Beginning Ruby and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Kindle Edition
Read the Kindle edition on Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, PC and Mac.
 
   
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $1.50 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in Open Source)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Beginning Ruby on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in Open Source) [Paperback]

Peter Cooper (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews) |
List Price: $39.99
Price: $34.32 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $5.67 (14%)
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Monday, June 4? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Textbook Student FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition $17.60   -- --
Paperback $34.32   -- --
Sell Back Your Copy for $1.50
Whether you bought it on Amazon or somewhere else, you can sell it back through our Book Trade-In Program at the current price of $1.50.
Used Price$7.50
Trade-in Price$1.50
Price after
Trade-in$6.00
There is a newer edition of this item:
Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in Open Source) Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in Open Source) 4.0 out of 5 stars (10)
$22.85
In Stock.

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1590597664 | ISBN-13: 978-1590597668 | Edition: 1

Ruby is perhaps best known as the engine powering the hugely popular Ruby on Rails web framework. However, it is an extremely powerful and versatile programming language in its own right. It focuses on simplicity and offers a fully object-oriented environment.

Beginning Ruby is a thoroughly contemporary guide for every type of reader who wants to learn Ruby, from novice programmers to web developers to Ruby newcomers. It starts by explaining the principles behind object-oriented programming and within a few chapters builds toward creating a genuine Ruby application.

The book then explains key Ruby principles, such as classes and objects, projects, modules, and libraries, and other aspects of Ruby such as database access. In addition, Ruby on Rails is covered in depth, and the books appendixes provide essential reference information as well as a primer for experienced programmers.

What you’ll learn

  • Understand the basics of Ruby and object-oriented building blocks.
  • Work with Ruby libraries, gems, and documentation.
  • Work with files and databases.
  • Write and deploy Ruby applications.
  • Explore Ruby web frameworks and aspects of network programming with Ruby.
  • Develop desktop and GUI applications with Ruby.

Who this book is for

Beginning programmers, programmers new to Ruby, and web developers interested in knowing the foundations of the language.

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Buy $50 in qualifying physical textbooks, get $2 in Amazon MP3 Credit. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Beginning Ruby: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice in Open Source) + The Ruby Programming Language + Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series)
Price For All Three: $82.47

Show availability and shipping details

Buy the selected items together

  • In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • The Ruby Programming Language by David Flanagan Paperback $24.07

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series) by Michael Hartl Paperback $24.08

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A bio is not available for this author.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 664 pages
  • Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (March 27, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1590597664
  • ISBN-13: 978-1590597668
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Peter Cooper Page
Peter Cooper
I'm a blogger and nice publisher (and author!) primarily in the Ruby space. I'm author of Beginning Ruby, the best book to get you from nowhere to somewhere when it comes to Ruby.

Prior to focusing on writing and blogging, I built a RSS (Web feed) processing business called Feed Digest which I sold in 2007, as well as a popular code snippets site which I sold also in 2007.

I'm a very active Twitter user at http://twitter.com/peterc

Customer Reviews

3 star
0
2 star
0
1 star
0
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Beginning Ruby is easily one of the most readable and clearest technical texts I have encountered in a while. I am not a professional programmer just an experienced web designer. That means that I've been exposed to some programming in the form of Perl, PHP and JavaScript but don't really know them. At the urging of a knowledgeable friend I've decided to learn to program with Ruby.

I've tried the online version of the Pickaxe book to start learning the process and found that it makes too many assumptions about programming skill for me. Not so Beginning Ruby. It is well written and assumes little programming background, not zero background but little. Perfect.

Peter Cooper has managed to introduce topics in a logical and non-intimidating manner. Explanations are clear. The writing is conversational but neither wordy or pandering. After working through about a third of the book I am feeling positive about gaining a practical working knowledge of Ruby. I don't think it actually will bring me to a truly professional level. That will take years of practice and study.

The first half or so of the book covers Ruby at the command line and text file levels. The focus of the second half moves towards using Ruby on the web. Ruby on Rails gets a more than cursory section and using Ruby without Rails in CGI is covered too, as is working with HTTP and other internet but not directly web content programming topics.

Absent is coverage of any kind of GUI programming for Ruby. That's okay because making regular installed programs not my interest. Though with OS X now offering Ruby integration with its programming environment I may eventually want to learn more.

