[clue] Ruby for newbies class this Saturday 07/21 [RE: clue Digest, Vol 18, Issue 15]

lorin at rickernet.us lorin at rickernet.us
Thu Jul 19 16:24:53 MDT 2012


David's previous post/cut&pasted got kind'a line-ending twisted, so here
it is again, better formatted I hope... This was in response to
questions like "[did the]instructor mentioned any books that I should
look into getting before Saturday?" and "What should I do to prepare for
Saturday's Ruby class?" ...


A) The best jump-start for this will be to actually have Ruby
(pre)installed on whatever laptop you're bringing to class. Although
some might say "Well, getting it installed is one of the reasons I'm
coming to class!...", you'll actually find that the following is true:

1. Ruby is one of the easiest packages to install.
2. We're looking for the latest release of Ruby, namely 1.9.x (where "x"
is typically "1" or higher). However, for purposes of this class, v1.8.x
will work okay, as there are few-to-no specific version-specific
differences that will matter here.
3. Linux -- Ruby1.9.x is readily found in nearly every distribution
manager, and installation is uncomplicated and trouble-free.
4. Windows -- Hit www.ruby-lang.org/en/downloads/ and find/install the
Ruby "one-click installer". I'm no Win-expert, so there may be other,
even easier install-sites, but this is what most of the books
recommend...
5. Mac -- Most OS X versions actually come with Ruby 1.8.x
pre-installed, so just confirm that it's installed. If you want to
update to 1.9.x, check out www.macruby.org ...

So, getting Ruby installed *before* class will help us all greatly and
save time at the outset, allowing us to jump nearly straight into Ruby
language orientation itself. It's just another package to install. Get
'er done before class if you can... if not, we'll take the few moments
to solve any lingering installation problems at class's start.

How do you know if Ruby's already installed on your PC? Command line
(for example on Linux):

  $ ruby -v
  ruby 1.9.3p0 (2011-10-30 revision 33570) [i686-linux]

Just ask Ruby to show you its version -- if you get a response (rather
than "file not found"), you're good to go...

B) Programming Language Developer Tools? Any good text editor will do
for our purposes: gedit, notepad(++), emacs, vi(m), etc, will be fine.
IDE? Even better, if you want to install any of the contemporary ones:
Aptana (which the "Intro to Python" class instructor, Joe, had folks
install then), Geany (a lightweight IDE), jEdit, etc, would be fine. 
Many/most of these will do syntax coloring, which really helps the
learning process. But we're gonna keep things pretty simple and direct
for this intro class...

Mostly, we'll be using your text editor/IDE to pull up example programs
(from the provided archive, see below) so you can see and follow the
code on your own screen, rather than squinting at the overhead screen
projection (which we'll display as well). I'm planning to take you
through *lots* of code...

C) Books to prep on?... No -- The real purpose of this class is to
provide the initial intro & orientation to the language to get you
cooking quickly. We *will* be introducing a Ruby Book List, and I'll be
highlighting several of my own favorites during the class.

D) We're providing a small archive (both tar/.tgz and .zip formats) full
of Ruby code and other resources -- I'm a big believer in learning a
programming language by reading/reviewing/walking-through many
real-world programs in that language (rather than a bunch of contrived,
simple-minded "examples"), and the archive provides lots of interesting
and practically useful exemplars.

That's about it... See y'all Saturday! I'm looking forward to this, to
meeting you all, and to having some fun introducing you to Ruby!

best regards,
-- Lorin

Software Freedom Society presents:
"Ruby For Newbies"
with Lorin Ricker
at DenHac
10AM - 5PM, Saturday, July 21st

Cost?  Heck, it's FREE -- $0.00!
(...But donations to SFS are welcome)


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