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#1 2005-12-13 10:02:26

dust
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Registered: 2005-06-04
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looking for suggestions

For a simple project to aid me in learning Ruby. I can read and read all I want, but until I actually come up with something to do with what I'm reading, its in one ear and out the other. Any suggestions? smile


Writing stories for a machine.

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#2 2005-12-13 10:17:56

postlogic
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Re: looking for suggestions

Try making frontends for stuff. Pretty good way to learn.

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#3 2005-12-13 12:32:52

T-Dawg
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Registered: 2005-01-29
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Re: looking for suggestions

If you've written other programs in other language, re-writing them in the new language you're learning is a great way to learn.

Being able to move, copy, delete, parse files, write to files, and access the system are invaluable skills. Thats why I always hated writing rinky-dink "guess the random number" games because they where of no use to me. Whatever you do, write something thats useful to you. That way you'll find yourself going back from time to time to improve on it.

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#4 2005-12-13 17:04:57

phrakture
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Re: looking for suggestions

Penguin wrote:

If you've written other programs in other language, re-writing them in the new language you're learning is a great way to learn.

Being able to move, copy, delete, parse files, write to files, and access the system are invaluable skills. Thats why I always hated writing rinky-dink "guess the random number" games because they where of no use to me. Whatever you do, write something thats useful to you. That way you'll find yourself going back from time to time to improve on it.

Wow, that was very intuitive... I never thought of it that way.  Good call.

I agree with Penguin - the best thing to do is rewrite something from one language to another.  Grab a python script, like DenyHosts and rewrite in it ruby (it'd actually be worth it, and it's not all that complicated, it checks a log file for regex matches and goes "ok, the count == 5, let's deny this one".

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#5 2005-12-13 17:21:57

cactus
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Re: looking for suggestions

hmmm....
Sounds like fun! go ruby!


"Be conservative in what you send; be liberal in what you accept." -- Postel's Law
"tacos" -- Cactus' Law
"t̥͍͎̪̪͗a̴̻̩͈͚ͨc̠o̩̙͈ͫͅs͙͎̙͊ ͔͇̫̜t͎̳̀a̜̞̗ͩc̗͍͚o̲̯̿s̖̣̤̙͌ ̖̜̈ț̰̫͓ạ̪͖̳c̲͎͕̰̯̃̈o͉ͅs̪ͪ ̜̻̖̜͕" -- -̖͚̫̙̓-̺̠͇ͤ̃ ̜̪̜ͯZ͔̗̭̞ͪA̝͈̙͖̩L͉̠̺͓G̙̞̦͖O̳̗͍

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#6 2005-12-13 17:28:09

Mr Green
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Re: looking for suggestions

Ruby = Cooooolllll  8)


Mr Green

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#7 2005-12-14 04:50:21

dust
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Registered: 2005-06-04
Posts: 152
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Re: looking for suggestions

Nice post penguin, just wish I still had my old HD that had my old projects on it sad . Thanks for that denyhost script link, think I'll work on that.


Writing stories for a machine.

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#8 2005-12-14 06:12:12

shadowhand
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From: MN, USA
Registered: 2004-02-19
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Re: looking for suggestions

dust wrote:

For a simple project to aid me in learning Ruby. I can read and read all I want, but until I actually come up with something to do with what I'm reading, its in one ear and out the other. Any suggestions? smile

If you are into webdev, work with RoR a bit. 8)


·¬»· i am shadowhand, powered by webfaction

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#9 2005-12-14 07:08:10

dust
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Registered: 2005-06-04
Posts: 152
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Re: looking for suggestions

I am planning on learning how to use Rails soon as I get a firm grasp of regulare Ruby usage. Want to make a blogging + webcomic script for a site aswell as create its forums in Ruby using rails. That's my complicated long term goal anyway.


Writing stories for a machine.

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#10 2005-12-14 11:55:03

Dusty
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From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
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Re: looking for suggestions

I'm pissed about Penguin taking my ideas and then everybody giving him credit for them. Lets see who taught Penguin Python. Who told him to rewrite an existing app? Who suggested making sure it is something useful?

lol

Dusty

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#11 2005-12-14 16:53:51

T-Dawg
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From: Charlotte, NC
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Posts: 2,736

Re: looking for suggestions

Dusty wrote:

I'm pissed about Penguin taking my ideas and then everybody giving him credit for them. Lets see who taught Penguin Python. Who told him to rewrite an existing app? Who suggested making sure it is something useful?

lol

Dusty

ROFL!

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#12 2005-12-14 18:13:08

postlogic
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Registered: 2005-02-24
Posts: 410
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Re: looking for suggestions

Hmm, I agree with Ruby being a bit hard to learn, because it doesn't have many useful examples, tutorials or -any- case studies. IMHO, learning by example is a very good way, as well as case studies. But when all you get to learn is making a fictive jukebox addressing issues regarding Ruby only, and not the problem you're trying to solve itself, it does add to make the learning curve a lot steeper.

Take the C++ book Thinking In C++. It's perhaps one of the best books I've read to date. Bruce Eckel uses examples like copying and modifiying files and such almost immediately. That's great.

I've been wanting to learn Ruby first, and then playing with RoR, but it's been near impossible, since I've had a hard time following the pickaxe (for you who don't know what it is, it's the most popular ruby book, freely available). I do know the Ruby On Rails book, also by Pragmatic Programmer's, is a very excellent book, but that's kind of beyond the point of getting a grasp of ruby before implementing it for, say, the web.

Ok, enough ranting, heh. THESE WERE ALL MY OPINIONS!

