Realisation: I can recall C++ basics easily, but struggle with Python and C#
Posted by shionnyyyy@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 8 comments
I recently tried coding again after a long break. I noticed something odd:
I could recall basic C++ concepts (loops, simple logic, even rebuilding a pyramid pattern program), but I struggle to remember or use Python or C# even though I’ve tried them before.
It feels like C++ “sticks” better in my head, while Python and C# don’t.
Somehow for me Python starts easy but the learning curve is like exponential and C#...well it's a tad bit confusing for me lol.
Has anyone experienced this? Is it about structure, learning style, or just familiarity?
Mell-Silver-20@reddit
Pretty normal tbh syntax fades, but the core logic sticks. C just forces you to understand what's actually happening, so your brain keeps that part. Everything else is just "where was that semicolon again"
Crazy-Finding-2436@reddit
C# shares some similarities with c++ the same can't be said for python.
PalpitationOk839@reddit
This happens a lot. C++ builds strong fundamentals so it sticks better, while Python hides complexity early and then ramps up later. C# can feel confusing because of its ecosystem and syntax differences. It’s more about depth of practice than the language itself.
josesblima@reddit
You're calling it c++ basics but they're literally just programming basics. I think you just mean the syntax. And I wouldn't worry about it, memorising how to write a for loop is inevitable, so long as you actually use and language and actually write the code yourself. No need to rush it, have a tab of learnxiny.com open at all times for quick referencing and you'll be fine
PandorasBucket@reddit
I believe the C family of code is much more readable. The C family has more punctuation. I much prefer this. I like knowing when things end and start. My brain interprets that faster than spacing. I've recently been learning Elixir and I also dislike it's syntax. It feels like everything is written in shorthand, which makes it easier for me to miss things.
Monster-Frisbee@reddit
9 times out of 10 it’s just familiarity.
However I will say: being that C++ is the oldest of these 3 languages, it was designed in a time when IDEs and code editors were not as robust as they became in the 90s when Python was created and especially the 2000s when C# popped up.
Because it sort of predates those kinds of visual tools, I do think the syntax of C++ forces a bit more readability structure than the other two (mostly the syntax it inherits from C).
But once you’re familiar with a language, really anything looks natural to you in time. So I still think familiarity is the biggest part of readability.
dylantrain2014@reddit
The more you work with a language, the better you’ll remember its syntax.
That said, I switch between languages for work, school, and personal projects, so I often have to lookup syntax to remember.
C++, with its basic syntax coming from C, one of the most influential languages out there, shares syntax with many other languages. If you know how to do something in C++, you can probably guess how to do it in another language.
Python has very weird syntax in comparison. If you’re never worked with Python before, you’d probably never be able to guess how the language works.
exclusive_warmth@reddit
Yeah that makes sense about the IDE evolution part. C++ definitely forces you to be more explicit about everything which probably makes it stick better in memory. When you have to manually manage memory and declare types everywhere it creates more mental anchors i think
The readability structure thing is real too - python might look cleaner but sometimes that flexibility makes it harder to remember exact syntax when you come back to it later