What is the difference between Java and C++?

I've tried looking for it on Google but I haven't found anything that content me.

What is the BIG difference?

Thank you.

everything?

I want to be a video game programmer or a software engineer.

Are both useful?

Also, at my school they offer Independant(is this spelled right) Study classes and one class is Computer science I believe. An Independent study class is where you study the book on your own and take the AP later in the year. As stated from Wikipedia, The AP exam currently tests students on their knowledge of Java.

You can read more about it here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Computer_Science_A

Paging Jon'C to thread #44261

You already know how to use wikipedia so look up Java and C++.

C, C++, C#, DirectX & OpenGL. Java has recently become more of a player as well. There are advantages & disadvantages to all languages. Some languages are better suited for certain things than others. More important than the language itself is the ability to comprehend programming logic. The industry standard is definitely C/C++ at this time and most likely will be for a bit longer.

Short answer:

You'll want to be familiar with both.

ap compsci A is a huge waste of time
For one, it gets you no credit
And also teaches you nothing

Study Java on your own then join/take the AB exam

What kind of video game programmer? What kind of software engineer?

Video game programming:
Game, gameplay, AI programmer: C++
3D graphics, physics programmer: C, C++, Assembly.
Tool programmer: C, C#

Application programming:
Productivity, point of sale or user interface developer: Various. Largely C#, VB, C++, Objective C.
Web application developer: Various. C#, ASP.NET, PHP, Ruby,... you name it. The more the better.
In-house custom software developer: VB, C#.

Systems programming:
Operating systems (kernel/driver) programming: C, Assembly (AT&T and Intel syntax).
Operating systems (userspace) programming: C, C++. Various high-level.
Compiler development: C, C++, Assembly, and hopefully a few others for the experience.
Mainframe programming: Assembly, C, FORTRAN.

Research and Scientific Programming:
Supercomputer programming: Various. I increasingly recommend C++ with OpenMP extensions.

That should give you a start. If you can be more specific so can I.

The BIG difference to you as a programmer is memory management. Java has a built-in garbage collector, which mostly ensures you won't have to worry about memory deallocation (a source of many bugs, even for seasoned programmers). You can use a garbage collector in conjunction with C++ though, if you want to.

Another large difference is C++ compiles to native code and is processed directly, while Java is compiled to bytecode (similar to ASM instructions) for ease of interpretation. A runtime profiler then ascertains which code is getting run most often and compiles it to machine code on the fly via a JIT compiler. Simple tests put Java and C++ neck and neck for execution speed, but for most projects, Java is an order of magnitude slower than C++ execution. That's not to say it's slow, though---it still vastly outperforms purely interpreted languages such as Python.

Other considerations include Java's high portability (though C++ is largely portable), C++'s support for muilt-paradigm development, and Java's enormous library of code. If you want to do something in Java, chances are there's something in the library that will do most of the work for you. Not necessarily so with C++. Development speed tends to be faster in Java at the expense of flexibilty. Security is increased in Java at the expense of speed. Array bounds-checking, for example.

I would suggest learning both if you're serious about development.

Don't ask what you can do with your programming language; ask what your programming language can do for you!


Seriously, any programmer worth their salt can pick up a new language in no time flat, so asking what programming langue you should learn now is allot like asking what pair of socks you want to wear for the rest of your life. Different tasks are best suited for different languages. HOWEVER, when first learning to program, different languages can teach you very different thing.

Java is an excellent language for learning high level concepts such as "Good" Object Oriented program design and Data structures, and can be easily learned from almost any background (Unix, Mac, Windows).

C on the other hand will teach you more about the OS level, with things like system calls, memory addressing, and signaling. Most of the C programming work will probably end up with you working on a *nix machine as well, so this is a great opportunity to make sure your linux/unix is up to snuff (you can even work *nix from a Mac in a pinch).

Right now you should pick whatever language you have the most ability to learn in, so make sure you have access to books, a compile/runtime environment, and someone experienced who can answer you questions on whatever language you end up working with.

By your 1st or 2nd year of college you should probably at least know C/C++ and Java, be proficient in *nix, and probable pick up either Python, Perl, or be really good at BASH scripting as well.