The document provides 10 tips for learning to code as a beginner. The tips include ignoring nuances, not worrying about the "right" way to do things, learning concepts one at a time, leveraging popular frameworks, using well-established tutorials, knowing when to ask experts for help, building real projects, investing in product design skills, using your existing background, and acknowledging that some advanced concepts like concurrency can be difficult to grasp at first. The speaker encourages beginners to persevere and give the learning process time.

1. Slacker to Hacker
Brian Sierakowski
BohConf XLVII
2013-07-19
Practical tips for learning to code

2. Brian Sierakowski
On the Internet:
http://www.smartlogic.io
twitter.com/bsierakowski
github.com/bsierakowski
Director of Client Services

3. DISCLAIMER

4. DISCLAIMER

5. What is programming?

6. Programming is where
very smart nerds tell
computers what to do.

7. Programming is where
very smart nerds tell
computers what to do.

8. Programming is where
very smart nerds tell
computers what to do.

9. 1. Ignore Nuances

10. 1. Ignore Nuances

11. 1. Ignore Nuances

12. 1. Ignore Nuances
A = 2
B = 4
C = A + B
C == 6

13. 1. Ignore Nuances
'C'
(and things like 'C,')
are called variables.

15. 2. Don't get stuck on
the
"right way to do it"

16. 2. Don't get stuck on the
"right way to do it"

17. 2. Don't get stuck on the
"right way to do it"

18. 3. Learn One Thing at
a Time

19. 3. Learn One Thing at
a Time
Don't start coding with VIM :).

20. 3. Learn One Thing at a Time

21. 4. Leverage Popular
Frameworks

22. 5. Use Well Worn
Tutorials

23. 5. Use Well Worn
Tutorials
1. The Ruby on Rails Tutorial http://ruby.railstutorial.
org/
2. Learn python the hard way (Or, learn * the hard
way)
http://learnpythonthehardway.org/
3. Rails for Zombies -
http://railsforzombies.org/

24. 6. Know when to call
an expert

25. 6. Know when to call an expert

26. 6. Know when to call an expert

27. 7. Build Something
Real!

28. 7. Build Something Real!
VS
"It's a social
network, but for
batmobiles!"
A Real Thing A Not Real Thing

29. 8. Invest in 'product
design'

30. 8. Invest in 'product design'

31. 8. Invest in 'product design'

32. 9. Use your
background

33. 9. Use Your Background

34. 10. Some things are
hard...

35. 10. Some things are hard...
Concurrency

36. 10. Some things are hard...
Asynchrony

37. 10. Some things are hard...
Ruby on Rails: AJAX-y Stuff:
brian = User.find_by_first_name("Brian")
brian.last_name = "Sierakowski"
brian.save!
@user = new App.Model.User(firstName: 'Brian')
@user.fetch()
@user.set 'lastName', 'Sierakowski'
Computer Says:
No prob bob!
Computer Says:
What? Who are you
talking about?

38. 10. Some things are hard.

39. b-b-b-bonus tip: Give
it some time.

40. Questions?
http://www.smartlogic.io
http://www.twitter.com/smartlogic
http://www.github.com/smartlogic
http://www.facebook.com/smartlogic