C++ FAQ / Section 6 / FAQ 6.7

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Revised Jul 4, 2012

[6.7] How long does it take to learn OO/C++?

Companies successfully teach standard industry "short courses," where a university semester course is compressed into one 40 hour work week. But regardless of where you get your training, make sure the courses have a hands-on element, since most people learn best when they have projects to help the concepts "gel." But even if they have the best training, they're not ready yet.

It takes 6-12 months to become proficient in OO/C++. Less if the developers have easy access to a "local" body of experts, more if there isn't a "good" general purpose C++ class library available. To become one of these experts who can mentor others takes around 3 years.

Some people never make it. You don't have a chance unless you are teachable and have personal drive. As a bare minimum on "teachability," you have to be able to admit when you've been wrong. As a bare minimum on "drive," you must be willing to put in some extra hours. Remember: it's a lot easier to learn some new facts than it is to change your paradigm, i.e., to change the way you think; to change your notion of goodness; to change your mental models.

Two things you should do:

• Bring in a "mentor"
• Get your people two books: one to tell them what is legal, another to tell them what is moral

Two things you should not do:

• You should not bother having your people trained in C as a stepping-stone to learning OO/C++
• You should not bother having your people trained in Smalltalk as a stepping-stone to learning OO/C++