About the Book
Use Ruby and youll write better code, be more productive, and enjoy programming more. "I love it. Conceptually it is really clean, and sweet." --Kent Beck, author of Extreme Programming Explained, on the Ruby language Ruby is a true object-oriented programming language that makes the craft of programming easier. Ruby is a transparent language: It doesnt obscure your program behind unnecessary syntax or reams of extra support code. Guided by the Principle of Least Surprise, Ruby embodies the values of consistency and simplicity of expression. Its more than a programming language: Its a concise way of expressing ideas. Ruby supports natural intelligence--yours. Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmers Guide is your complete Ruby resource. It provides a tutorial and overview of Ruby version 1.6; a detailed description of the languages structure, syntax, and operation; a guide to building applications with Ruby; and a comprehensive library reference. Mining real rubies is hard work done with a pickaxe, but mining ruby the language is simple With this book, youll find it remarkably easy to Learn Ruby basics.
Youll find normal stuff like classes, objects, and exceptions, as well as more interesting features, such as infinite-precision integers, iterators, mixins, and threads. *Write large, well-structured Ruby programs *Write CGI scripts and create dynamic Ruby pages for the Web *Create cross-platform GUI applications *Access Microsoft Windows native API calls and automate Windows applications *Extend Ruby using C code Other gems youll find in Programming Ruby include: *An alphabetical reference to all of the built-in classes, modules, and the standard library, documenting over a thousand methods *A reference to object-oriented design libraries, network and Web libraries, and Microsoft Windows support *A guide to downloading the Ruby language itself, as well as other Ruby resources *Numerous examples (that really work) appear throughout the book. You will come away from this book with an appreciation for Rubys power, flexibility, and clarity. Youll be armed with the information you need to put Ruby to work for you and your projects. The authors maintain the Ruby FAQ, which can be found on-line at both www.rubycentral.com and www.pragmaticprogrammer.com.
Table of Contents:
Foreword.
Preface.
1. Roadmap.
I. FACETS OF RUBY.
2. Ruby New.
Ruby Is an Object-Oriented Language.
Some Basic Ruby.
Arrays and Hashes.
Control Structures.
Regular Expressions.
Blocks and Iterators.
Reading and `Riting.
Onward and Upward.
3. Classes, Objects, and Variables.
Inheritance and Messages.
Objects and Attributes.
Class Variables and Class Methods.
Access Control.
Variables.
4. Containers, Blocks, and Iterators.
Containers.
Blocks and Iterators.
5. Standard Types.
Numbers.
Strings.
Ranges.
Regular Expressions.
6. More about Methods.
Defining a Method.
Calling a Method.
7. Expressions.
Operator Expressions.
Miscellaneous Expressions.
Assignment.
Conditional Execution.
Case Expressions.
Loops.
Variable Scope and Loops.
8. Exceptions, Catch, and Throw.
The Exception Class.
Handling Exceptions.
Raising Exceptions.
Catch and Throw.
9. Modules.
Namespaces.
Mixins.
Iterators and the Enumerable Module.
Including Other Files.
10. Basic Input and Output.
What Is an IO Object?
Opening and Closing Files.
Reading and Writing Files.
Talking to Networks.
11. Threads and Processes.
Multithreading.
Controlling the Thread Scheduler.
Mutual Exclusion.
Running Multiple Processes.
12. When Trouble Strikes.
Ruby Debugger.
Interactive Ruby.
But It Doesn't Work!
But It's Too Slow!
II. RUBY IN ITS SETTING.
13. Ruby and Its World.
Command-Line Arguments.
Program Termination.
Environment Variables.
Where Ruby Finds Its Modules.
Build Environment.
14. Ruby and the Web.
Writing CGI Scripts.
Embedding Ruby in HTML.
Improving Performance.
15. Ruby Tk.
Simple Tk Application.
Widgets.
Binding Events.
Canvas.
Scrolling.
Translating from Perl/Tk Documentation.
16. Ruby and Microsoft Windows.
Ruby Ports.
Running Ruby Under Windows.
Win32API.
Windows Automation.
17. Extending Ruby.
Ruby Objects in C.
Writing Ruby in C.
