programming-for-dummies

“Curly Bracket” Languages 69
Visual Basic C# C++ J++
Book I
Chapter 3
Figure 3-5:
The .NET
framework
can tie
programs,
written in
multiple
languages,
into a single
program.
.NET Framework
Executable File
The .NET Framework can link
multiple programming languages
into a single program.
Types of
Programming
Languages
Because C# is similar to C, C++, and Java, you can study C# first and then study
the other languages (or vice versa). The main drawback with C# is that you can
only use C# to write Windows programs. If you want to write programs for
Linux, Mac OS X, or other operating systems, you can’t use C#.
For that reason, many programmers prefer to first understand C or C++, and
then understand C#. If you don’t mind being limited to writing only Windows
programs, go ahead and study C#.
Choosing a curly bracket language
If you plan to write programs professionally, you’ll probably need to know a
curly bracket language. If you know C, C++, Java, or C#, you can pick up any
of the other curly bracket languages fairly easily:
✦ Knowing C can be great because it’s the basis for all the other languages.
While figuring out C, you can get used to its cryptic syntax without
having to worry about understanding object-oriented programming at
the same time.
✦ Begin with C++ if you want to get started using the (currently) most
popular programming language in the world.
While figuring out C++, you can ignore its object-oriented features. After
you feel comfortable with writing C++ programs, you can gradually start
developing object-oriented programming techniques as well.