C, C++ or Java for the industry?

Question

I've already used and programmed in C, but the universities I am applying for all focus on teaching JAVA and more importantly understanding programming so that I can pick up any programming language.

What is more useful for the software development (mid-low level) industry, surely it would be c or c++ and not java.

Thanks

Answer 1

Here is some advice about college that I wish had been told to me before I went. You should be learning as much on your own as you are in your classes. If your chosen college teaches Java then learn C++ along with it on your own. If you cannot apply what you learned to both programming languages then ask yourself do you really understand the concepts.



As my first college professor stated, if you know how to program you can program in any language. Learning another programming language is all about learning the semantics because, underneath it all, all programming languages are essentially the same. This is the analogy that I often use to explain the difference between knowing a programming language and knowing how to program.



"Knowing how to use a programming language without knowing how to program is like knowing how to drive without knowing how to get to your destination, sure you may get there eventually but it won't likely be the best route."



As far as which programming languages you should know, the more tools you have under your belt the more employable you will be.

Answer 2

Java is actually very popular these days. In many companies you would see far more Java code being written than C++ code.



That said, C, C++ and Java are all related languages (they share almost the same syntax, and many of the same primitive types, keywords, and control flow structures), so knowing any one of them sets you up pretty well to learn the others. C and C++, in particular, tend to be highly compatible (a great deal of valid C code is also valid C++ code, or can be turned into such with minimal changes).



Good programmers are often expected to be familiar with all three of these. Certainly there is room in your head for all three. There's no reason to shun any one of them, although C is mostly useful as a stepping stone to learning C++.

Answer 3

Mid and low level is definitely C/C++. For example, microcontrollers. Maybe you should check computer engineering programs instead.



It's easier to teach Java, especially its framework, and it's common in industry / enterprise (typical in IBM servers, Oracle enterprise software, etc.). Programming for Android is probably the exception. C# is also popular, similar to Java.

Answer 4

Both.

Also, Java is very similar to C++ so there is no problem for you to learn Java and programming in both languages.

:-)

Answer 5

C++