Hi list
Apart from good old Google based research and trawling mailing
archives, which Ruby books can you recommend.
If I were to buy 1 or 2 which would it be?
I just recently picked up Ruby, primarily from books, so I'll tell you
what I used. Your milage may vary, of course...
I read "Programming Ruby" first. I felt it was a very good book...
for programmers who are already familiar with one or more languages. A
scripting language background (Perl, Python, etc.) is even more handy.
I'm not saying a rank beginner couldn't learn from it, but I didn't
feel like they were the intended audience. Just as one example, I
don't feel this book teaches Object Orientation (outside the syntax for
using it). I think you're going to need to know these concepts
eventually in a language like Ruby. You'll have to bring that
knowledge with you though, or find it elsewhere. Again, I want to
stress that I'm trying to give an honest, not negative, opinion. I
enjoyed the book a lot and I did learn Ruby from it. I believe a
second edition is due out soon, if you want to wait.
After that I read "The Ruby Way", which is basically a Ruby cookbook.
I always find these kind of books help me get the practical side of a
language to go along with the theory and this book was no exception. I
enjoyed it too. Again though, this is a book for people who know Ruby.
It's unlikely you could learn it here, in my opinion.
Hope that helps.
James Edward Gray II
