With the change of technology comes constant innovation in many fields. Nowhere is this more apparent than in programming. Each year a programmer may have to learn a new add-on or an entirely new language just to keep up with the industry. One such programming language is Elixir, which we will elaborate more on below and give tips on handling this programming language quickly.
What is Elixir?
Each programming language has a more elaborate description. Elixir itself falls into the group of general-purpose programming languages and sets itself apart by being run on the BEAM virtual machine.
It acts as a way to implement the Erlang programming language. Elixir itself builds onto the Erlang language, utilizing a number of its traits when compiling and executing code.
So what’s the advantage of these programming languages? Well, Erlang is known for its low latency, fault-tolerant system. These traits are quite beneficial for just about any programming language due to them supporting its other traits. For Elixir, these traits come into practice when it’s used in web development, multimedia processing, and other applications that a more general programming language such as this encompasses.
The aforementioned traits are one of the key reasons to get into Elixir. However, they are not the only ones. Some potent traits to think about are extensibility, tooling features, and interactive development.
The community for Elixir is growing quickly so you can bet its list of expansive features and functionalities will grow together with it.
Tips on learning Elixir fast
The first step on our journey to learning Elixir is to visit https://serokell.io/blog/learn-elixir.
Elixir language can be quite confusing for those new to it to learn if they haven’t dealt with similar languages in the past. This guide gives a very good dive into the language that will help you comprehend what’s new and what has stayed the same.
Here you can find not only guidelines but literature required too. Be it basic or advanced resources, Serokell has it all. This guide is bound to give you at least a decent understanding of what Elixir is and how to use it.
Check out boot camps available online
One of the most important sources of information online when it comes to programming languages comes from the courses representing them. These courses will usually be turned into boot camps that aim to equip their users with knowledge that’s necessary to engage with the programming language well.
Be it fundamentals or unique benefits, everything will be neatly covered in a rather fast slew of information. No matter what course or boot camp you go for, different aspects of the Elixir programming language will be neatly covered to the point where you can immediately feel comfortable working within Elixir right after finishing them.
Find and learn corresponding frameworks
The utility of frameworks within programming languages should never be underestimated. The framework provides us with an immediate utility that covers the small and medium programming tasks that always crop up. It’s a great base to utilize for our projects. Finding appropriate ones can truly enhance the overall programming experience.
With Elixir, the same utility remains. When coupled with the aforementioned benefits, frameworks can make Elixir an exceptionally fast and varied programming language. Elixir has a few options when it comes to open-source frameworks. The first one being the Phoenix framework, a very popular Elixir web framework that allows you to make fast web applications. The speed is key here, Phoenix will make sure that anything you code ends up running fast no matter its purpose.
Embedded software is a specialty of the Nerves framework. It is capable of dealing with various tasks while packing even more complex applications in small packages. Quick booting is another trait the Nerves framework provides. Being able to get the app up and running fast is pretty important no matter its use.
If APIs are what you aim to work on with Elixir, Placid is definitely the way to go. It’s a REST toolkit that is capable of building HTTP APIs with all the advantages of Elixir. The fault-tolerant language aids in smoothing out some rough patches while the framework itself provides you with various modules to get any coding work done quickly.
Engage in some beginner projects to further your knowledge
The key part of coding is practice the more you practice the better your code will become. Eventually, a lot of fundamentals of the programming languages you utilize become embedded parts of knowledge that you’ll employ without even thinking about them. When learning a new language, making a few projects is rather important as it furthers your understanding and capabilities.
Elixir is a programming language with multiple applications, meaning there are different ways to approach it. Before starting a project properly, it’s good to distinguish what you want to learn the programming language for. After picking one, seek projects tied to it. For example, a web development project may involve making an online shop in Elixir. The process is bound to help you learn all the important details that may be key to becoming good at using the Elixir. Of course, the more time passes and the more projects you accumulate the higher the quality of those programs become.
Seek sites and communities engaged in small-scale projects that can provide fruitful information and aid if you get stuck on something. Having outside aid is a guaranteed way to learn some of the intricacies of the programming language you are learning.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen the Elixir programming language has a number of fruitful uses no matter what type of programmer you are. If it’s difficult to find a starting point, courses and boot camps can aid you without overwhelming you with information. Of course, they shouldn’t be the only sources of information, and studying is never done for those who engage with programming languages. Whether it’s learning new capabilities of the language or deepening the understanding of old ones, there’s always something to do. To catch up and keep up, we recommend practicing. Whether it’s projects or something else, constant engagement is paramount to achieving proficiency in Elixir quickly.
