Learning to program

Entmta

Hello everyone! Recently I've decided to try to start learning to programming. I have no programming experience or knowledge and think it'll be great to learn for fun and future endeavours. After some research I think I'm going to start with Ruby. I do have a question though and honestly it may seem ignorant, which it is, or even stupid but everyone starts somewhere right? Is the interpreter from the Ruby site free to download and use? Would I even need it? I'm probably going to start out using Notepad++ at this stage. Any other tips, suggestions etc?

stryder144

First question: why Ruby?

Second question: why are you interested in programming?

I would recommend going to Saylor.org or edX and taking their computer science courses. The introductory courses will lay a foundation that you might find more useful.

Entmta

I don't have a great answer to the first question.. Only from what I've read and seen the syntax seems a little easier to "get" than others. I've also considered Python or Perl, and I'm open to suggestions so long as they are free to use. I should also clarify, in college I did take a course that amounted to a foundation in programming, without any actual programming (lots of flowcharts and logic), and although it probably isn't a real example, did some work in Alice 2.0.

Entmta

Second question is: fun, learning a new skill, future job use, etc

NetworkNewb

I'm fan of teamtreehouse.com for learning a programming language if you don't mind paying a little. Otherwise, there is plenty of free sources out there as well.

Verities

Entmta wrote: »

Hello everyone! Recently I've decided to try to start learning to programming. I have no programming experience or knowledge and think it'll be great to learn for fun and future endeavours. After some research I think I'm going to start with Ruby. I do have a question though and honestly it may seem ignorant, which it is, or even stupid but everyone starts somewhere right? Is the interpreter from the Ruby site free to download and use? Would I even need it? I'm probably going to start out using Notepad++ at this stage. Any other tips, suggestions etc?

I think a lot of people try to stab at programming as "I will just learn it!" which usually results in failure or loss of interest. Its better to decide "why" you want to learn it. Aside from that, the fundamentals of programming are the most important part of learning a language and when you are solid with those, you are ready to start moving forward. The same rules apply to almost all current programming languages, however the major differences is in the abstraction of ideas in regards to each language and syntax. If you would like examples I would recommend attempting a few scripts with PERL and a few scripts with Python. You will notice the difference right away....anyways here's a free site that teaches you "how" to do something with Ruby (web development):

Learn Web Development for Free Using Ruby on Rails | The Odin Project

http://www.theodinproject.com/courses/ruby-programming

It will walk you through learning HTML, CSS, etc all the way leading up to deploying code on Heroku. You will learn how to build a web application. IMO this is a great start for beginners.

ande0255

Python is a great automation language, and there is a VERY good youtube video which is a presentation to people who have no to very little background in Python:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkx5_MRAV3A

It's two hours long, but it covers where to get tools / how to set it up to use / how to code using it. I watched the entire thing in one sitting with my PC in front of me, and learned a lot!

Due to my job duties changing I had to switch gears away from learning deeper networking rather than Py (for now), but its a very logical language that is easy to learn, and Python seems to have grown rapidly in the last few years from the job postings I see its either required or desired portion.

Other languages have their own purposes I'm sure, I'd highly suggest giving that Py video 30 minutes to see if its something you'd like, and if you can follow along with your own PC (as the video is meant for).

RogueAdmin

Ruby is not a typical first language. Usually see it mentioned by those who already know C.

Python is super popular, which implies more support options when need help. For the prospect of a job skill, Python has more general visibility.

For any programing language, expect many hours of learning by doing. Also, expect many hours of troubleshooting & debugging. Check the top ten web searches for "python tutorial" for (free!) options to try. Give it a a few months of daily practicing before making a hard judgement upon it.

rob42

Python is very popular and with good reason. I agree with the comments about having a project in mind. It doesn't need to be large or complicated, just something that you can get your teeth into.

I learned BASIC, back in the day, and one of the first projects I came up with was a finance program. Sure, you don't need to invent one these days, as there are plenty you can get, but back then if you wanted an application, you had to D.I.Y. That project would teach you about arrays, calculations, taking keyboard input, producing screen output, and reading/writing files to and from hard drive. You'll learn about loops and logical branches as well. Just a thought.

You may find this link [Tutorials for Java Concurrency, Spring AOP, Gerrit, Spring MVC, Apache Solr, Excel Power View, Sencha Touch, Tex Commands, Agile Testing, Apache Tajo, C++ Library, MariaDB, SAP QM, SAP SOLMAN, SAP SCM, MS Access, KoaJS, OAuth2.0, Scrapy, SAP CCA, SAP] of use.

the_Grinch

I would suggest picking up a copy of Murach's Python book. There really isn't anything Python is good for and it is a great way to start to learn to program. The Murach books are especially great and I have a bunch of them (currently using it to learn C# and will be doing the Python book as well). Ultimately, picking up the basics and jumping right in is the best way to learn. Everyone I know who is self taught had a project in mind and did some of the basics then jumped right in.

stryder144

Entmta wrote: »

I don't have a great answer to the first question.. Only from what I've read and seen the syntax seems a little easier to "get" than others. I've also considered Python or Perl, and I'm open to suggestions so long as they are free to use. I should also clarify, in college I did take a course that amounted to a foundation in programming, without any actual programming (lots of flowcharts and logic), and although it probably isn't a real example, did some work in Alice 2.0.

First, thank you for answering the question. I asked it to get a better understanding of where your mind was at.

Second, I like your answer to my second question. It can be fun, it can help you in future jobs, etc. You are absolutely right about that.

My advice: there are a lot of free training courses that you can use. From a foundational perspective, I would look at this page and this page. Read the course descriptions and see if they are the same as the course outline for the programming course you took in college. If not, I would work my way through them.

After that, I would look at this site. It covers certifications for C and C++.

For a practical language to learn, Python will be a great choice. You will find server admin and cybersecurity jobs looking for people who have Python programming skills. So it does give you some flexibility. Many others will tell you about other languages that are just as practical. Find the one that you like and that you are excited to learn. Could be Perl, PHP, BASH, C#, etc.

DoubleNNs

I've heard Ruby being people's first language before. Especially w/ Ruby on Rails and web dev.

Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby

Verities

DoubleNNs wrote: »

I've heard Ruby being people's first language before. Especially w/ Ruby on Rails and web dev.

Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby

That 3rd comic strip in the "About this Book" section....