How long does it take to learn?

[Anglachel]

I'm a wannabe scripter with no prior experiance. Lately I have been reading tutorials on RGSS and I plan to keep on learning. I just wanted to ask the good scripters out there how long it took you to learn your art? Say from the time you started to the time you were able to competently make functioning scripts.

Thanks :D

 

[Eivien]

It all depends on the type of script you want to make and lots of other factors. I.e. Previous programing experience, and how intuitive you find program control flow and stuff like that.

I can't see any reason why someone can't produce a fully working script within 3 days or so of starting if they work on it, as you get better you'll find you'll be able to make the scripts faster and faster as you'll intuitively know how to lay it out and achieve certain things.

 

[sayonara-p]

In that case, I think attitude is even more important than aptitude.

There are people who seem to have been born to program. But I think that with perseverance everyone can learn.
If you are steadfast and don't give up at the first opportunity, you will learn faster because the best way to learn (I think) is making mistakes (yes, I'm not crazy... well, maybe a bit XD) and trying to correct them.

And as Eivien said, if you already have programming knowledge the way will be easier.
That was my case. Before I started with RGSS, I already programed in C/C++ and Pascal. So it took me no more than six months (to program a fully functional script, as you said; small editions took me about... 5 minutes? XD)

However, I have been 'RGSS-ing' for two years and a half and I'm still learning. In fact, I'm almost sure that if we ask Trickster, Samo, Moghunter, DerVVulfman, Aleworks, etc they will say this: 'yes, I'm still learning'.



regards from paranoyas

 

[Prexus]

Just by looking at the dates of some of the work I've done in the past, it looks as though I was fairly confident in my scripting ability in less than a month of learning it. I was already trying to recode RMXP from the ground up, to work like Harvest Moon. It was pretty close to finished, too. But I got too ambitious. Anyways, I digress.

I have an aptitude for coding and logic, so it was probably easier for me. Like Paranoyas says, even the best of us are still learning. My best advice is that when programming, generally what makes sense in your head will make sense in code. And remember that pretty much anything is possible.

 

[Zenrenn]

So I guess the question that should be asked is, what could one do to start learning how to script? How did everyone else start making scripts?

I wouldn't mind starting to script either.

 

[sayonara-p]

I started making small editions to the default system. When you begin to understand the code, how scripts runs, etc you can start with your own scripts.

I think that is important understand some OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) terms, like 'class', 'object', 'method', 'inheritance', 'encapsulation', etc.
If you understand these terms, you will make the most of RGSS. Don't be scared. It seem to be very complicated issues but in fact most of them have a very intuitive definition that can be understood

For example, a 'class' is like a template of properties and methods and an 'object' is an instance of a class, that is: an objetc uses the template of a class, so the object will have those properties and methods.

Now I'm on my workplace and I'm going to have lunch. Then I'll be back and, if you want, I can explain you inheritance. It's very useful and easy to explain and understand, really.

Another possibility: visit the OOP article on wikipedia XD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming



regards from paranoyas

 

[Anglachel]

Thanks a lot! Sounds like it takes a long time (apart from edits) to get good. Prexus did you have programming experiance when you started with RGSS?

The terms are taking awhile for me to completely understand but I think I should be ok. I have always been godo at maths and even though it doesn't have much to do with programming maybe it means I have a logical mind?

Oh and sayonara I guessed that someone would say 'I'm sitll learning'. Doesn't it suck how no matter how hard we try we never completely master something? Oh well, it makes life interesting :P

 

[WeissRaben]

I'm learning now, it's about 2 months. I started in a very stupid way: moving windows in menu :D
Now I'm quite well in...doing menu XD

 

[vgvgf]

I started making few edits to the default and other's scripts, with copy & paste(The best technique ever). I previously learn some html, but it is a lot different from ruby. I never read a tutorial for learning, I only used the ruby specifications from the rmxp help guide. The best for learning to program is to study how the scripts works. Only at like 5 months from starting scripting, I could make a script without reading/copying&pasting an other script or the rmxp guide.

However, I have been 'RGSS-ing' for two years and a half and I'm still learning. In fact, I'm almost sure that if we ask Trickster, Samo, Moghunter, DerVVulfman, Aleworks, etc they will say this: 'yes, I'm still learning'.

Yes, I'm still learning. The last big thing, I think that was the Array.pack and the String.unpack methods, very usefuls for Win32API.