Should I Learn C, C++, Go, or Rust?

[pacman9090]

I know C and C++ are two fast, efficient, and mature computer languages that can be used to create operating systems, applications, and games. Are Go and Rust, two fast and efficient computer languages, that are also less mature than C and C++, good, if not better, alternatives, when it comes to speed and efficiency, for programming operating systems, applications, and games? I also know C++, Go, and Rust are considered modern computer languages, while C is not.

[rathlin]

If your goal is to be "that" guy... The one that software engineers fear and gossip about when you arrive at the office, you'll want to go with C to start. You'll also want to learn x86/64 Assembly and LOAD your C applications up with unnecessary functions written in Assembly for the purpose of speed.  When you create your GitHub account, you'll want to create things in Lisp, Cobol, and Fortran (mention that its for fun). You'll want to post random rants on your twitter about how C++ is TRASH, treating it like a disease that needs to be eradicated.

Go and C# are fun and pretty cool too. At some point you'll realize its ALL bullshit and doesn't even matter any more what you're using.

[Sensei]

Use the right tool for the right type of work you intend to do.

If you want to write end-client Windows applications (freeware,shareware,commercial, sold to individuals or companies) then you should consider using C/C++/C#/C++ Managed

If you want to develop front-end web-server applications (installed on a virtual hosting service) then you should consider using PHP (it will generate HTML, eventually CSS, eventually JavaScript, eventually other file-formats). PHP is installed on all/most virtual hosting services (other technologies are not)

If you want to develop back-end web-server applications (installed on a dedicated server) then you should consider using Bash, Python, Perl, CGI (obsolete, it's compiled C/C++), jNode (server-side JavaScript) and endless list of new technologies. Actually, you can use any language to generate HTML/CSS/JS for users (visiting WWW), because you own the dedicated server and can install anything (unlike virtual hosting, where you are limited to the software installed by the IT company where you bought the hosting).

If you want to develop applications for smartphones then you should learn (Android) Java, Kotlin, (iPhone) Swift.

 

To start, install Visual Studio Community

https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/pl/vs/community/

and use one of many template projects.

 

1 hour ago, rathlin said:

You'll also want to learn x86/64 Assembly and LOAD your C applications up with unnecessary functions written in Assembly for the purpose of speed. 

Nowadays, people use GPUs (OpenCL,CUDA) to accelerate applications.

 

Edited January 23 by Sensei

[pacman9090]

Thanks, rathlin and Sensei. I was leaning more towards C and C++ to start because they are fast, efficient, and mature, meaning they are well documented and supported across platforms, which would make them perfect languages for creating games. Rust and Go both seemed like more modern choices, C++ is also modern, but C is not, but I was afraid all those modern features would slow down C++, Rust, and Go. I also have an interest in learning about technologies like Raylib, SDL2, OpenGL, Vulkan, and DirectX 12. C is an easier language to learn than C++, so I would normally prefer beginning with C, over C++, but C++ is considered better for game development, while C is better for OS kernel development than game development. There is just so much to consider.

[Sensei]

1 hour ago, pacman9090 said:

Thanks, rathlin and Sensei. I was leaning more towards C and C++ to start because they are fast, efficient, and mature, meaning they are well documented and supported across platforms, which would make them perfect languages for creating games.

People use Unity and Unreal engines to develop games. They are indeed written in C/C++. But do you ("beginner") really want to make your own game engine? I don't think so.. Having such heavy projects at the beginning of the journey would most likely put you down..

Scripts that extend game engines are usually written in C# and Python.

These days, to make a game you need 3D assets and/or 3D gfx artists, and almost no programming skills.

1 hour ago, pacman9090 said:

Rust and Go both seemed like more modern choices, C++ is also modern, but C is not, but I was afraid all those modern features would slow down C++, Rust, and Go. I also have an interest in learning about technologies like Raylib, SDL2, OpenGL, Vulkan, and DirectX 12. C is an easier language to learn than C++, so I would normally prefer beginning with C, over C++, but C++ is considered better for game development, while C is better for OS kernel development than game development. There is just so much to consider.

