Hi, I'm trying to get started with Ruby, but I don't feel that any of the current books or material that I've uncovered are really what I need to get moving at full steam. I have a background in computer science and have programmed in C, C++, Java, Perl, VB, Assembly (x86) and others, however I've been away from real programming (aside from minor php stints over the last couple years) for about 4 years.
I'd like to get started with ruby, however I really need some small exercises or projects ranging from basic beginning to intermediate and advanced as I lack context while reading through material and tutorials. My ultimate goal is to master RoR, however I feel that I would like a foundation built upon understanding ruby before jumping into frameworks, such as RoR.
Any thoughts or ideas or material available that helps the rubber hit the road more appropriately for folks like me?
I find "Learn to Program", by Chris Pine, pretty useful for anybody who
wants to learn ruby, even if they are first timer. The book has some
cool exercises to try out. You can order a PDF, instead of buying a
hard copy.
Obviously I am biased here, but are you aware of the Ruby Quiz[1]? Problems there range from easy to fairly tough, so I recommend shopping around for a problem that interests you.
We'll be featuring regular Ruby programming columns in Bitwise (online)
starting from the end of this month. Initially we'll aim the tutorials at
programmers switching from other languages, aiming to explain the
fundamental syntax of Ruby and its approach to OOP (the first lesson, for
example, starts with "Hello world" and ends with user-defined classes). From
March we will also have occasional features (looking into the nuts and bolts
of Ruby) aimed at more experienced Ruby programmers. Hope that helps...
best wishes
Huw Collingbourne
···
================================
Bitwise Magazine www.bitwisemag.com
Dark Neon Ltd.
There's an older book "Making Use of Ruby" by Suresh Mahadevan (Wiley
Publishing, 2002). It takes a very introductory approach to Ruby, and
is an introductory book on programming in general. You may find it to
be too introductory, but I think it does a good job presenting Ruby
concepts using a slow, step-by-step approach, with lots of small
examples - an easy read for an experienced programmer such as yourself.
Several students in a programming languages class I teach read the
book and found it useful. One problem is that it's a bid dated, covers
Ruby 1.6. Good luck!
I usually try to find a small tool that I would like to have and then
create it. You'll learn a lot more by writing code than reading it.
···
On Wed, 2006-02-15 at 23:19 +0900, James Edward Gray II wrote:
On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:01 AM, lists@southernohio.net wrote:
> Any thoughts or ideas or material available that helps the rubber
> hit the road more appropriately for folks like me?
Obviously I am biased here, but are you aware of the Ruby Quiz[1]?
Problems there range from easy to fairly tough, so I recommend
shopping around for a problem that interests you.
I find "Learn to Program", by Chris Pine, pretty useful for anybody who
wants to learn ruby, even if they are first timer. The book has some
cool exercises to try out. You can order a PDF, instead of buying a
hard copy.
A lot of learning ruby is learning a text editor and how the class libs
are laid out, and reading error messages. So download Arachno Ruby and
ActiveState komodo trial software, (also google c.l.r to see about ruby
plug-ins vim, emacs, Jedit,TextMate and Eclipse), start spewing code,
and familiarize yourself with the 1.6 builtins:
I usually try to find a small tool that I would like to have and then
create it.
That's great advice.
You'll learn a lot more by writing code than reading it.
I feel reading is a little under-valued and can be extremely helpful to your growth as a programmer. Check out the book Code Reading sometime. I sure learned a lot from it.
James Edward Gray II
···
On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:31 AM, Charlie Bowman wrote:
Charlie, yes, that's what I'm wanting to do. Create some small programs, maybe useful, maybe not, that will immerse me into the language. The rubyquiz.com site seems kind of like what I'm talking about, but I'd like more practical and more well defined exercises, of course with accompanying solutions. My problem is that at the moment I run my own business and time is limited and unfortunately I am drawing a blank at "small useful programs" that I can develop. I do have some larger grandiose ideas, primarily aimed at RoR, so I've got this gulf separating me from where I am and to where I want to go...
Thanks for the input thus far!
-George
I usually try to find a small tool that I would like to have and then
create it. You'll learn a lot more by writing code than reading it.
···
On Feb 15, 2006, at 9:31 AM, Charlie Bowman wrote:
On Wed, 2006-02-15 at 23:19 +0900, James Edward Gray II wrote:
On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:01 AM, lists@southernohio.net wrote:
Any thoughts or ideas or material available that helps the rubber
hit the road more appropriately for folks like me?
Obviously I am biased here, but are you aware of the Ruby Quiz[1]?
Problems there range from easy to fairly tough, so I recommend
shopping around for a problem that interests you.
I completely agree. I wasn't putting down reading. I'm always reading
at least two books. The point I was trying to make was that reading
will help much more if you try to apply the theory and concepts you find
in the book to real life problems. I can honestly say that the
"Pragmatic Programmer" changed my coding style completely!
···
On Wed, 2006-02-15 at 23:51 +0900, James Edward Gray II wrote:
On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:31 AM, Charlie Bowman wrote:
> I usually try to find a small tool that I would like to have and then
> create it.
That's great advice.
> You'll learn a lot more by writing code than reading it.
I feel reading is a little under-valued and can be extremely helpful
to your growth as a programmer. Check out the book Code Reading
sometime. I sure learned a lot from it.
Yes, reading is certainly not a bad thing... There just comes a time for application and I've already read parts of various Ruby books and of course have a CS background, so the trick now is to apply it and learn it better in context. I would love to have pickaxe sitting beside me while I'm actually working on something rather than reading for the sake of absorbing, which for me doesn't work nearly as well.
-George
I completely agree. I wasn't putting down reading. I'm always reading
at least two books. The point I was trying to make was that reading
will help much more if you try to apply the theory and concepts you find
in the book to real life problems. I can honestly say that the
"Pragmatic Programmer" changed my coding style completely!
···
On Feb 15, 2006, at 9:56 AM, Charlie Bowman wrote:
On Wed, 2006-02-15 at 23:51 +0900, James Edward Gray II wrote:
On Feb 15, 2006, at 8:31 AM, Charlie Bowman wrote:
I usually try to find a small tool that I would like to have and then
create it.
That's great advice.
You'll learn a lot more by writing code than reading it.
I feel reading is a little under-valued and can be extremely helpful
to your growth as a programmer. Check out the book Code Reading
sometime. I sure learned a lot from it.
Just to be clear, I was actually talking about reading *code*, not books. I think you learn a lot from figuring out how other programmers solve problems, by breaking down their solutions.
Though books are valuable too, of course. I also agree with others that writing code is the key.
James Edward Gray II
···
On Feb 15, 2006, at 9:01 AM, lists@southernohio.net wrote:
I would love to have pickaxe sitting beside me while I'm actually working on something rather than reading for the sake of absorbing, which for me doesn't work nearly as well.
Oh! I missed your point entirely, but I agree with you on this as well.
···
On Thu, 2006-02-16 at 00:13 +0900, James Edward Gray II wrote:
Just to be clear, I was actually talking about reading *code*, not
books. I think you learn a lot from figuring out how other
programmers solve problems, by breaking down their solutions.
Though books are valuable too, of course. I also agree with others
that writing code is the key.
There just comes a time for application and I've already read parts of various Ruby books and of course have a CS background, so the trick now is to apply it and learn it better in context. I would love to have pickaxe sitting beside me while I'm actually working on something rather than reading for the sake of absorbing, which for me doesn't work nearly as well.