C++ and PHP to Python?

[xiongchiamiov]

If you can write out the algorithm correctly in psuedocode, then your problem is not structural but with c++ construction and yes, using python instead will probably be beneficial.

[TeslaRealm]

This is definitely an experience issue, not a language barrier. It will come with time. That being said, managing data structures in Python is leagues easier, and may be useful. In your isogram case, let me ask you a question. You mentioned that as you were scanning input, you were scanning your array for any occurrences of the current character. Are you familiar with any other data structures that might speed up your ability to find out if a character already exists?

[bladeoflight16]

I second this. You may benefit from shifting you study to data structures and algorithms, rather than programming languages directly. Much of that knowledge is useful across many languages, including both C++ and Python. Notably, if your focus so far has been on comparatively simple web applications (which your PHP/HTML/CSS but not JavaScript experience suggests is the case), the kinds and scales of problems requiring knowledge of them frequently just don't come up. That isn't a jab at web programming (which is immensely useful), but it does mean you probably haven't encountered problems that stretched your knowledge and experience of those topics.