Language don't Matter

After writing the first post on Ruby and why Ruby can be a good choice for the testers to start programming, now I will shift to selenium automation. Though the blog is dedicated to selenium community and will cover bite of selenium automation concepts, but I would prefer to stick to Ruby and Java as the medium of test implementation, the understood reason here being comfort :)

I have programming experience mostly in Ruby and Java, and I would like to focus more on Selenium with Ruby than Java with Ruby. Well, it is just a matter of choice to choose a language for Automation in Selenium as Language don't Matter here. It's well known that Selenium drivers supports a wide range of programming language- C#, Java, JavaScript, Objective C, Perl, Php, Phython, Ruby and some other lesser known languages.

If you see it is really an advantage selenium have over other automation tools that you are not bound to a particular language if you want to automate your tests. Simply, you don't have to learn another language. And mind it, that's really a big thing especially for tester who take initiative of learning a new language.

When I started coding years back, I used to think why we code that much, why the syntax matter too much, why am i need to remember all the code (though I stopped thinking on it once I learned about IntelliSense). Having said that if I look at the features Ruby give me as a programming language, I get most of my question answered, the answer being we need not! So, it gives you a high level programming syntax much more simple than strongly typed languages such as Java or C#. Moreover, it's a pure object oriented language and yes! everything in Ruby is an object, whether it is s variable or a method. And, if someday you eventually switch to web development, Ruby gives you the power that other languages lack, it being simple, less messy and more organised.

Not going farther and coming back to the point, I would point that automation in selenium is not restricted to your knowledge of a particular programming language and can be done in many languages. I would like the explore the tasty bites of selenium in the world of Ruby through my blog here. So, get connected and look out for more post on Ruby.

Ruby: A good pick for a tester to start Programming

Never actually learned programming. Don't have an idea how programming language can be mastered. Ever thought of starting programming and then dropped it. Afraid of syntax. Well, having yourself in the middle of these conditions, you may someday want to decide to start programming. You say, why not ! lets give it shot !!!

It's not that easy to learn a language to start programming in. But, then it's not that tough too. You just need an urge and patience and a hope. An urge to learn, the patience to keep going when code fails and a hope that one day you will have the confidence of writing lines of codes without compiling till the program is written well-off. So, starting to learn Ruby as your first programming is a good choice for every newbie, in general and testers, in particular(this blog is mostly dedicated to tester who want to learn programming and eventually move into Automation). Once, you learn one language it is easier to grasp other similar programming languages.

Ruby is a dynamic, reflective, object-oriented, general-purpose programming language. It was designed and developed in the mid-1990s by Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto in Japan. This is the description of Ruby copied from Wikipedia. It surely is dynamic programming language that means it is interpreted at runtime rather than compiled before execution, and can be used for writing software in a wide variety of application domains. It is higher level language and very easy to learn. 

Every language has a learning curve. After having the basic idea of the programming like data structures, objects, etc, the significant role is played by the syntax. It is the syntax that make the learning fast or slow. Once, you get the hold of it, things goes pretty smooth. People who have experience of programming in one language have the confidence to learn other languages for the very same reason because more or less syntax of different languages are similar. Ruby has far simple the syntax as compared to C++ or Java.

Though every language has its pros and cons. But, if you are choosing your first language you can definitely see Ruby as the best option and start creating cool websites in days to come. And, then you can always learn new languages and framework to enhance your skills and may switch to Java as well to broaden the purview.

Stay connected for more blog on the Ruby. I will be covering selenium also and will finally fuse the both to create Selenium automation framework in Ruby.