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I'm not sure I'm ready to learn another language to be honest. After a decade+ of C++ it'd feel like driving on the wrong side of the road and I wouldn't blame

I'm not sure I'm ready to learn another language to be honest. After a decade+ of C++ it'd feel like driving on the wrong side of the road and I wouldn't blame any employers who didn't want to take a chance on that :)

deltaonefour 5y ago
It won't feel this way. Most languages are noticeably better and easier than C++.
flohofwoe 5y ago
My advice (after also having spent 'too much' time on C++) is to never focus on a single language, it's better to have a shallow knowledge of several languages than a deep knowledge of a single language (especially when it's a "fractal complexity" language like C++ - the mental capacity to deeply know C++ is enough to be productive with 2..3 less complex languages). Usually it's not the programming language that's important, but the ecosystem around the language (the standard library, available libraries, interests of the community etc...). Programming languages are mostly interchangeable, but their ecosystems are not. Some are more suited for server backend work, some for writing UI applications, some for scripting and automation, etc... After a while (and a few languages under your belt) you'll select a language based on a project's requirement, instead of trying to shoehorn every project into your favourite programming language. IME the multi-language approach is much more fun and fullfilling.
- wott 5y ago
  > My advice (after also having spent 'too much' time C++) is to never focus on a single language. Well, you/they practised at least C++98, C++11, C++17... That's many different languages already ;-)
- ModernMech 5y ago
  > Usually it's not the programming language that's important, but the ecosystem around the language (the standard library, available libraries, interests of the community etc...). I no longer consider an ecosystem separate from a programming language given its importance in the overall utility of the language. I came to that conclusion after I realized I wouldn’t like the Rust language so much if it weren’t for cargo and the crates.io package manager. I know a guy who hold the opinion that Docker is a sufficient package manager for C++. I think this misses the degree to which tight coupling of these technologies can yield a lot of leverage.

deltaonefour 5y ago

It won't feel this way. Most languages are noticeably better and easier than C++.

flohofwoe 5y ago

My advice (after also having spent 'too much' time on C++) is to never focus on a single language, it's better to have a shallow knowledge of several languages than a deep knowledge of a single language (especially when it's a "fractal complexity" language like C++ - the mental capacity to deeply know C++ is enough to be productive with 2..3 less complex languages). Usually it's not the programming language that's important, but the ecosystem around the language (the standard library, available libraries, interests of the community etc...). Programming languages are mostly interchangeable, but their ecosystems are not. Some are more suited for server backend work, some for writing UI applications, some for scripting and automation, etc... After a while (and a few languages under your belt) you'll select a language based on a project's requirement, instead of trying to shoehorn every project into your favourite programming language. IME the multi-language approach is much more fun and fullfilling.

wott 5y ago
> My advice (after also having spent 'too much' time C++) is to never focus on a single language. Well, you/they practised at least C++98, C++11, C++17... That's many different languages already ;-)
ModernMech 5y ago
> Usually it's not the programming language that's important, but the ecosystem around the language (the standard library, available libraries, interests of the community etc...). I no longer consider an ecosystem separate from a programming language given its importance in the overall utility of the language. I came to that conclusion after I realized I wouldn’t like the Rust language so much if it weren’t for cargo and the crates.io package manager. I know a guy who hold the opinion that Docker is a sufficient package manager for C++. I think this misses the degree to which tight coupling of these technologies can yield a lot of leverage.