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Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

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Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wasn't suggesting Dive into Python to him, he's trying to learn Ruby. I was just drawing upon an example. The VMWare approach, setting up a virtual linux box so that he can configure apache and ruby, might be a little much for a biz2hack, as you put it.

Would you happen to know a similar book available for Ruby, if you have any ideas?

These two are both good intros to Ruby: http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100 percent absolutely. My e-mail is in my profile, and I would be very happy to be a part of this!

Hey biz2hack, I'm not seeing your email in your profile. I'm in for joining you guys. I last programmed about 4 years ago, and 4 weeks ago I picked it up again. My email is in my profile, and please keep me in the loop.

Ricuarte, sorry about that. We're also going to start an IRC Channel where we can all get together and ask each other questions. My e-mail should be in my profile now.

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#43
post #19
post #12

Hey man, I recently had a similar revelation that I just needed to learn how to code. I picked up ruby a week ago with the intent of learning rails and building web apps. I knew a bit of python/django before, but nothing that could be considered hacker knowledge. If you want to learn together, let me know. It'd probably help the both of us. I have a few ebooks and what not that I could send you that have helped me le…

Kyro and biz2hack, I've been thinking it would be fun to get some beginners/novices together to learn the basics of various languages together. At some point we'd probably need to tap some outside wisdom but we could get started together. Interested?

I'm down for this. Email in profile.

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#44
What better language for someone like you than my language of choice, Ruby.

Get started here: http://tryruby.sophrinix.com/. Now. When you get that done, if you want more goodies, email me (email in my profile) or reply, I'll be glad to help.

Also check out http://www.htdp.org

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#47
Once you get going, you'll want version control to keep track of the editing process.

So what version control software is good for a total novice? (I use git because it is industrial strength, but that may not be the best for biz2hack.)

What version control does: It keeps a record of all the little changes you make as you create your code. If you blow something up, no problem, just revert the latest change. If you want to try a wacky experiment, you can put it in its own little sandbox and ditch it if it doesn't work out. If a bug shows up, you can work back through earlier changes until it disappears: the next change is the one that introduced the bug.

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#48
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kyro and biz2hack, I've been thinking it would be fun to get some beginners/novices together to learn the basics of various languages together. At some point we'd probably need to tap some outside wisdom but we could get started together. Interested?

I'm down for this. Email in profile.

Also down for this - I'm handy with Java and Python (have Django experience too), so might be able to chip in with help or advice. Am going to be teaching myself Clojure pretty soon too so if anyone wants to dabble with it let me know! Email in profile

Re: Ask HN: Learning 2 Hack - For the very first time. With a deadline.

#49

Hey Biz2Hack, You posted this earlier today and I wrote you a reply, then when I hit 'submit' the page was deleted! Here is what I wrote: (1) Well, you certainly have your problems cut out for you. You won't be lacking in motivation, that's for sure :) Where to start... Programming is a method, a way of thinking, it has nothing to do with the actual language that you use to do it in, that's just a means to an end (th…

Thank you so much jacques, and I will absolutely keep you updated. I hope that things will go well. Actually, (2) is the way that I previously learned finance, and it worked incredibly well. Thanks for the advice, and I'll be sure to follow through with that. Would you have any suggestions for (3)? Someone had also previously mentioned railscasts, and I came across rails tutors, but I was looking for something that c…

Learning how to program is a lifetime journey, it is not something that you do in a couple of weeks or months, but it is possible to learn enough of a particular environment that you can use to get to a level of being able to do something moderately useful.

There isn't a book so 'dumbed down' that you don't learn anything from the only thing that you will see then is that it will be something that you can go through relatively fast. At worst it will give you the confirmation that you already knew it all :)

I'm not into ruby so I can't tell you what books to look at, but elsewhere in this thread there are some good suggestions and some people that are willing to hook up with you, so I think you'll be alright.

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