Ruby & RGSS Resources
Preamble: I remember there was a topic like this before, but even with a forum-wide search I can't seem to find anymore. Why am I telling you this? Rhetorical questions are pretty stupid anyway.
As you probably know (or will in a few seconds), RGSS, the scripting system which constitutes the basis of any RMXP/RMVX game, isn't a language in its own, but rather a Domain Specific Language, which is programmer jargon for a neat layer of syntactic sugar on top of a pre-existing language.
In English, this means that RGSS, which stands for Ruby Game Scripting System, isn't a programming language, but simply a system which makes use of another language, which I've just named, Ruby.
So it makes sense for any scripter to know the basics of Ruby, since the RGSS gives you access to almost everything available in Ruby, except a some classes/modules from the standard library, but generally everything is available to you, hence a good thing to learn.
Hitherto unknown to the people in this area, I give you a list of Ruby learning sources, categorized by their level, depth and general presentation (learning curve).
Ultimately, there should also be a list of RGSS related tutorials, but there are very few on the net compared to the number of Ruby tutorials and resources. I'm hoping Zeriab and the others will fill these in :straightthumb:
If you do know of a resource, reply and post it here. Of course, don't be surprised if your replies are deleted afterwards
RGSS
.ORG's RGSS Resources
SephirothSpawn had previously compiled a list of popular RGSS tutorials; unfortunately, it seems some are dead or unavailable.
Ruby - Beginner
These resources are generally aimed at beginners - that is, anyone wishing to learn Ruby (and, consequently, RGSS).
Hackety Hack
Directly from the warped mind of programmer extraordinaire, whytheluckystiff, HacketyHack is probably the best way to learn Ruby fundamentals for beginners and, more specifically, for people who've never, ever programmed. Hell, even for people who've programmed before; it's a real blast, and its one hell of an introductory tool to Ruby.
HacketyHack provides its own "tutor" program, which is available for both Windows platform and Linux platforms. Tutorials range from simple, introductory ones, to coding your own blog or instant messenger application.
While it's aimed primarily at kids, don't be put off by this, as anyone can enjoy and learn from their tutorials. Honestly, I couldn't recommend a better way to learn Ruby.
Learn Ruby
One of the first beginner Ruby resource, this is a great way to start off in Ruby and programming in general. It will guide you through the installation of the Ruby binaries, explain what Ruby is exactly, what is programming, etc.
Not the best resource by far, but the sheer amount of content makes up for it. Also, it sometimes assume you know certain things which not everyone without a programming background would.
Learn to Program
An excellent list of tutorials by Chris Pine, Learn to Program is definitely another resource I highly recommend for beginners and intermediate alike. Whilst the first few tutorials are aimed strictly for beginners, you can still learn a thing or two with the latter ones.
It is primarily geared towards non-programmers, so, along with Hackety Hack, it is an ideal resource to get you into scripting.
Ruby/Ruby on Rails programming tutorials
An excellent collection of tutorials; ignore the part about Ruby on Rails unless it somehow interests you.
Ruby - Intermediate
These resources are generally aimed at those who've learned through trial and error, or those who wish to skip the beginners tutorials and dive into what Ruby truly is.
why's (poignant) guide to ruby
whytheluckystiff's first Ruby-ish contribution, the poignant guide is an excellent resource to learn Ruby, but lacks any kind of reference or material that will bring you back to it; it's truly a one time thing.
It's funky, it's delirious, and it's a real blast to read (most of the times), but sometimes you just want to skip to the code parts, and all these long, text-filled pages can be a bit off-putting. Hence the three stars rating.
The tutorial bits are incredible, but unfortunately you skim through a lot (of chunky bacon).
All around, though, it's a resource I recommend for someone who wants to learn...differently. Also, there's a short skit about meta programming which was pretty nice.
The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide
Probably the best reference for any level alike, the "Pickaxe" book is what truly got Ruby into Western civilization. It's an incredible source of information on the Ruby standards and contains bits about practically any subject. Unfortunately, it assumes you have a programming background, hence it should be considered only for intermediate level and above.
Still, an incredible resource.
Ruby - Advanced
These resources are generally aimed at people who know Ruby and, as such, should cover more advanced topics. I included the references in her too.
Ruby-Doc
The semi-pseudo-official Ruby documentation site, Ruby-Doc hosts the largest Ruby online reference. It's a great and informative tool, but sometimes the documentation is lacking. More importantly, its got a very CLUNKY interface and I always feel trapped in the 80s.
It's useful, but I wish someone would change the cumbersome interface.
Ruby Quiz
An incredible site and snippets resource, Ruby Quiz hosts weekly programming challenges in Ruby; the winning solution is usually published at the end with the full source code.
It's fun and generally interesting.
Ruby QuickRef
An online quick reference; it sports pretty much the same content as Ruby-Doc, but trimmed down and much, much nicely displayed (usability-wise).
For those with no time to lose with Ruby-Doc's clunky interface.
Ola Bini's blog
While pretty much unknown, I've found Ola Bini's Ruby blog to be full of interesting tidbits about meta programming and how it applies to Ruby. This is pretty advanced stuff, but I know from experience that most of it can be applied (and be very, very useful) to RGSS scripts.
