How to Learn Ruby: Steps, Job Opportunities, and Courses

What if there was a coding language that combined the best parts of other languages? This idea helped create one of the more popular programming languages today: Ruby. 

If you’re just getting into programming, you might not know how to get started. With all the programming languages out there, how do you know what’s the best? Read on to find out how to learn Ruby and make the most out of your programming knowledge.

What Is Ruby?

Ruby is a high-level programming language. Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto invented Ruby in 1993, when he decided he wanted to create an easier object-oriented programming language.

Ruby is designed to be fun and productive, with a user interface that programmers can easily grasp. This makes Ruby a popular choice for people who already know other programming languages.

If you don’t enjoy the object-oriented method, you probably won’t like Ruby. It’s designed to use this one method, and it does it very well. That’s why it quickly became one of the best coding languages out there.

Ruby’s popularity led to the development of “Ruby on Rails.” Rails is a popular web application framework that runs on Ruby. It simplifies development by making smart logical leaps for developers. 

What Is Ruby Used For?

Like most scripting languages, Ruby can be used in many different ways around the tech world. Programmers are innovating new ideas every day. Below are a few of the possibilities for professionals. 

Web Development

The “Ruby on Rails” web development framework is one of the more popular tools in developer arsenals today. Plenty of sites you may use every day, like Hulu, GitHub, Twitch, and Airbnb were built using Ruby on Rails.

Those are just the famous sites. Experienced developers claim that Ruby on Rails is the easiest way for new coders to get started. After you’ve taken the courses to master the language, you might agree with them. 

Servers

Ruby is one of the best open-source tools for building out your own servers. There are several different options when it comes to this task, both for businesses and for people that are interested in home use only.

You can build a server in Ruby with as little as 30 lines of code, which is a testament to the power and ease of this language. 

Security

The largest documented Ruby product at the moment is the Metasploit Project. Metasploit is an industry-standard penetration testing framework. It allows cyber security experts to stress-test their networks and make sure they’re safe from any data breaches. 

Your bank data or your login for your internet gaming service of choice could be protected by Ruby code right now.

Learn Ruby: Step-by-Step

Due to Ruby’s simplicity, there are plenty of places you can get started with learning the language. Depending on what you already know about coding, you can learn quickly. Here’s a guide to help you jump in. 

1. Learn the Basics

Before you get in too deep with Ruby, you should learn the fundamentals. It’s easy to get lost on further instruction if you don’t know the basics. Plenty of sites offer Ruby terminology and quick projects that beginners can use to learn the craft.

If you’re going to get into the world of web development using Ruby on Rails, you have to learn how to use Ruby first. Be sure you lay the groundwork so that you can pick up everything you need to know later on. 

2. Take the Courses

There are plenty of Ruby tutorials online. After you’ve gotten the basics down, you should have no trouble retaining the information that these courses provide.

There are classes for all of the Ruby uses we discussed above, so feel free to hop around and find one that fits your needs. You can find free courses, paid classes, and even certification tests.

3. Read The Literature

There are tons of books out there on Ruby programming, which is a testament to how beloved the language is. Many programmers have their own philosophy on Ruby’s best practices, and they can help you make decisions.

One of the most famous books is The Ruby Programming Language, written by Yukihiro Matsumoto himself. This guide to the language provides top-to-bottom insight that you can’t replicate. Once the person who built the language shows you why certain decisions were made and how certain functions came to be, you’ll be more than ready for any possible challenges. 

4. Practice Your Skills

The best way to learn is by doing. After you’ve gotten a grasp of the fundamentals of Ruby, you should go out and start building code.

It won’t be perfect from the beginning, but the only way to get better is to try and fail. After you get a few projects under your belt, you’ll start to learn how to make more efficient and mistake-free code. No course can teach that level of experience. 

The Best Ruby Courses

These online courses will have you building impressive sites and apps in no time. A lot of the information online is for web developers that are trying to get a handle on Ruby on Rails, but there’s content out there for everyone. Take a look at the best Ruby courses and find which one works best for you. 

Learn to Code with Ruby

This course is your introduction to Ruby. Though it does touch on the terminology and capabilities, you can still learn everything from a beginner’s perspective. The coding challenges, video tutorials, and object lessons will have you ready to build in no time. If you’re a beginner, this is a great place to start.

The Complete Ruby on Rails Developer Course

This course will make you a competent Ruby on Rails coder. It will also help you to solidify your Ruby groundwork. This course is designed to prepare you for coding in Rails, so you should have prior knowledge of Ruby first. After you’ve gotten your bearings, you’ll be able to deploy a chat app, stock tracker app, and more with just the skills from this course. 

Agile Development Using Ruby on Rails – The Basics

This course can take you from beginner to expert. You’ll learn more about the agile technique and how this philosophy can affect your Ruby on Rails development. Agile methodology is a software development technique that focuses on short development by putting people and organization first. It’s an important technique for anyone who wants to become a Ruby expert.

Build Your Own Web Server With Ruby

This is a short walkthrough on how to build your own simple web server using Ruby. You’ll be able to get your server up and running quickly. This course even has an example of the working code at the end of the lesson. This is great for people who are curious about the inner workings of Ruby servers.

Getting Started with RubyMotion for iOS and OS X

This course is perfect for prospective app developers. RubyMotion lets you build multi-platform apps. It walks you through their tools for building in the Apple ecosystem. There’s also a guide available for people who are more interested in building Android products. Though there is an upgraded paid version for teams, the app development tools are free to hobbyists who are honing their skills.

Testing Ruby with RSpec: The Complete Guide

This course can help intermediate Ruby users take the next step. You’ll learn how to use RSpec tools to bulletproof your code as you write it. Test-driven development can help you avoid mistakes, which should save you plenty of time in the debugging stage. If you want to refine your coding after you’ve got a good handle on it, this is a great place to start. 

Is Learning Ruby Right for You?

Learning Ruby is right for you if you’re looking for an easy and versatile programming language. You’ll be setting a foundation to build mobile apps, desktop apps, and even web apps. If you already know other programming languages, you can learn Ruby quickly.

After you’ve mastered Ruby or Ruby on Rails, you’ll join a rank of developers that have created some of the most popular apps online. You may be the next success story in no time at all.