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Fargus's Avatar
Posts: 1,217 | Thanked: 446 times | Joined on Oct 2009 @ Bedfordshire, UK
#33
Originally Posted by dwould View Post
From my perspective I'd say use python. yes c++ *can* be faster, but only if you can actually get it to work. in my experience unless you are trying to push the limits of the device, the difference in app performance will be hidden completely by bad programming.
By which I mean you'll waste so much time trying to make c++ work at all, or do anything, that the theoretical performance difference isn't worth much.

of course if you already know c/c++ and are a super clever guy, then go for it. But for me, coming from a java background, I tried C, and it took me ages to get not very far, and I gave up trying to debug my segfaults. I just wasn't prepared to sink my time into getting good enough at C to make it worth while.

Python is *way* faster to develop and get on with for anyone that doesn't start with serious c experience.

In real terms I think I stand a better chance of writing performant Python than I do in C, just because I have a better understanding of what is going on. But maybe that's just me.
Usually just some methodical working makes this no where near as hard as it might seem but if you come from an environment when this is all take care of for you then you won't have learnt resource management in code (old timer sigh).

Python can be faster for some things and then it can be slower for others - regularly have competitions with the Python guys I work with and it's about 50/50 so far.

The basic difference is that C/C++ require the coder to be more disciplined with resource managment but it does allow a finer control - same in all things, no free lunch!