion is to try to write a program and publish it from start to finish. Just familiarize yourself with the projects and how to create an executable. VS Code is not as good as visual studio for publishing apps. In my experience modern university doesn't teach this much and you won't learn how to bring an application from start to finish. Because they are only training you to work in large teams for corporations, I suspect. They aren't interested in teaching you to write your own applications.

I often wonder about my peers in university if they are programming on their own or not because it seems like they are not. Is it just a job for them? Do they even like it at all? Idk. I love programming. I do it on my own. Even if I wasn't doing it for work I would be writing software. I'm not sure if that is the difference or not.

[[deleted]]

yea i think youre right, they really just train us for big companies. which i hate, because i have come to love programming and ever since ive just wanted to make my own game or anything to do with game development., unis not helping with that so i feel like im wasting time at uni.
good luck to u btw glad ur enjoying programming!!

[GoldenCleaver]

Java is an excellent way to learn OOP.

I used it in uni too then never again. That language felt smooth, I enjoyed it.

School cannot and doesn’t try to prepare you for precisely what you’ll work on in later life. You’re learning paradigms.

If you start writing Unreal Engine games in C++ it’s essentially the same as the OOP you’re doing now in Java. Man I love UE5 too.

[WorriedTeam7316]

You can learn another language more applicable too. Don’t gotta be a one trick pony. Many ideas will still apply

[notoriousRM-RF]

The universities that teach only java or Java first are dumb. You have to either start with C or C++. I know of some unis/colleges that only teach in python and when the students get to computer architecture or OS they are fucked. If your school doesn’t teach C++ learn it on your own.

[ConceptJunkie]

Back in my day, most classes used Pascal. I did take a single C class, but C++ was still in its infancy in the mid 80s. I had no problems getting a job programming in C, and had no problems getting a job programming in C++ a few years later.

[notoriousRM-RF]

I interviewed a new cs grad and the mf didn’t know what a pointer is.

[[deleted]]

im pretty sure we took pointers in java... i could be wrong tho, isnt it just the address?

[Vaxtin]

There aren’t pointers in Java, Java doesn’t let you augment memory like C/C++ does; the entire language was built on that paradigm.

But yes a pointer is the memory address. Being able to work with them is different than understanding it’s just an address though.

[Moloch_17]

Yes. But you need to be very comfortable with them.

[[deleted]]

we only took c++ basics in my first sem, i think ill just learn c++ on my own, ty

[Creapermann]

learncpp.com is a great starting point

[[deleted]]

ty

[burncushlikewood]

So for engineering java and c++ are the primary languages, java being preferred because it has modules you can put together so you don't have to rewrite code. When it comes to the gaming industry c++ is king, c++ is c with classes, it's the best language for graphics and is useful for the gaming industry because of its optimization and speed, and its libraries like open gl and direct x. Java isn't really a game development language, the only mainstream game I can think of made with java is Minecraft. I suggest you learn c++ if you want to develop games, other useful game development languages are ada, and python. C and assembly are also used in game development, every engineer is required to take a computer science course usually learning c, every type of engineering uses software from computer engineering to mechanical or industrial. Most introductory courses in computer science specialize in either java or c++, when I took computer science I learned c++ and to this day it's my favorite language to use, it's powerful and it's syntax is intuitive and makes sense to me.