Java vs Python?

[DensetsuNoKaboom]

I have a friend who wants help with a "game maker" program he is trying to create. He wants me to learn a new programming language, and he suggests Java or Python.
Which should I use for this purpose? Or should I go with a completely different programming language? Keep in mind that I have used Alice2 for 2 years and I have no other programming experience.

[sfunk]

well i haven't looked into python yet, but i have started learning java, whihc to me seems really easy, you actually have to type code insted of click and drag interface like alice, but as long as you know what the things in Alice do, you should have an easier time learning java since Alice was built by using java

[David B]

Not to go off topic, but does anyone know anything about C++? I'll be taking a course on it over the summer.

[reuben2011]

I would say Java, but then that's just me being biased since I have no experience with Python.

[arty-fishL]

I know python better than Java, the reason being - I think python is easier. Python is easy to learn, the transition to Java from Python or vice-versa is fairly easy. Java has many more features than Python. Many hosting providers will run python, but not Java, because python is more stable. Java is much more widely used for developing computer applications than Python. Work out what you want to do with the language and then pick the appropriate one.

Or do even better, learn jython, that's what language runs as the script in Alice.

[sfunk]

I'm planning on learning C++ in a few months, it will be self taught though, so it will be awhile before i know it fully.

[debussybunny563]

C++ isn't too bad, but my Computer Math class moves VERY slowly.

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
     cout << "Hello World!" << endl;
}

^ your typical first "Hello World" program


It gets a lot more complicated than that, but it's pretty manageable.

[sfunk]

well if you go with java, if you like to learn by watching videos, there is a guy on youtube, with the account name thenewboston which he is very good at explaining everything at a reasonable pace, he has over prorbably 200 videos on learning java

[David B]

I just learned that the course also covers Java. (HORRAY! )

[MrMoke]

Originally Posted by David B

I just learned that the course also covers Java. (HORRAY! )

With any Luck they will cover Java first. The transition from Java to C++ is not difficult, although some aspects of C++, like garbage collection, can be cumbersome. You'll find the syntax to be very similar, but like-named classes for one will most likely not be compatible with those of the other.