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Ask HN: c++ or iPhone?

5 pointsnickfox17y ago20 comments

I am trying to make a decision on whether to pursue c++ or iPhone programming. I have been a contractor for 12 years working mostly in corporate microsoft shops doing 3-tier programming. In today's environment, I want to gain a more competitive edge so I'm trying to figure out how best to improve my skill set. I like c++ because it is in high demand and it is the language that separates the men from the boys. I like iPhone because cell phone programming is going to be a large part of the wave of the future. As far as "following my passion," both are equally exciting to me, but I need to fully commit to one or the other at this point in time. What are your thoughts on this?

20 comments

17 comments · 8 top-level

Morieris17y ago· 3 in thread

What languages do you currently know?

nickfoxOP17y ago

I work well on all 3 tiers, so c#, sql, javascript. I am also a sun certified java 2 programmer and have done 2 years of J2ME programming on cell phones. I am also proficient in a number of other languages but the ones above are my "paying languages."

Morieris17y ago

Sounds like you should be able to learn either objective c or c++ pretty quickly, as they both have bits in common with c# and java.

I would recommend coming up with some project in either language that interests you, and gives you a reason and a purpose to learn the language.

Do you want to learn for personal projects, or for your job?

GeoJawDguJin17y ago

iPhone, iPhone, iPhone. If you know OOP and C (that's regular C), you can pick up Objective-C in a matter of hours. If you don't know C already, you'll have to learn it anyway as part of C++.

C++ is not generally a language people ought to learn unless they have to.

hboon17y ago· 2 in thread

Why are the only choices C++ and iPhone?

You mean Objective C on the iPhone, since you can do C++ on the iPhone too.

Almost definitely Objective C + iPhone if these are the only choices you have. It's helpful to switch programming environments once in a while to gain a new perspective.

What work do you do which makes C++ in high demand? Also, C++ isn't the language that separates men from boys.

anonyreliant17y ago

How do you do C++ on the iPhone? I thought it required Objective C and working with the Cocoa GUI?

hboon17y ago

Cocoa Touch does require Objective C. But the environment blends very well with C and C++. The beauty is you don't need to worry about calling conventions, or go through some native code invocation API. So you can write the GUI code in Objective C and other parts in C++ if you wish. Though, other than to reuse existing code/libraries, I doubt most people will want to do that.

siong198717y ago· 1 in thread

I have been working on iPhone development for the past few weeks. The entry level to learn obj C is actually quite high because I really cannot find any book that helps me to learn obj C. Most of the books that I stumbled upon require me to learn some sort of C or C++ before learning obj C.

After I finished the iPhone project, I am learning C++ now because I believe that it will definitely helps to understand more about obj C.

P/S: I used Beginning Iphone Development, Cocoa Programming For Mac OSX, and the Apple Iphone documentations to learn obj C.

Tunecrew17y ago

I am learning iPhone programming right now, and I had no Obj C background (but I do have strong Java and Perl experience, and did a lot of C in school)

I highly recommend Stephen Kochan's Programming In Objective C 2.0 - great introduction to the language and its somewhat funky syntax (if you've been immersed in Java etc for a while), plus a whole section dealing with the iPhone SDK to get you started.

yan17y ago· 1 in thread

How are you planning on tackling each task? Do you have a project in mind that you will create using either c++ or objc/cocoa touch?

Plus, does it have to be "either/or"? Spend a few days learning one, spend a few days learning the other. You should have gotten to some non-trivial level with each one and more of a taste for what you actually want to do.

nickfoxOP17y ago

Yes, I actually do have tasks for each. I have been doing some work with MAPI (messaging API) and see an opportunity to create a subscription based website doing electronic forensics. That would be on the c++ side.

On the iPhone/objective-C side, I have a project in mind integrating iPhones with a dieting website. So many choices, so little time...

joubert17y ago· 1 in thread

C++ programming is like a monkey fucking a ball. You would probably want to stab your eyes out.

C / Objective-C will probably provide you with more joy and opportunity to work on the iPhone.

I suspect other mobile platforms either use C or Java for programming apps (as opposed to C++), but I might be wrong.

nickfoxOP17y ago

I think you're right, the little c++ programming I have done has been an exercise in frustration. But it was mainly because of my lack of skill. And I do think that iPhone programming would me more fun...

Allocator200817y ago· 1 in thread

I'd have to recommend c++. I own an iPhone myself, so they are definitely fun, but c++ is more ubiquitous. Personally I know C far better than c++ (which is a superset of C). The main difference is c++ has classes and more "object oriented" concepts. For the long-haul c++ I think will have more staying power than the iPhone - who knows, maybe the iPhone will be not as popular in a few years, but c++ will still be here.

nickfoxOP17y ago

There is one thing about c++, it scares me more than iPhone programming. I tend to be the kind of person that vigorously attacks things that scare me. I get a lot more satisfaction out of it and feel more alive...

nickfoxOP17y ago

Well, I've made my decision. I'm going to go with iPhone programming. I've actually done enough c++ programming to know what it's about. Having never done any iPhone programming, I can't make a real comparison. The library has an online copy of "Beginning iPhone Development" by Mark and LaMarche and I will work through that after working through Apple's Objective-C book. Thanks for all your input.

alain9404017y ago

If you learn iPhone programming, you'll learn essentially the equivalent of C++ in the process, so you win on both sides.

If you just try to learn C++ with no clear purpose, I'm not so sure your learning will stick.

So go with the iPhone, you'll enjoy it more and you'll learn just as much.

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