From: ptkwt@... (Phil Tomson)
Date: 2005-12-16T06:07:40+09:00
Subject: Re: Forthcoming 2nd ed. of _The Ruby Way_

In article <e3ecfac70512151053y523c7364ha47b2b79b8985f8d@mail.gmail.com>,
Gavri Fernandez  <gavri.fernandez@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 12/15/05, James Britt <james_b@neurogami.com> wrote:
>
>> Coding applications in Ruby without taking full advantage of what makes
>> Ruby Ruby is like walking up a hill backwards.  You'll get where you
>> want to go, but it could be so much nicer.
>>
>> A guide to libraries would be handy, but indeed many are ephemeral or in
>> flux, and learning a set of distinct APIs for one thing or another is no
>> substitute for a proper understanding of Ruby itself.
>>
>> It's the difference between being a [application|library] scripter and a
>> Ruby programmer.
>
>'The Ruby Way' handles metaprogramming and other advanced topics in a
>very cursory manner. More than half of The Ruby Way was concerned with
>Ruby's libraries. But many of you seem to expect the second edition to
>completely shift it's focus. I don't know how that's going to happen
>just by ripping out 100 pages and adding 250 pages considering all the
>new stuff from that keyword soup is going in.
>
>Aren't there "Advanced Ruby" books in japanese that could be
>translated? I've been hoping for a long time someone would translate
>that "Ruby Internals" book and others like it. But all I see is
>another cookbook from O'Reilly and a bunch of Rails books. There's a
>huge market here. I, for example, would buy any book that says
>"Advanced Ruby" on the cover (without even bothering to open the book
>and check out the contents) :-)

 I guess I'm pushing for this shift of focus in The Ruby Way because it's 
already about 1/2 way there.  Again, I would suggest that any chapters dealing 
with specific libraries, GUI toolkits should be eliminated from the 2nd ed.  
and other chapters on advanced Ruby programming topics should be added.  I 
think this will help TRW become an enduring classic.

We really need an advanced Ruby book now.  There are cookbooks on the horizon 
and there are other Rails related titles as well as some introductory texts, 
but I haven't heard about plans for an advanced book.  I think The Ruby Way 
could be that book.

Phil