Is It Bas Practise?

[srachit]

Heyy guys,

So I have taken up C++ as a subject and I learn python by myself at home, but recently I have noticed another language I would like tolearn.

Is it bad practise to learn 3 languages simultaneously? Should I instead go one at a time? In which case how do I know that I an ready to take on another language?

Thanks

Rachit

Edit: i meant bad not bas :P

Edited March 3, 2012 by srachit

[Djkanna]

Generally speaking, you probably should learn one at once, if you try to take on to much you may end up at the other side, remembering very little.

[srachit]

Generally speaking, you probably should learn one at once, if you try to take on to much you may end up at the other side, remembering very little.

Then how do you know when you are ready to move onto another language?

[lucky3809]

I would say trying to learn 3 at a time would not be a problem, depending if you can remember it all, it's best to study one at a time, because then you spend more time learning that one language, how you would know when it's time to move on to another, is by quizzing yourself on what you have learned, or look on Google for that language free quizzes or test, If you find yourself stuck on a question it means you need to go back and learn more, and if you miss any. (some people are multi-taskers and can take in everything at once, some needs to concentrate on one thing at a time.)

Edited March 3, 2012 by lucky3809

[a_bertrand]

You may take even 10 years or more to really master C++, so forget to switch from one language after the other like a bee on flowers!

Also, why change language? If you study C++ at school then stick with it. Python doesn't offer anything that C++ can't do, it's actually the reverse. Yet C++ is certainly more complicated.

Personally I would first choose a kind of work you may want to do, like web development, native games on windows or whatever, and from that choose a language which fit. Would be smarter to choose a language which does a bit more than simply that task. For example, PHP is not too bad for web development, but will not do much more.

It took me about 5 years to really have a good hand over C#, and it wasn't my first language. That's why you usually do not switch from a language to the other as it really take time. It's not just about the syntax, it's about the library and the tricks the language / framework offer.

[Dominion]

Learning the basics of a number of languages at once is harmless. For example python you could watch a youtube playlist, and by the end of it have a basic understanding of the language, however by “basic” I do mean that. You probably won’t be able to do any large scale projects.

Mastering three languages at once would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. I would suggest learning the basics of all threes, or even just following a basic project tutorial to get a good feel for the language, but then concentrating on one. In your case C++ would be the obvious choice since you’re taking a course in it. Maybe have something a little less complicated you learning yourself at home, but you need some time to relax away from the computer...

As for the original question, is it bad practice, it’s not uncommon to learn more than one language at once, however it’s normally got clear reasoning behind it (for example SQL and PHP). So simply ask yourself why you want to learn them, and if they would be useful to you. Don’t simply learn, even the basics of them, because they catch your eye.