Sharing Data Between Ruby and C.
Memory Allocation.
Creating an Extension.
Embedding a Ruby Interpreter.
Bridging Ruby to Other Languages.
Ruby C Language API.
III. RUBY CRYSTALLIZED.
18. The Ruby Language.
Source Layout.
The Basic Types.
Names.
Variables and Constants.
Predefined Variables.
Expressions.
Boolean Expressions.
If and Unless Expressions.
Case Expressions.
Loop Constructs.
Method Definition.
Invoking a Method.
Aliasing.
Class Definition.
Module Definitions.
Access Control.
Blocks, Closures, and Proc Objects.
Exceptions.
Catch and Throw.
19. Classes and Objects.
How Classes and Objects Interact.
Class and Module Definitions.
Top-Level Execution Environment.
Inheritance and Visibility.
Freezing Objects.
20. Locking Ruby in the Safe.
Safe Levels.
Tainted Objects.
21. Reflection, ObjectSpace, and Distributed Ruby.
Looking at Objects.
Looking at Classes.
Calling Methods Dynamically.
System Hooks.
Tracing Your Program's Execution.
Marshaling and Distributed Ruby.
Compile Time? Runtime? Anytime!
IV. RUBY LIBRARY REFERENCE.
22. Built-In Classes.
Alphabetical Listing.
Array.
Bignum.
Binding.
Class.
Continuation.
Dir.
Exception.
FalseClass.
File.
File::Stat.
Fixnum.
Float.
Hash.
Integer.
IO.
MatchData.
Method.
Module.
NilClass.
Numeric.
Object.
Proc.
Range.
Regexp.
String.
Struct.
Struct::Tms.
Symbol.
Thread.
ThreadGroup.
Time.
TrueClass.
23. Built-in Modules.
Alphabetical Listing.
Comparable.
Enumerable.
Errno.
FileTest.
GC.
Kernel.
Marshal.
Math.
ObjectSpace.
Process.
24. Standard Library.
Complex.
Date.
English.
Find.
File.
GetoptLong.
mkmf.
ParseDate.
profile.
PStore.
Tempfile.
Mutex.
ConditionVariable.
timeout.
WeakRef.
25. Object-Oriented Design Libraries.
Visitor.
Delegate.
Observer.
Singleton.
26. Network and Web Libraries.
Socket-Level Access.
BasicSocket.
IPSocket.
TCPSocket.
SOCKSSocket.
TCPServer.
UDPSocket.
UNIXSocket.
UNIXServer.
Socket.
Higher-Level Access.
Net::FTP.
Net::HTTP.
Net::HTTPResponse.
Net::POP.
Net::APOP.
Net::POPMail.
Net::SMTP.
Net::Telnet.
CGI Development.
CGI.
CGI::Session.
27. Microsoft Windows Support.
WIN32OLE.
WIN32OLE_EVENT.
Win32API.
V. APPENDICES.
A: Embedded Documentation.
Inline Formatting.
Cross References.
Method Names.
Including Other Files.
Using rdtool.
Mandatory Disclaimer.
B: Interactive Ruby Shell.
Command Line.
Initialization File.
Commands.
Restrictions.
rtags, xmp, and the Frame Class.
C: Support.
Web Sites.
Download Sites.
Usenet Newsgroup.
Mailing Lists.
Bug Reporting.
D: Bibliography.
Index. 0201710897T04062001
About the Author :
Dave Thomas likes to fly single-engine airplanes and pays for his habit by finding elegant solutions to difficult problems, consulting in areas as diverse as aerospace, banking, financial services, telecommunications, travel and transport, and the Internet. Before moving to the United States in 1994, Dave founded an ISO9001-certified English software company that delivered sophisticated, custom software projects throughout the world. Dave is now an independent consultant based in Dallas, Texas.
Andy Hunt is an avid woodworker and musician, but, curiously, he is more in demand as a consultant. He has worked in telecommunications, banking, financial services, and utilities, as well as in more exotic fields, such as medical imaging, graphic arts, and Internet services. Andy specializes in blending tried-and-true techniques with leading-edge technologies, creating novel--but practical--solutions. Andy owns his own consulting business in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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