Is Ruby a good first language?

[DG]

I have zero experience, but from what I have seen, I may have the "right kind of brain" for programming, so I'm willing to give it a try, a real try (meaning I won't quit on the first error like the last time).

I bought this program and while I do find it very easy to use, I want to go beyond it right away and do some simple stuff to make my game my own.
Now, copying and pasting scripts is fine if you want to play around, but what if I want to use this as means to maybe get a feel of gaming development in the logic side of things? Then I need to code my own, of course.

tl;dr: Should I invest into learning Ruby on my free time? Is it a good starting point? Could I transition into "higher" languages if needed be (and if I decide to really get professional)?

Thanks.

[Sid1120]

Any kind of programming language you can understand the basic (Variables, Conditionnal statements, loops, etc.) is not only a good one, but a MAJOR asset in your personnal and professional life.

I recommend getting a subscription for Lynda.com. For 30$ you get 1month unlimited access to all of their training, Ruby or anything else (Excel programming, Photoshop, etc.)
Ask your parents if you have to and tell them it will make you a manager in any corporation one day. I know Excel programming, VBA, and its a major asset as I can program any analytical tools I need in my professional life.

Here is the link for Ruby : http://www.lynda.com/Ruby-tutorials/essential-training/47905-2.html

A combo of RPGM + Lynda would give you the theory behind programming + an environment in which to apply it easily.



Once you get the hang of 1 OOP language (like Ruby), you can easily learn most without much hassle.

[DG]

That's very interesting, thanks. There are so many learning tools available that it's hard to pick one, but that website does look like a nice option.

It seems there is a free trial available, I'll try it out.

I hope I can get my simple scripts done in a month or two! I'm talking about things like making it so the main character can press a button to attack with a weapon on the game, but instead of it being an action system, the attack is just to gain "first turn advantage" if you hit an enemy with it, the battles are actually fought traditionally.
And umm, yeah, this would also need on-screen enemies instead of random battles, and things like enemies fleeing from you if they detect you are too high level for them. It is kind of like a snowball, isn't it? But if I learn to code I can do it all.

[TimeBomb]

I recommend to anyone serious about learning programming to start with a low-level language first; preferably C. To put it very briefly, a low-level language is closer to the operating system than a high level language. A low-level language usually runs faster because of this, but because a high level language is more abstracted(ex. going from binary to human-readable terms is essentially abstracting the binary) and thus is often easier to use.

Understanding the basics of a low level language is extremely important if you are planning to be a serious programmer. If this is not the case, then do whatever the hell you want :).

While I recommend you do some research of your own, here are some wiki articles detailing some of the terms I just used above:

Abstraction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstraction_%28computer_science%29

High Level Programming Language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-level_programming_language

Low Level Programming Language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-level_programming_language

High and low level (from a general, non-programming perspective): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-_and_low-level

Good luck. As long as you are passionate, do your research, and don't give up, you'll get there :).

[adanoidz]

Get on over to http://www.codecademy.com and check out their FREE Ruby course, i'm currently working my way through the "code year" course which goes through javascript as a gateway and moves on to other web based languages (html, php, css etc), however they also offer ruby and python courses.

If its something you want to try and get a quick feel for that website is a great resource, and the points and streak system add a little competitive edge to your own progress. If you have friends I definately recommend you work on programming as a group activity - i'm not too far in yet but having started with Java and been redirected to the Codecademy as a better starting point, I can tell you i'm feeling the excitement every time I get to the computer.

Hope it helps and all the best on your journey!

[Sid1120]

I suggets you don't follow TimeBomb's advice.

Going in without any directions will only get you discouraged.
Start with something easy, like the fundamentals of programming, then extend your knowledge.

(Yes, if you go past the fundamentals and you want a career in it, low-level languages are good, but it's still not a must)

[Freddy from iCharlie]

I'd start with java, it's a natural starting point. if you're a beginner try www.codecademy.com

[DG]

Awesome replies, guys.

I'll start to study this stuff at least 2-3 hours a day from now on, see if I have what it takes and such. Come to think of it, I think a lot of people start programming because they want to make video games! It's certainly a very nice drive, makes you look forward to something very fun while knowing that even if you never get into the video game industry, that knowledge will be useful to you. It's a win-win situation, so I'll keep going!

