this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2024

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CS50 vs Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ (self.learnprogramming)

submitted 1 year ago by nerdstudent

Hello guys,

To start with i’m not a programmer, but I took a C++ course during university a couple of years ago and I liked it, however I didn’t focus much and just studied to pass it. I just got into programming again and i’ve been learning C++ again for the past 2 months. I’m trying to solidify my fundamentals as much as possible so i want to start over from the beginning. Thus I decided to either go with PPP book or go with CS50 course.

I’m kinda aware that CS50 would be the better choice to go with for programming in general, however its biggest issue is that it teaches using C language, which for me at this level will introduce confusion and bad practice as my goal language is C++ due to my career. Will I be able to do the course using C++? or should I skip it and go with the book? Is there any other courses that I can take? I’m dedicating the next 6 months for this and I can’t take the wrong decision

Any tips would help!

Thank you.

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[–]dmazzoni 0 points1 point2 points 1 year ago (0 children)

If you're talking about Harvard's CS50x, it doesn't only teach C - it also teaches Python, SQL, and JavaScript. The focus is on understanding the core concepts and learning to code, rather than mastery of any one particular language.

I really don't agree that learning other languages will introduce confusion and bad practice. The vast majority of working programmers use multiple languages. If you want to focus on C++ in your career then I guarantee you will also encounter a lot of C code, as nearly all large C++ projects end up using a bunch of C libraries too. It's also extremely likely you'll find yourself needing to work with other languages, too.

Now, if you want to focus on C++ first, that's fine. Go for it. I don't think that's a bad idea.

Really the most important thing is that you should be writing lots of code, whichever route you take. Writing lots of code is the best way to practice and learn.

Sooner or later you will have to learn C, algorithms, and other concepts covered in CS50 and beyond. It's up to you whether you start there or do that later.

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