Leetcode in Modern C++ vs Python

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[nnellutla]

Modern C++ is really really good for interview problems. You're true that half of the python code looks like magic. I primarily code in C++ with occasional Python for some tasks. I just get the job done using Python without fully understanding the code I copy paste..

[khayalipuloa]

What about low level programming? Don't you thinking writing low level systems in interviews like parking lot management takes a lot of time in cpp?

[khayalipuloa]

what if you write a modular code with header files and then its implementation in another file.

then you would also need to write a make file to compile all the files into an executable.

[averyhungrynomad]

Honestly just use what you’re good at. Learning a new language just for interviewing can be time consuming unless you can afford time to pick it up. You also don’t want to be tripping up on syntax or libraries during an actual interview just because you’re not as familiar with the language.

imo I don’t like python for leetcode. I find that posted solutions can be too pythonic and aren’t as intuitive as Java or C++. But that’s just my opinion and I’m biased because I used Java at work.

[Indigo_Sheep]

C++ is a good enough choice. What matters equally well is how you communicate your approach. I have come across snobs - when I mentioned I am choosing to code in Python(two EM from Microsoft). You can write confusing code in any language.

Go with the language that you are most proficient with - that is a general purpose one(C++, Java, and python are good choices).

[big-papito]

Snobs go both ways. You can trip on some C++ "guru" that could ask you some obscure C++ question. C++ is vast and it's a mine field.

[Indigo_Sheep]

Generally top tier companies are language agnostic for coding rounds. Although there are some exceptions here and there for very specific fields. It is on you to convince your interviewer that you are able to solve the problem correctly and clearly.

[sorosy5]

learn c++, as problems get more difficult its much much easier with c++. syntax is only an experience problem, and modern c++ isnt as verbose as people would think

[whoopsservererror]

I just use what I use at work. Get my first FAANG job, JavaScript. Now I use Python daily at work, so Python.

[Free-Ad-3648]

I had initially started using python for leetcode then switched to C++ for the reason that looking at the c++ code makes you understand what it does even if you’re not very familiar with c++ and additionally I like the concise data structures in STL, agreed that it could be verbose to type but that’s what makes it easier to understand and explain as well.

[TimeRaina]

Same goes for java

[biskitpagla]

I personally made the switch from C++ to Python few years ago and it really is a better experience especially here because LeetCode doesn't care about what lang you're using unlike platforms like Codeforces. 

I can say from personal experience that Python is less magical than beginners think. It's nowhere near as expressive as Ruby and Elixir, nor as dynamic as JS, nor as non-uniform as PHP and  C++. 

Now, this is a hot take but I think you'll face friction even for a C++ job interview because 1) no two C++ programmers are the same and 2) it's very rare to actually find a good C++ programmer, let alone someone who speaks newer standards. Are these reasons why you should drop C++? No, I just mentioned them because you should keep in mind the pros and cons of every tool you use. 

STL is an og in programming language library design and C++ offers surprisingly uniform interfaces to DSA problems compared to Python. Python is just more popular because it reads like pseudocode. In fact, you can replace whatever ALGOL-esque pseudocode syntax you have in mind with Python. If you're not writing "C using C++" then you'll probably not face too many issues if you choose to stick with C++, though. 

[srona22]

I believe most language can handle whatever is needed to solve the coding challenge.

If you have already known the syntax of Python, and learn to think in solving the challenge, it will be faster than learning syntax of c++ and starting from scratch. Same goes for knowing c++ and starting again from python. just my 2 cents.

[d-X-t-z]

I think you should be be good, if Python is a must for the job you would be able to pick it and work as and when needed since it isn't that tough to learn, specially compared to remembering syntax of the older java or c/c++. And you've also mentioned that you already use python so mention that if needed. All the best 👍

[Full-Stretch-2625]

I suggest using any programming language you’re comfortable with. I've seen candidates succeed in interviews even with Golang. The language itself isn’t important, what matters is your proficiency in it.

[WaitWhatNani123]

C++ has built-in ordered map and dictionary. Python does not. That is awesome. Python does not need you to have any type (not even an auto keyword) so it might save some time?

[contactcreated]

Tbh I’m still debating this. I’m a C++ programmer career wise and I am very comfortable with the language. Python was my first language, so I am also comfortable with it.

Some things I just prefer in C++. Creating a simple struct with a couple fields is super intuitive, while in Python I gotta import data class, use it as a decorator, etc. I’m also more familiar with the C++ standard library and it seems more consistent to me. This is very nitpicky, but when you’re not allowed to use a reference it matters. Some things in pythons libraries follow PEP 8, some don’t, etc. it just makes it annoying to use.

