Programming Languages

Learn to Program, Third Edition — by Chris Pine (7 / 116)

👈 What Is Programming? | TOC | Installation and Setup 👉

To tell your computer how to do something, you must use a programming language. A programming language is similar to a human language in that it’s made up of basic elements (such as nouns and verbs) and ways to combine these elements to create meaning (sentences, paragraphs, and novels).

There are so many programming languages out there, each with their own strengths and weaknesses: Java, C++, Ruby, Lisp, Go, Erlang, and a few hundred more. As someone learning to program, how are you supposed to know which one to learn first? You let someone else pick for you. And in this case, Ruby is the language you’ll be using.

Ruby is one of the easiest programming languages to learn. In my opinion, it’s every bit as easy as some of the “beginner” languages out there. And since programming is hard enough as it is, let’s make this as easy as we can.

Even though Ruby is as easy to learn as a language specifically geared toward beginners, it’s a full, professional-strength programming language. By the end of this book, you won’t need to go out and learn a “real” language. People have jobs writing Ruby code. Quite a few readers of this book’s first and second editions have reached out to let me know that they’re supporting their families writing Ruby code. Many websites are powered by Ruby. It’s the real deal.