Should I learn Ruby?

Should I learn Ruby?

As a proud Ruby developer myself I often get asked this question by people who are interested in doing a coding course and becoming a professional programmer, and although Ruby is my preferred programming language I shall keep the advice in this article impartial as learning Ruby may not suit everyone as well as it has suited me.

You should learn Ruby because it’s very neat and tidy

When you’re learning to become a programmer blocks of code can sometimes look a little cryptic, especially if you’re trying to fix a bug or figure out something new. Some languages tend to look more ‘messy’ or complicated than others, and Ruby is renowned for looking very pretty. This can really help when learning to code because the easier your code is to read, the easier it will be for you to write and understand.

Ruby also has a habit of ‘hiding’ some of the common programming tasks which you don’t really need to worry about 99% of the time and this really helps make it it such an enjoyable language to learn and work with, as well as making it look so neat and tidy.

You should learn Ruby because you’ll get transferable skills

Learning Ruby with a coding course will give you a solid understanding of some important concepts in computer programming which you’ll be able to use for many other programming languages too.

Take object oriented programming for example, it’s a great skill to learn and it’s relatively easy to learn in Ruby because of its strong conventions and tidy syntax. Once you have acquired that knowledge you’ll find you can look at a Python course on object oriented programming and you’ll just understand it with minimal effort.

You should learn Ruby because it lets you use Rails

Rails is a framework for building large scale web applications, it’s programmed in Ruby and it’s freaking awesome!. Startup companies love Rails because you can make scaleable apps very quickly with only a small team or even just a one man band. Learning Ruby will open the door to this brilliant tool.

Plenty of big names on the internet including; Airbnb, Github, Soundcloud, Zendesk, Basecamp, Kickstarter, and Shopify all use Ruby on Rails you like the idea of working for one of those guys (or you like the idea of building the next million dollar startup yourself) then you should totally consider a Ruby coding course.

…But Ruby is no longer the new shiny object

Programming languages rise and fall in popularity, they always have and they probably always will. There was a time where Ruby was the hottest technology which all the cool kids were learning but that ship has now sailed and Ruby is no longer the trendy thing to learn. Instead it has matured into much loved and reliable language that many people (myself included) use every day.

What does this mean for new programmers? It means there will be fewer jobs available compared to other languages and that you’re less likely to meet a fellow Ruby developer while you’re out and about. So if landing your first coding job or learning to code with the help of a large community it my be best to choose another coding course instead.

The Bottom Line on learning Ruby

• Looking for a ‘friendly’ first coding language to try? Then Yes, you should consider doing a Ruby course.
• Want to learn Rails and make big apps or work for startups? Then YES!, you should TOTALLY learn Ruby!
• Need a programmer job (or your first coding job) fast? Then No, you will likely be better of with another language.