[birgs]

A programming language For cross platform development for the next coming years.

[nguyenkien]

C++

[Himanshu Chowdhary]

if you want to learn from basics learn in this order c->c++->c# and then you can try .net framework or java :)

[birgs]

I think C# is more easier to understand than any keywords for Java, plus visual studio is best tools I've ever seen. I mean a programming language that has brighter future. I think php is going to die.

[vishnu ambili]

C++ is best choice... And once you understand the structure of programming, then language doesn't matter

[Catholic Tech Geek]

if you want to learn from basics learn in this order c->c++->c# and then you can try .net framework or java :)

C# is one of the .net languages. C# is safer than C++ is, but you sacrifice speed for managed memory (and C++ requires you to do your own memory management scheme). However, C++ makes you think about what is going on at the lower levels because there is no standard memory management / garbage collection scheme in C++ (in C++, if you declare a variable of a value type, it gets initialized with a default value unless you explicitly initialize it).

[Himanshu Chowdhary]

C# is one of the .net languages. C# is safer than C++ is, but you sacrifice speed for managed memory (and C++ requires you to do your own memory management scheme). However, C++ makes you think about what is going on at the lower levels because there is no standard memory management / garbage collection scheme in C++ (in C++, if you declare a variable of a value type, it gets initialized with a default value unless you explicitly initialize it).

but this was the way my university handles computer science course :p

[Woknox]

They have much in common,.. I woul put my money on C#, but hey! I'm a .Net developer for a living,.. so I might have a bit of a colored opinion.

Define "cross-platform"

When you want to develop Android apps, or embedded software,.. Java is your friend
When you want to create Websites, web applications, Windows (Phone) apps,... choose C#

(I know website can be developed in Java (jsp),.. but that is soooooooo 1994),...

[Elitis]

For the future: neither. C++ will always be needed for anything that requires precise programming or speed. (Good) Games require both, so if you want to be a game developer, you need to start learning. For most intents and purposes, you should be looking at Java. While not nearly as powerful as C++, it is what you need to know for Android, and let's face it: Android isn't getting dethroned by Windows Phone (or any other OS) for a long, long time.

With this said, the best programmers never stop learning new languages. The best language to learn for the future is all of them. Any language, old or new, can become in demand, at any given second. At the moment, Java is the most in demand language. This could change tomorrow (figuratively speaking; not referencing BUILD).

I think C# is more easier to understand than any keywords for Java, plus visual studio is best tools I've ever seen. I mean a programming language that has brighter future. I think php is going to die.

PHP, like the Android OS, isn't going anywhere. There are no suitable substitutes for it at the moment. ASP.NET is rarely used anymore, JSP is really only used for big applications like Facebook where databases are being accessed frequently, and Ruby on Rails, Python, etc, you might as well forget about. Nothing is dethroning PHP for a very long time.