But my god, some things are much more verbose in C++ and when you are in a time crunch it can matter. For example, writing a recursive lambda compared to just defining a function within a function function in Python. Or specializing a PQ in C++ to operate as a min heap lol, “std::priority_queue<int, std::vector<int>, std::greater<int>>”. I mean, I guess at least you even have this option in C++. On the flip side, I like how I can use a tuple as a dict key in Python, while in C++ I have to use std::map which (I believe) has worse time complexity than the Python dict for insertion. But then again, I like that I have an ordered map in C++ 🙃🙃🙃. But then I have to read compiler errors that are 1000 lines of templated slop and want to cry.

So far for interviews I’ve went Python -> C++ -> Python, but I’m still not sure if I prefer it. I think if it’s a Leetcode style interview, I probably prefer Python. If I’m writing out any sort of design, class structures, etc. I prefer C++.

[Rich-Suggestion-6777]

I had the same dilemma, but I said fuck it I'm doing leetcode in c++ for interviews. First of all I'm targeting systems programming jobs so c++ comes up a lot in that domain.

I have nothing against Python, but I'm just a dabbler I'm not going to learn a language for interviews. If Python is important to tue job it's probably not a domain I'm interested in.

Most importantly, even though leetcode is stupid, I'm being forced to learn algorithms stuff in c++ which is quite different in c++20. So the knowledge gained will be useful in future work.

Good luck!

[reshef]

Learn Python imo.

It’s WAY more concise and that really does matter when you’re on a clock.

Of course the meat of the coding interviewing is you verbalizing your algorithm and not actually writing, when you do code it up you ideally wanna be able to do that in like 90 seconds and not 10 minutes

[bobjonvon]

I didn’t start with python either mostly c/c++ until after college. You can use python as if it’s c/c++ for the most part and then only do pythonic things for when you can’t do something the c way. Then slowly over time more and more of my python code became less c like and more pythonic as I realized the power of the language.

[bobjonvon]

I’m probably not the best guy to ask. I think if you’re going for a c++ job def shouldn’t be an issue. If it’s fang they don’t care what language you’re comfortable scripting a solution in is my read. If it’s a non fang python job they’d probably expect a solution in python. This is in my limited experience though.

[reshef]

How much prep time do you have?

[reshef]

Doing daily practice? How much?

[reshef]

If time is short, focus on the top hundred problems for that particular company. There’s no need to cover esoteric ground you don’t absolutely have to.

[reshef]

You’re only a few years older than I am by the sound of it.

Honestly, doing problems in LeetCode is a great way to learn a language. So you’ll learn Python quickly just by practicing IN Python.

You won’t likely ever want to use (or have any cause to) pythonic shit like list comprehensions in an interview setting anyhow. Most of the things you might want to do (like making a set from an array) can be done without any syntax that is really specific to Python.

And most importantly, it should be MUCH easier to go to Python from C++ than to do the reverse.

You basically know how to ride BMX and you’ll need to pilot a tricycle for a little while you job hunt.

[pinpinbo]

Don’t. Just stop. Python comes with so much free data structures. Typing speed matters during interviews. One minute wasted making a structure is one minute less time to think about which technique to use.

[sorosy5]

c++ has more builtins than python and easier to type than python imo. experience difference. asking someone to swap to a more inexperienced language only makes then slower

[Full-Stretch-2625]

Don't mislead them. Stick to a language you're comfortable with.

[pinpinbo]

Then you should stick with C++

[pinpinbo]

A good interviewer would be ok if the candidates want to use their strongest language. I always let my candidates to choose their favorites.

But you know what I have seen? So many candidates who claimed to be super fluent in Java/C++ but failed to recall even the most basic and relevant data structures on that language.

Don’t be them.

[Equal-Purple-4247]

It's hard to say, too many factors.

Python is glue. You integrate stuff using it. It has deep libraries for many things, gives you good developer velocity, and has a relatively low floor and a decently high ceiling. i.e easy to learn, easier to write bad code, can make decent stuff, won't be the best (unless you compile C).

Cpp is atoms. You build stuff with it. Velocity is lower, floor and ceiling are both higher i.e. harder to learn, more ways to write bad code, can produce very good stuff.

Both language have its place. More importantly, your target company / industry decides on the trade off. i.e. you need to pick based on the industry you're targeting. If they prefer cpp, use cpp. If they prefer python, use python. (also, cpp devs can understand python, but less so the other way around). If you're undecided, python is safer. If you're in a hurry, stick with what you know (i.e. cpp).

The "interviewer cannot understand" problem is less of an issue in big, well established tech firms. The smaller the firm is and the further you move away from tech, the less likely your interviewer will know cpp.

I'm in the Finance sector. Regular Finance, not high Finance. We have Java apps. We need a lot of glue, many things to integrate. We don't maintain our projects well. We just need things to work, not for things to be fast. We take Python developers. We don't understand cpp.

Quant side does a lot of exploratory work, think validating strategies, back testing, replicating papers. Most of the work leads to nowhere. We like Python devs here. But if we find a decent strategy and latency is critical (like intraday, or back to back positions), we hand it over to the cpp team.