I know this question sounds really corny, I’m aware of that. But I have
to ask. I am a beginner programmer. Well, not even beginner. I taught
myself a bit of front-end development, and before I dive into the
back-end I took some beginner courses online, to make sure which
language I am more comfortable with. I tried Python, PHP, Ruby, and
since it is possible now with node.js, Javascript. I gotta say I liked
Ruby most. I was talking to a friend of mine lately, and I mentioned
this choice of mine, that I was more comfortable with Ruby so I wanted
to move on with it. But this kid just lost his sh*t, told me to learn
PHP if I wanted to be a real programmer(btw I have a startup idea, I
have no desire to be a hardcore programmer). So I was like “Okay, if you
say so…” But I realised whenever I brought up this topic with a
programmer, they just hate the idea of me learning Ruby. I just don’t
get it. Why is this hate? Despite all of this, I want to stick with my
decision, but I haven’t talked to anyone who is a Ruby geek. I want to
hear your side of things. In my opinion, well you know my opinion. I
want to know yours. Thanks.
I have yet to meet a programmer who knows PHP and Ruby well, and still
wants to work in PHP.
Unless I have/want to use a certain library, which imposes the use of a
particular programming languages, I want to do my job quickly. If the
application is not very demanding (in terms of programming logic), PHP
and Ruby might fare more or less equally well, so I would choose Ruby
only because it is more fun than PHP.
For most real time problems, I find that I can get at my results quicker
using Ruby.
Of course, Python and Perl are alternatives to consider (each having its
own merits). There are also other new developments - for instance Nice
or Clojure - which I think are worth to investigate.
From those languages I have experience with, I found Ruby most
productive, followed by Perl and Python (in this sequence), but I
understand that not everyone agrees with this. In particular Python 3,
which is in some areas quite different from Python 2, is a quite
powerful language.
When we talk about Ruby (and PHP), we also have to respect the version.
I would not want to work with ISO standard Ruby (which is based on a
very old language specification), but at least with Ruby 1.9, preferably
with 2.2 and later.
The initial question sounds a bit like clickbait. Nobody can verify the
truthiness or falsiness of any comments - then again the same may apply
to many other messages and replies too.
Now to the topic at hand.
they just hate the idea of me learning Ruby.
I just don’t get it.
Why is this hate?
Perhaps your friends have some problems. You should talk to them
and see that they can give specific reasons.
In your lengthy question up there I did not see any reason given
so this is a meta discussion.
I want to stick with my decision
Why?
I want to hear your side of things.
It is quite simple.
There are not many good languages out there.
It is mostly ruby versus python in the scripting family.
PHP will in the long run be replaced, possibly by python.
Ruby pursues another philosophy than python. A simple example
is “alias”. You can’t easily do that in python as far as I
am aware. Yes, you can write another function/method and use
that but an alias is like a mnemonic. Easy peasy.
Ruby is clean and terse, cleaner than every other language
out there. Python requires you to use (), ruby is less
restricted.
It’s a philosophy matter. Both languages try to focus on
the human aspect - but they do it differently.
Python says, you must follow the one true way.
Ruby says, you make your own way.
I only use a small subset of ruby and it does not bother me
at all that I do not have to use everything.
Robert H. wrote in post #1181291:
It is mostly ruby versus python in the scripting family.
I don’t like the term “scripting” much, because it blurs the fact that
you can do both, scripting and full-blown applications, but aside from
this, I think we are living in an interesting time right now, because we
have many (most of them fairly new) languages in this category to choose
from. This reminds me a bit on the 70s, where it seemed that every
person with some reputation to loose in the IT field, invented his own
programming language.
You have the “old guy” Perl (which will likely be strong and healthy for
quite some time), and new developments, such as Closure, Groovy, Nice,
and even Haskell becoming seemingly more and more popular; and if you
look at “pure” scripting languages (say: Zsh), it is surprising how many
concepts are already included, which we certainly would not expect in an
“old time” shell language.
Actually, I like this development, and as much as I like Ruby, I
consider it as important to keep an open eye to other languages too.
Not that I would go so far and program in PHP though, unless someone
pays me very well for this
