Course of Raku

Part 1. Raku essentials

Start here. Install the compiler, then learn variables and data types, control flow, and your first subroutines — the foundation for everything that follows.

Basic introduction to Raku and its compiler

• What is Raku
• Raku vs. Rakudo
• How to install Rakudo
• Editors and IDEs
• Conventional file extensions
• Hello, World!
• Notes on using Unicode
• Running programs — 1 exercise
  • Running from command line
  • Running from REPL
  • Running from IDE
  • Using docker
  • Using online services
• Simple input and output
  • Output with say
  • Input with prompt
• Comments
  • Single-line comments — 1 quiz
  • Multi-line comments
  • Embedded comments

Variables and data types essentials

• Scalar variables — 4 exercises
  • Declaring a variable — 2 quizzes
  • Assigning a value — 2 quizzes
  • Declaration with initialization — 2 quizzes
  • The defined-or operator
  • Names of the variables — 1 quiz
• Strings — 1 quiz and 4 exercises
  • String concatenation — 3 quizzes
  • Variable interpolation — 1 quiz
  • Code interpolation
  • Escaping special characters — 1 quiz
  • String length — 1 quiz
• Numbers — 7 exercises
  • Integer numbers — 2 quizzes
  • Rational numbers — 1 quiz
  • Floating-point numbers
  • Operations with numbers
• Boolean type — 1 quiz and 3 exercises
  • Boolean operations — 1 quiz
  • Boolean operations with other types — 1 quiz
• Ranges — 1 exercise
  • Excluding endpoints — 1 quiz
  • Matching against a range — 1 quiz

Control flow essentials

• Code blocks
  • Lexical scope — 1 quiz
  • Global variables — 1 quiz
  • Local variables — 1 quiz
• Conditional checks — 4 exercises
  • if blocks — 1 quiz
  • else blocks
  • Using elsif — 1 quiz
  • Using unless
  • if and unless as statement modifiers
  • Comparing numbers — 1 quiz
  • Comparing strings — 2 quizzes
  • Ternary operator — 1 quiz
• Loops — 7 exercises
  • Using while — 1 quiz
  • Using until — 1 quiz
  • Using repeat — 1 quiz
  • while and until as statement modifiers
  • Three-statement loop
  • Infinite loops
  • for loops — 1 quiz
  • Topic variable
  • Postfix form of for — 1 quiz

More about types

• Data type conversion — 1 quiz and 3 exercises
  • Introspection with WHAT — 1 quiz
  • Converting types using type coercion methods
  • Converting types using constructor forms
  • Converting types with prefix operators
• Typed variables — 4 exercises
  • Type constraints — 1 quiz
  • Using of
  • Type conversion for typed variables — 1 quiz
  • Allomorphs
• Positional data types — 9 exercises
  • Arrays — 1 quiz
  • Nested arrays — 1 quiz
  • The @*ARGS array — 1 quiz
  • Interpolating arrays — 1 quiz
  • Lists — 1 quiz
  • Quoting string arrays — 2 quizzes
  • Subscripting ranges — 1 quiz
• Associative data types — 6 exercises
  • Pairs — 1 quiz
  • Hashes — 2 quizzes
  • Nested hashes — 1 quiz
  • Interpolating hashes — 1 quiz

Functions essentials

• Creating and calling functions — 1 quiz and 6 exercises
  • Function names — 1 quiz
  • Function parameters — 2 quizzes
  • Returning the result — 1 quiz
  • Positional parameters — 1 quiz
  • Named parameters — 2 quizzes
  • Default values — 2 quizzes
• More about functions — 1 exercise
  • Mind the space
  • Typed parameters — 1 quiz
  • Return type — 1 quiz
  • Multi-functions — 3 quizzes
• Built-in functions for printing — 2 exercises
  • say
  • print
  • put
  • note
• The MAIN function — 3 exercises
  • Reading command-line arguments — 2 quizzes
  • Multiple MAIN functions — 1 quiz
  • Using unit sub — 1 quiz