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#13 2005-12-14 18:46:12

cactus
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Re: looking for suggestions

postlogic, if you want to learn ruby, I suggest "why's guide to ruby" as a first start.
I mean..it even has foxes!
http://www.poignantguide.net/ruby/


"Be conservative in what you send; be liberal in what you accept." -- Postel's Law
"tacos" -- Cactus' Law
"t̥͍͎̪̪͗a̴̻̩͈͚ͨc̠o̩̙͈ͫͅs͙͎̙͊ ͔͇̫̜t͎̳̀a̜̞̗ͩc̗͍͚o̲̯̿s̖̣̤̙͌ ̖̜̈ț̰̫͓ạ̪͖̳c̲͎͕̰̯̃̈o͉ͅs̪ͪ ̜̻̖̜͕" -- -̖͚̫̙̓-̺̠͇ͤ̃ ̜̪̜ͯZ͔̗̭̞ͪA̝͈̙͖̩L͉̠̺͓G̙̞̦͖O̳̗͍

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#14 2005-12-14 18:59:26

postlogic
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Registered: 2005-02-24
Posts: 410
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Re: looking for suggestions

I have no idea why, but that book annoyed me on so many levels. I just got irritated trying to read it :-| I suppose it has a lot of good examples, but how good will that be if I can't read the descriptions without feeling the urge to stab the author to death with a bent paper clip?

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#15 2005-12-14 19:04:38

cactus
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Registered: 2004-05-25
Posts: 4,622
Website

Re: looking for suggestions

rofl... ok. wink
point taken.


"Be conservative in what you send; be liberal in what you accept." -- Postel's Law
"tacos" -- Cactus' Law
"t̥͍͎̪̪͗a̴̻̩͈͚ͨc̠o̩̙͈ͫͅs͙͎̙͊ ͔͇̫̜t͎̳̀a̜̞̗ͩc̗͍͚o̲̯̿s̖̣̤̙͌ ̖̜̈ț̰̫͓ạ̪͖̳c̲͎͕̰̯̃̈o͉ͅs̪ͪ ̜̻̖̜͕" -- -̖͚̫̙̓-̺̠͇ͤ̃ ̜̪̜ͯZ͔̗̭̞ͪA̝͈̙͖̩L͉̠̺͓G̙̞̦͖O̳̗͍

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#16 2005-12-14 20:54:41

Mr Green
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From: U.K.
Registered: 2003-12-21
Posts: 5,893
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Re: looking for suggestions

Ruby hard to learn  :shock:

python now thats hard work lol


Mr Green

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#17 2005-12-15 05:34:14

dust
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Registered: 2005-06-04
Posts: 152
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Re: looking for suggestions

Not really. Dive into python is a great introduction to the language and only after about 4 days of reading that book I was able to make a useful script from scratch. Why's just got on my nerves aswell. After a while it stopped being funny and starting being annoying.


Writing stories for a machine.

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#18 2005-12-15 06:22:33

Dusty
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From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
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Re: looking for suggestions

I learned python in less than an hour.....  taught it to Penguin in what, two days? ;-)

Dusty

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#19 2005-12-15 06:56:38

dust
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Registered: 2005-06-04
Posts: 152
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Re: looking for suggestions

Learn ruby then teach me smile . Though I'm reading through Mat's ruby user guide and its alot more concise and quick than the pickaxe.


Writing stories for a machine.

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#20 2005-12-15 07:54:10

Mr Green
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From: U.K.
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Posts: 5,893
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Re: looking for suggestions

Dusty wrote:

I learned python in less than an hour.....  taught it to Penguin in what, two days? ;-)

Dusty

A whole hour lol .....

No Python & Ruby are easy to learn ,,,enjoy ;-)


Mr Green

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#21 2005-12-15 08:58:04

Dusty
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From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2004-01-18
Posts: 5,986
Website

Re: looking for suggestions

enjoy yes, that is the most important part smile

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#22 2005-12-15 12:20:50

postlogic
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Registered: 2005-02-24
Posts: 410
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Re: looking for suggestions

The languages themselves arent really hard. It's using them that's the pain in the ass at times.

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#23 2005-12-15 16:03:20

phrakture
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Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: looking for suggestions

postlogic wrote:

The languages themselves arent really hard. It's using them that's the pain in the ass at times.

I have to agree here - syntax isn't hard to learn.  Especially if you already know one programming language.  Your brain will morph knowledge you have to conform to a different ruleset - it's similar to looking at cars.  Your brain has an idea of what a car looks like, and when you see a truck, your brain is able to manipulate the information you have and say 'hey this is the same thing, but with slight differences'

The real part of 'using' a language has to do with learning the libraries and intricacies of the language itself.

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#24 2005-12-15 20:37:40

Dusty
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From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2004-01-18
Posts: 5,986
Website

Re: looking for suggestions

phrakture wrote:
postlogic wrote:

The languages themselves arent really hard. It's using them that's the pain in the ass at times.

I have to agree here - syntax isn't hard to learn.  Especially if you already know one programming language.  Your brain will morph knowledge you have to conform to a different ruleset - it's similar to looking at cars.  Your brain has an idea of what a car looks like, and when you see a truck, your brain is able to manipulate the information you have and say 'hey this is the same thing, but with slight differences'

The real part of 'using' a language has to do with learning the libraries and intricacies of the language itself.

Well said!!

The thing that sucks is when you have been coding in one language for a while and switch to something else. Its so embarrassing to type curly braces in your python code, and it doesn't make you feel good when you type 'and' instead of && in your C or Java code either...

Dusty

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#25 2005-12-15 22:59:36

phrakture
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From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
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Re: looking for suggestions

Dusty wrote:

The thing that sucks is when you have been coding in one language for a while and switch to something else. Its so embarrassing to type curly braces in your python code, and it doesn't make you feel good when you type 'and' instead of && in your C or Java code either...

I win this one... I put a "While .. Wend" loop in some C# code before (yeah, it's for work)

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