C/C++/C#/Java is 75-90% the same stuff. Unless by "learning language" you meant "learning built-in and 3rd party libraries/modules/extensions". Really, you find out what libraries are available when you create a project. For example, you need to open a file, you search the web for "how to open a file in [the language you are writing the project in today].". You can't learn all the methods/functions from all the libraries in advance, because programmers (counted in the tens of thousands) create these libraries faster than you can read them.

Really, start writing program, instead of talking about it.

For example, follow this tutorial ("how to create a calculator in C#"):

There are many such tutorials:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+create+a+calculator+in+C%23

The difference between this C# code and C++ Managed (C++ which uses .NET Framework) is marginal (99% the same).

 

Edited January 24 by Sensei

[Sensei]

2 hours ago, Sensei said:

Scripts that extend game engines are usually written in C# and Python.

..are used to simulate bots/AI..

not for rendering graphics or anything like that (extensive processor)..

 

[pacman9090]

Thanks for the info, and C# calculator coding tutorial, Sensei. Unreal and Unity are great game engines, but they are not completely free. Godot would be better for me. I was interested in coding a game engine and games in C, C++, and Raylib. C and C++ are fast and efficient, so they are perfect for coding games. JavaScript, Python, Java, and C# are slower and less efficient than C and C++, but they are easier to work with when coding games. I was also interested in eventually creating my own game engine and games in C, C++, OpenGL, and Vulkan, but that goal is a bit ambitious for me, at this stage in my coding development.

[gulshan212]

Hi this is Gulshan Negi 

Well, I will recommend you to start with C, then move to C++, Go, or Rust depending on the type of development you want to do and your specific interests.

Thanks 

[pacman9090]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:50 AM, gulshan212 said:

Hi this is Gulshan Negi 

Well, I will recommend you to start with C, then move to C++, Go, or Rust depending on the type of development you want to do and your specific interests.

Thanks 

Thanks. I know C is quicker and easier to learn than C++, but I am unsure if C is quicker or easier to learn than Rust or Go. C is a popular computer language for systems programmers, but I it is great for application development too. C++, Rust, and Go can be used for systems programming, if I am correct, but they are more popular for application development. I am interested in game programming so I believe either C, C++, Rust, or Go would be perfect for that because they are high-performance. JavaScript, Python, Java, and C# are not as high-performance as C, C++, Rust, or Go but they are great computer languages that are great for developing applications and games quickly and easily.

[Wanderlust12]

On 1/22/2023 at 4:02 AM, pacman9090 said:

I know C and C++ are two fast, efficient, and mature computer languages that can be used to create operating systems, applications, and games. Are Go and Rust, two fast and efficient computer languages, that are also less mature than C and C++, good, if not better, alternatives, when it comes to speed and efficiency, for programming operating systems, applications, and games? I also know C++, Go, and Rust are considered modern computer languages, while C is not.

Assuming equal proficiency in both C++ and Rust, it would seem to be simpler to build multithreaded/concurrent code in Rust than it is in C++ that is valid and causes no undefined behaviour. It is "easier" in that regard. No, trying to learn it is considerably harder than you might think. In other words, Rust is simpler because it is more challenging to introduce certain classes of dreadful errors into it. Therefore, it's simpler because making mistakes is more difficult. It's tougher because it's harder to do anything at all, particularly if you bring preconceived beliefs with you and try to impose them on how you operate in Rust.

[JohnathanSpike]

I think C would be the best one to start with. But then maybe it would be cooler to continue with Rust. 

[pacman9090]

On 3/3/2023 at 6:05 AM, JohnathanSpike said:

I think C would be the best one to start with. But then maybe it would be cooler to continue with Rust. 

C, C++, Rust, and Go are all high-performance middle-level languages. JavaScript, Python, Java, and C# are high-level languages. C and C++ are more mature than Rust and Go. C++, Rust, and Go are more modern than C. C is probably easier and quicker to learn than C++, Rust, and Go. C++, Rust, and Go have more modern features than C. Because C lacks these features it may be higher-performance and lower-level than C++, Rust, and Go.