should i learn it first ?

[Peter Hansen]

Chris wrote:
> 
> In article <7CWi8.104549$aFN.34864 at news1.bloor.is>, Qiang.JL
> <dragon at china.org> writes
> >yeah. i have been following my post. thanks for everyone's input. It
> >helps!
> >seems a lot people recommend C over C++, i would keep this in mind and
> >get a go at it. i think i get a list of language to learn and go deeper
> >now : Java, C, Perl, Python, Lisp
> 
> I've been following it, too, with great interest.
> I reckon I'm going to go for Python and Java.
> Java is particularly attractive because you can distribute your programs
> to absolutely anybody in the form of applets.

Don't put much weight on the applet thing.  If you're thinking of 
having people run your program with their browser, you have to 
consider (a) the gross incompatibilities with the different 
implementations, and (b) that many (most?) people run with Java
disabled, or don't have Java in their browser at all.

Having tried in depth Java, C, C++, and Python (as well as many others)
I would suggest you learn Python, _then_ C, only _then_ Java, and
only C++ if you have a very specific business need for it (i.e. because
you'll become rich if you agree to prostitute yourself and write software 
using it, or kidnappers force you to do so).

And by the way, I'm a fan of both C and Java....

-Peter