From: Martin Coxall <pseudo.meta@...>
Date: 2006-10-06T18:05:51+09:00
Subject: Re: K&R for Ruby

On 10/6/06, Tim Becker <a2800276@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I am quite comfortable with programming, and I am currently reading
> > "Programming Ruby" which I like, but it seems too much. Ie it makes
> > Ruby seem like a very big language, perhaps it actually is?
>
> You're reading the second edition. It turned out bloated, lost focus
> and treats too many libraries and tools. The first edition was much
> more concise, along the lines of K&R. It's the version that's
> available online (http://www.rubycentral.com/book/).
>

I think that's slightly unfair. The first half is concise and
well-written. The second half is a library reference, and is mostly
unnecessary since more up-to-date stuff can be gotten through ri and
rdoc.

Even though you'll only read the first half, and occasionally dip in
to the second to look something up, it's still a fine book.

Its big drawback, is that it doesn't go to far into some more
advanced, but still idiomatically Ruby ways of using the language.

For example, there's little discussion on the use of metaprogramming,
using things like instance_eval and define_method, for example.
There's nothing on using continuations. Plus common Ruby idioms go
unmentioned.

After reading it, for example, I still had no idea what

klass = class <<self; self; end

Would do.

Martin

Martin

Martin