From: Will Shattuck Date: 2006-01-03T03:02:32+09:00 Subject: Re: New to Ruby and Programming Man y'all are amazing. I'll put my replies to everyone here. Specific Project or Just Learning: ------------------------ I think it's a little of both. I always wanted to program from back in the Apple Basic days. I just was always better with the hardware/software troubleshooting stuff. In my day job I am a Lead Help Desk Technician. At work I became good friends with the programmers there and, since our network/server/sql admin left, I have had to start learning MS SQL maintenance and some basic DBA Stuff. As for a Project I want to create a Nethack bot. Like I said in my intro a friend created a Nethack bot in C# and I wanted to see if I could do it in Ruby. I have read a lot about Ruby in the last few months, including Ruby on Rails, but I just do not know enough about Ruby to do anything with it. I also have in mind to build a Wish List web application for my family so we can know what everyone would like for Christmas or for other occasions. Iteration: ------------- Thanks for reminding what Iteration is. As soon as you said it I went, DUH!, heh. Arrays and Iteration is where I stopped in the "Head Start Java" book. I think I stopped at a combination of frustration and Real Life took over. Books: ---------- All the high recommendations on books and websites are great. I will begin to check them out. I have a birthday coming up so I may be able to give some suggestions for my family when they want to buy me a present :) heh. But I'm old enough (married with a daughter) that I can buy them myself too *chuckle* Rapid Learning Flowchart: ------------------------ Wow this is cool. I think I do some of this on my own already. Not as refined though. :) I'll keep you all up-to-date with my progress. I'm sure you will get more questions from me. Thanks again for all the great informatoin and help. WIll On 1/2/06, Steve Litt wrote: > I concur. The table of contents seems to list the skills you need in the order > you need them. Looks like a good book, and from the sample chapter I read, > well written. > > One more thing. Whenever I need to learn a new technology, here's the learning > method I use: > > http://www.troubleshooters.com/bookstore/rl.htm#flowchart > > SteveT > > On Monday 02 January 2006 02:31 am, J. Ryan Sobol wrote: > > Seems like this book is a good match for you. And the price is right > > too: $20 for a paper back, $13 for the PDF version, or $25 for both. > > > > Also, the "Pickaxe" book is pretty much the standard for learning > > Ruby. I'm not sure if its at the appropriate level for you, but the > > first edition is freely available online. http://www.rubycentral.com/ > > book/ > > > > ~ ryan ~ > > > > On Jan 2, 2006, at 1:47 AM, J. Ryan Sobol wrote: > > > Sounds like your at the cusp of a new and exciting thing, so I want > > > to give you the best advice I can. > > > > > > Here's the table of contents from the book "Learning To Program" > > > that Ed Borasky suggested in a previous post. (http:// > > > www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/fr_ltp/) Just by glancing at > > > the chapter titles, which of them seem new, familiar, and old news > > > to you in terms of your past programming experience? > > > > > > 1. Getting Started > > > 2. Numbers > > > 3. Letters > > > 4. Variables and Assignment > > > 5. Mixing It Up > > > 6. More about Methods > > > 7. Flow Control > > > 8. Arrays and Iterators > > > 9. Writing Your Own Methods > > > 10. There's Nothing New to Learn in Chapter 10 > > > 11 Reading and Writing, Saving and Loading, Yin and... > > > 12. New Classes of Objects > > > 13. Creating New Classes, Changing Existing Ones > > > 14. Blocks and Procs > > > > > > ~ ryan ~ > > > > > > On Jan 2, 2006, at 1:30 AM, Will Shattuck wrote: > > >> On 1/1/06, J. Ryan Sobol wrote: > > >>> Can you list and describe the programs you've developed in the past? > > >>> Were they school related or side projects for fun or for profit? > > >>> > > >>> ~ ryan ~ > > >> > > >> Well... that's just it. I haven't developed anything really. I have > > >> done some web programming with PHP, but that has usually consisted of > > >> modifying someone else's work. So basically nothing :( That's why I > > >> wanted to start with Ruby. I noticed that I can cut out many > > >> lines of > > >> code by using Ruby so I figured it would be a good start. > > >> > > >> Will > > -- Will Shattuck ( willshattuck.at.gmail.com ) Home Page: http://www.thewholeclan.com/will When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.