Publicado originalmente por Reign:

I'd start with java, it's a natural starting point. if you're a beginner try www.codecademy.com

Yeah, Java looks like a pretty nice language to learn from what I have seen.
I'll try the Java course on that website, and then jump to Ruby. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks for the help.

[BareNakedSlayer]

I think Java is a great language to start with. It runs almost every platform (PC's, Macs', Android, iOS, etc.). But I wouldn't pay to learn it. There are free resources all over the place for it and it's free to download and use. Just an idea. If you are going to try the trial on that site, I would learn something that you can't learn for free.

[Supernal]

if i recall correctly, OP is talking about Ruby because RPG Maker uses ruby for scripting. the guy doesnt need to learn anything else if RPG maker doesnt utilize it. But i've been on the games forums and many say you can really create a unique game by using advanced scripts; you just need someone to make them for you or do them yourself!

DG if you get decent at it i would be willing to team up with you to make a game. i have a lot of parts of the game completed on paper, i just havent gotten into the app itself. of course, a team effort provides incentive to work on something instead of my own volition ;)

[[OFB]BandoKayy]

Learn ruby because Rgss3 ( RPG MAKER VX ACE SRIPTING) uses ruby syntax.
Here is a link for a good website http://rubymonk.com/

[Jargoon]

I've been a Ruby developer for about 10 years, and I would highly recommend it. It's one of the easiest languages to learn the fundamentals of programming with, but it's also powerful enough to build a lot of great things with.

Like adanoidz said, you should go to http://codeacademy.com to get a good, free intro course.

Also, the fun thing is you can also build complex web applications with Ruby too. If you decide to start doing that, do the HTML/CSS course at Code Academy too and then hop over to http://railsforzombies.org to learn how to tie Ruby and HTML together and make anything from a blog, a forum, or the next Facebook. :)

[TimeBomb]

Publicado originalmente por Sid1120:

I suggets you don't follow TimeBomb's advice.

Going in without any directions will only get you discouraged.
Start with something easy, like the fundamentals of programming, then extend your knowledge.

(Yes, if you go past the fundamentals and you want a career in it, low-level languages are good, but it's still not a must)

You're contradicting yourself. The basics of a low-level language are akin to the fundamentals of programming. You will have a better understanding of programming languages in general if you learn a low-level programming language, starting with the basics of that language.

[PlasticSaint]

I have to agree with TimeBomb. If you really want to be a good programmer, learn something like C first. learn it well. Prata's "C Primer Plus" or the classic "The C Programming Language" are good intros.

After that, or if you choose to not go with a low-level language, check out "Learn Ruby the Hard Way". I plan on using that book myself, once I buy RPG Maker VX Ace and delve into the scripting.

[godmachine]

Simply learning C isn't going to make anyone a "good programmer". What makes someone a good programmer is understanding programming logic. The use of variables, loops, data types, math, functions, etc. These are things that are used in every single useful programming language. When you understand -how- programming works, the language you choose then becomes a choice of "which one will allow me to accomplish what I need?". When you have chosen the language, the only thing left to learn is that language's syntax. A loop in C is a loop in Python is a loop in Ruby is a loop in /whatever/. The same goes for declaring/modifying variables, writing output to the screen, reading/writing data to the hard drive, etc. The only difference is how they are written in the language's syntax.

[Hatsukuro]

I agree with Antonymity. Sure if you learn something like C you can learn anything (which is why I learned C++ when I was 12 years old) but that may doesn't really help him if he decides he doesn't want to get into any sort of programming.

Every time I pick up a new language, I always look for some key parts to it. "How do I create a variable?" "How do I make an 'if' statement" "How do I get input and create output?"

If you understand the foundations of how programming languages work, you can easily jump from one to the other with very little learning time. In this case he's asking about an easy to use language (yes, Ruby is very easy to use and imo and excellent language to start out with) and one he can practice right away, which also helps in learning a language.

To the topic starter: go for it. Even if you don't ever learn any other programming language, you'll be able to create (or at least modify) scripts for RPG Maker. The site codecademy mentioned above probably has some good lessons (never checked it out but I hear it mentioned A LOT) and if you need help you can always drop by the official RPG Maker forums and ask for a hand in the scripting section. Good luck!