Top Tips for Ruby on Rails Beginners

Ruby on Rails is awesome! I bet you have already heard it! We have been harping on about the awesomeness of Ruby on Rails that we might sound like a googly eyed teenagers chanting their idol’s name. Ruby on Rails has been powering a lot of website these days and why not, it has one of simplest framework to work with. With so much hullabaloo, it is so easy to fall under its spell. If you are among those smitten by Ruby on Rails and interested to pursue it, here are some top tips for Ruby on Rails beginners.

• The direction you should take largely depends on the reasons you want to learn Ruby on Rails. Do you have prior coding experience? How much time can you devote to learning? Do you want to professionally code in Ruby or is it for fun?
• Understand that Ruby on Rails is not a quick and dirty programming language as you may have heard. It is a serious programming language with so many moving parts. Focus first on building a foundation.
• Familiarize yourself with basics of SQL, data modeling, essentials of HTTP, basic HTML and CSS. Know how the Internet works and what is request/response cycle.
• Take out time from your schedule every day to read about Rails and related stuff other than learning. Read fun facts, research the websites built on Rails platform and develop an overall overview on Ruby on Rails.
• Start small and start from the beginning. First spent time getting an introductory grasp of Ruby on Rails and then work through from there.
• Code by hand on notebook, whiteboard, or whatever it is that you can lay your hands on! It is one of the most effective method to learn programming. Coding by hand requires precision and you would understand the intent behind the codes which would sharpen your proficiency.
• When you are going through the codes, instead of just reading it, make changes and run it to see if they work. Tinkering with the codes is one of the best ways to learn the nitty-gritty of programming.
• Seek out help! There are a lot of online tutorials and books available on Ruby on Rails. Check them out to make the concept crystal clear.
• Try a kids’ app! It is especially good for completely beginners with no knowledge of programming whatsoever. These programmes are very simplistic and suitable for all ages.
• Check out the documentation. Ruby on Rails library is filled with lots of resources which makes for interesting read.
• Get social. When you know there are others like you passionate to learn, it becomes easier. Ruby on Rails has a vibrant community. Visit meetups, learn from others, share resources and build it together.
• Keep practicing. With anything else, practice makes it perfect.
• Above all, keep calm and code on! Be confident and keep at it. Nothing beats persistence.

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