In Lieu of an Introduction

Learn the importance of being a programmer in this lesson.

We'll cover the following

In the 21st century, programming is considered one of the most important sciences in any economy. Processes which used to take place without the aid of computers have now been partly or completely optimized. Businesses and private individuals now realize how useful electronic machines are, and the IT industry is flourishing.

Certain specific trends have formed within this variety of technologies. The most convenient tools to carry out particular tasks have been determined. Programming languages have undergone significant changes. It’s not as easy for the ordinary reader to understand all these languages and technologies as it might appear at first glance.

Why learn to program

It became obvious at a certain point that the profession of a programmer is one of the most interesting professions of the 21st century. This realization prompts a series of questions in our minds:

  • How does one become a programmer?

  • In which direction should one apply their efforts?

  • What needs to be studied?

  • What is the most efficient use of time while mastering any technology?

Before answering these questions, we must answer the most important question of all: Why is it necessary to become a programmer?

Some want to become a programmer to develop micro-programs for the space industry. Others become programmers to create their own games. Still others want to learn ways to calculate taxes more efficiently. However, the learning outcomes of this course are more mundane in comparison to these motivations. We’ll assume that the answer to the question “Why do I need to become a programmer?” will be to earn money. Such an answer is usually given by people who already tried their hand at some other profession and now want to work as programmers to use their time more efficiently and earn good money.

They could be young people, forced to keep up with the times and learn the use of different technologies in order to get results as quickly as possible. These results would not only be in the form of knowledge regarding how we can write this or that program, but would also come in the form of monetary compensation for their knowledge.

Knowledge of any field in programming assumes the learner is equipped with knowledge of the basic concepts and definitions of the language in question, along with elementary theory—which is different for each field— and familiarity with f tools other than the basics, such as an operating system, utilities, and auxiliary programs.

There are a vast number of fields in programming. These include game development, scientific research of various kinds, data processing and analysis, web programming, programming for mobile devices, and so on. It is not possible to become a specialist in all of these at the same time. So the person starting, or wishing to start, their programming journey is confronted by two pressing questions: Where to apply their time? What should they study?

A scientist at a research institute will most likely f opt for either of the languages Python or C++, since a large number of libraries for data processing and analysis exist for these languages.

Additionally, if you’re in a situation where bills need to be paid every month, and you need to think not only of today but also tomorrow, your choice of language study will be different. You’d need to quickly study something in high demand to find work as soon as possible.

Introduction to Ruby

The language Ruby, used in web programming, can be described as an avenue for “finding work quickly,” an area of study that is “simple and interesting,” and a way to acquire information that will be “useful in the future.” Ruby not only enables us to compile programs while working in an office, but it can also be useful at home, in our everyday lives. (One of my recent programs teaches its user how to play the guitar.)The philosophy of the language itself assumes that the study and use of programs will not be boring.

Aside from Ruby, other programming languages also exist. The lack of focus on these other languages does not imply that they are bad in comparison to Ruby. Each language is good for a certain purpose. For the purpose of this course, we’ll draw a comparison between Ruby and some of the other programming languages.