Chapter 2. Programming == Joy: A Whistle-Stop Tour of Ruby and Object Orientation

Programming is both a science and an art. Telling computers what to do with computer programs requires being able to think as both a scientist and an artist. Being an artist is essential for coming up with big ideas and being flexible enough to take unique approaches. Being a scientist is essential to understanding how and why certain methodologies need to be taken into account, and to approach testing and debugging from a logical perspective, rather than an emotional one.

Luckily, you don't need to be an artist or a scientist already. As with training the body, programming exercises and thinking about how to solve problems train the mind to make you a better programmer. ...

Get Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.