It’s easy to write correct Ruby code, but to gain the fluency needed to write great Ruby code, you must go beyond syntax and absorb the “Ruby way” of thinking and problem solving. In Eloquent Ruby, Russ Olsen helps you write Ruby like true Rubyists do–so you can leverage its immense, surprising power.

Olsen draws on years of experience internalizing the Ruby culture and teaching Ruby to other programmers. He guides you to the “Ah Ha!” moments when it suddenly becomes clear why Ruby works the way it does, and how you can take advantage of this language’s elegance and expressiveness.

Eloquent Ruby

starts small, answering tactical questions focused on a single statement, method, test, or bug. You’ll learn how to write code that actually looks like Ruby (not Java or C#); why Ruby has so many control structures; how to use strings, expressions, and symbols; and what dynamic typing is really good for.

Next, the book addresses bigger questions related to building methods and classes. You’ll discover why Ruby classes contain so many tiny methods, when to use operator overloading, and when to avoid it. Olsen explains how to write Ruby code that writes its own code–and why you’ll want to. He concludes with powerful project-level features and techniques ranging from gems to Domain Specific Languages.

A part of the renowned Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series, Eloquent Ruby will help you “put on your Ruby-colored glasses” and get results that make you a true believer.

Table of Contents

PART I: The Basics

Chapter 1: Write Code That Looks Like Ruby 

Chapter 2: Choose the Right Control Structure 

Chapter 3: Take Advantage of Ruby's Smart Collections 

Chapter 4: Take Advantage of Ruby's Smart Strings 

Chapter 5: Find the Right String with Regular Expressions 

Chapter 6: Use Symbols to Stand for Something 

Chapter 7: Treat Everything Like an Object-Because Everything Is 

Chapter 8: Embrace Dynamic Typing 

Chapter 9: Write Specs!

PART II: Classes, Modules, and Blocks

Chapter 10: Construct Your Classes from Short, Focused Methods 

Chapter 11: Define Operators Respectfully 

Chapter 12: Create Classes That Understand Equality 

Chapter 13: Get the Behavior You Need with Singleton and Class Methods 

Chapter 14: Use Class Instance Variables 

Chapter 15: Use Modules as Name Spaces 

Chapter 16: Use Modules as Mixins 

Chapter 17: Use Blocks to Iterate 

Chapter 18: Execute Around with a Block 

Chapter 19: Save Blocks to Execute Later 

PART III: Metaprogramming

Chapter 20: Use Hooks to Keep Your Program Informed 

Chapter 21: Use method_missing for Flexible Error Handling 

Chapter 22: Use method_missing for Delegation 

Chapter 23: Use method_missing to Build Flexible APls 

Chapter 24: Update Existing Classes with Monkey Patching 

Chapter 25: Create Self-Modifying Classes 

Chapter 26: Create Classes That Modify Their Subclasses 

PART IV: Pulling It All Together

Chapter 27: Invent Internal DSLs 

Chapter 28: Build External DSLs for Flexible Syntax 

Chapter 29: Package Your Programs as Gems 

Chapter 30: Know Your Ruby Implementation 

Chapter 31: Keep an Open Mind to Go with Those Open Classes 

About the Author

Russ Olsen’s career spans three decades, during which he has written everything from graphics device drivers to document management applications. These days, he diligently codes GIS, web service security, and process automation solutions. He spends much of his otherwise free time writing and speaking about programming, especially Ruby and Clojure. His first book was the highly regarded Design Patterns In Ruby (Addison-Wesley, 2007). He is also the lurking presence behind the Technology As If People Mattered blog at www.russolsen.com.