text: which is better to study first: c language or c++?   c++ is the better language for doing programming, it is more functional and easier to use.  c is closer to machine language than c++ and c programs will generally be more efficient than c++ programs which is a nonissue for 99.9% of applications and will more than most likely never effect you.  depending on why you are learning to program, you may want to focus on c++ and never bother to learn c. even if you someday have need of c you will find that it is really just a slimmed down version of c++ which gives you a few extra ways to screw up your program.  after learning to use c++ i would recommend studying java, it is a very modern language which is designed to be reliable and portable and i expect that it will be popular for a very long time.