Preamble: I remember there was a topic like this before, but even with a forum-wide search I can't seem to find anymore. Why am I telling you this? Rhetorical questions are pretty stupid anyway.
As you probably know (or will in a few seconds), RGSS, the scripting system which constitutes the basis of any RMXP/RMVX game, isn't a language in its own, but rather a Domain Specific Language, which is programmer jargon for a neat layer of syntactic sugar on top of a pre-existing language.
In English, this means that RGSS, which stands for Ruby Game Scripting System, isn't a programming language, but simply a system which makes use of another language, which I've just named, Ruby.
So it makes sense for any scripter to know the basics of Ruby, since the RGSS gives you access to almost everything available in Ruby, except a some classes/modules from the standard library, but generally everything is available to you, hence a good thing to learn.
Hitherto unknown to the people in this area, I give you a list of Ruby learning sources, categorized by their level, depth and general presentation (learning curve).
Ultimately, there should also be a list of RGSS related tutorials, but there are very few on the net compared to the number of Ruby tutorials and resources. I'm hoping Zeriab and the others will fill these in :straightthumb:
If you do know of a resource, reply and post it here. Of course, don't be surprised if your replies are deleted afterwards
RGSS
.ORG's RGSS Resources
SephirothSpawn had previously compiled a list of popular RGSS tutorials; unfortunately, it seems some are dead or unavailable.
Ruby - Beginner
These resources are generally aimed at beginners - that is, anyone wishing to learn Ruby (and, consequently, RGSS).
Hackety Hack
Directly from the warped mind of programmer extraordinaire, whytheluckystiff, HacketyHack is probably the best way to learn Ruby fundamentals for beginners and, more specifically, for people who've never, ever programmed. Hell, even for people who've programmed before; it's a real blast, and its one hell of an introductory tool to Ruby.
HacketyHack provides its own "tutor" program, which is available for both Windows platform and Linux platforms. Tutorials range from simple, introductory ones, to coding your own blog or instant messenger application.
While it's aimed primarily at kids, don't be put off by this, as anyone can enjoy and learn from their tutorials. Honestly, I couldn't recommend a better way to learn Ruby.
Learn Ruby
One of the first beginner Ruby resource, this is a great way to start off in Ruby and programming in general. It will guide you through the installation of the Ruby binaries, explain what Ruby is exactly, what is programming, etc.
Not the best resource by far, but the sheer amount of content makes up for it. Also, it sometimes assume you know certain things which not everyone without a programming background would.
Learn to Program
An excellent list of tutorials by Chris Pine, Learn to Program is definitely another resource I highly recommend for beginners and intermediate alike. Whilst the first few tutorials are aimed strictly for beginners, you can still learn a thing or two with the latter ones.
It is primarily geared towards non-programmers, so, along with Hackety Hack, it is an ideal resource to get you into scripting.
Ruby/Ruby on Rails programming tutorials
An excellent collection of tutorials; ignore the part about Ruby on Rails unless it somehow interests you.
Ruby - Intermediate
These resources are generally aimed at those who've learned through trial and error, or those who wish to skip the beginners tutorials and dive into what Ruby truly is.
why's (poignant) guide to ruby
whytheluckystiff's first Ruby-ish contribution, the poignant guide is an excellent resource to learn Ruby, but lacks any kind of reference or material that will bring you back to it; it's truly a one time thing.
It's funky, it's delirious, and it's a real blast to read (most of the times), but sometimes you just want to skip to the code parts, and all these long, text-filled pages can be a bit off-putting. Hence the three stars rating.
The tutorial bits are incredible, but unfortunately you skim through a lot (of chunky bacon).
All around, though, it's a resource I recommend for someone who wants to learn...differently. Also, there's a short skit about meta programming which was pretty nice.
The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide
Probably the best reference for any level alike, the "Pickaxe" book is what truly got Ruby into Western civilization. It's an incredible source of information on the Ruby standards and contains bits about practically any subject. Unfortunately, it assumes you have a programming background, hence it should be considered only for intermediate level and above.
Still, an incredible resource.
Ruby - Advanced
These resources are generally aimed at people who know Ruby and, as such, should cover more advanced topics. I included the references in her too.
Ruby-Doc
The semi-pseudo-official Ruby documentation site, Ruby-Doc hosts the largest Ruby online reference. It's a great and informative tool, but sometimes the documentation is lacking. More importantly, its got a very CLUNKY interface and I always feel trapped in the 80s.
It's useful, but I wish someone would change the cumbersome interface.
Ruby Quiz
An incredible site and snippets resource, Ruby Quiz hosts weekly programming challenges in Ruby; the winning solution is usually published at the end with the full source code.
It's fun and generally interesting.
Ruby QuickRef
An online quick reference; it sports pretty much the same content as Ruby-Doc, but trimmed down and much, much nicely displayed (usability-wise).
For those with no time to lose with Ruby-Doc's clunky interface.
Ola Bini's blog
While pretty much unknown, I've found Ola Bini's Ruby blog to be full of interesting tidbits about meta programming and how it applies to Ruby. This is pretty advanced stuff, but I know from experience that most of it can be applied (and be very, very useful) to RGSS scripts.
