I had a chat with GPT5 about whether beginners should start with C before diving into C++. It suggested that it might not be the best idea to learn C at all and instead recommended going straight to modern C++. The reasoning was that learning C can lead to picking up habits that are discouraged in modern C++, like using manual memory management and raw arrays. If the goal is to be effective in machine learning and modern libraries that leverage C++11/14/17 features, it seems more beneficial to focus on C++ from the get-go. I've always thought it might be good to dabble in C first—are these habits GPT5 mentioned really as hard to unlearn as it claims?
1 Answer
If you're learning C++, just learn C++. If you want to tackle C, then go for it. It feels like there’s a hierarchy in learning these languages, but you really need to focus on your goals instead.
I’m new to programming and I don't plan on diving into C or C++, but I do wonder about the whole learning hierarchy thing. Just wish people would stick to answering the question clearly!