But no one book can cover everything. If you are comfortable with hand editing code or using the command line then you should find Beginning Ruby a friendly text, part tutorial, part reference and at the introductory to intermediate levels excellent. I can't speak for the pros. Look for their reviews.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book for anyone getting started with Ruby, or who has been using Rails for a little while and feels they need stronger Ruby skills (which, I suspect, describes a great number of Rails programmers, myself included).

Despite its title, this is not just a beginner's book. It does start at the beginning, and it is written without assuming a lot of background, but it is not a simplified, dumbed-down treatment. I found it to be very easy to read, and it follows a natural progression from language basics through a variety of advanced topics.

The author is a very experienced Ruby programmer, and his insights shine throughout the book. (Among many other things, he's the creator of Feed Digest, Ruby Inside, and code snippets, which he sold to DZone.

In addition to an exposition of the language that builds nicely over the course of the book, there's chapters on the Ruby ecosystem, how to design an application, and network programming. There's also a chapter that covers many of the useful libraries and gems.

There is one chapter that summarizes Rails, but this is definitely a Ruby book, not a Rails book.

Any Ruby book will inevitably be compared to Dave Thomas' Programming Ruby (commonly known as "the Pickaxe" for the image on its cover), which has been the standard reference for the language since its debut and won't lose its spot as a reference work. I found Beginning Ruby to be easier to absorb, however, and I thought the examples were especially clear and useful. If you're already deep into Ruby, you probably don't need this book. But if you're relatively early in the learning curve, I highly recommend it.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When I was learning Ruby what I really wanted was a well-structured book that began with the assumption that I already knew how to program and then guided me quickly through the special features of Ruby. At the time such a book did not exist. Now, with the publication of Peter Cooper's "Beginning Ruby", it does.

The book is well written, nicely laid out, the explanations are clear and the code examples are useful. In short, if you already have some programming experience and want an accessible introduction to the world of Ruby, this is the book to get.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Absolutely amazing!
I am an SQA engineer and just started to learn Ruby in order to participate in code reviews. My first attempt of self-education failed due to typos and misleading instructions in... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Eugene Guinsburg
Awesome book but...
I'm one of the guys who bought the Kindle version, yet every single example in the book is cut off on the left side. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Storm Lee Holloway
Brilliant
This books foreword set the precedent. Never before have I enjoyed a books foreword so much.

The style of writing in this book is easy going, not patronising, doesn't... Read more
Published 18 months ago by S. Makse-Hill
Excellent book on Ruby
This is exactly what I was looking for in a book on Ruby. If you are new to Ruby, I recommend reading this book before getting into Rails.
Published on January 18, 2009 by Adam B. Martin
Best Ruby book for Beginners
One of the best Ruby book for beginners who come from Java or just beginner.
Published on November 19, 2008 by Software Professional
Excellent if Ruby is your first programming language
Ruby is my first programming language (I'm coming from a designer/html/css world); and this is the first book I've come across that is talking to me. Read more
Published on November 3, 2008 by Matthew C. Latkiewicz
Excellent Title
I really enjoy Peter Cooper's approach to both programming and the Ruby language. The concept are well defined, and the sample code lessons really put it all together in the end. Read more
Published on October 13, 2008 by P. Chris Tusa
LIterally from novice to professional
I am not in the habit of reviewing books that I have not finished reading, but like the clinical trial that is stopped because it is obvious that patients taking placebos are at... Read more
Published on October 12, 2008 by Marius van Handel
The best, and most comprehensive, introduction to Ruby I've seen
Every serious Ruby programmer has a copy of the venerable 'Pickaxe' (the definitive Ruby reference manual) at their disposal, but if you're just getting you're feet wet with Ruby... Read more
Published on September 6, 2008 by Zeff Morgan
Your own your way!
Beginning Ruby is one of the easier books to following Ruby, and get a decent understanding Object Oriented Programming (OOP). Read more
Published on July 2, 2008 by J.R.
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
line near the start, def initialize, ruby script, def serve, gem servers, attr accessor, params hash, bot class, gem install, shebang line, bot data, entries controller, accessor name, cavernous cave, bark method, cgi library, rescue block, text analyzer, uri library, default separator, tainted data, end def, excluding spaces, code block, source code editor
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Fred Bloggs, Laura Smith, Microsoft Windows, Debbie Watts, Tue Mar, Internet Explorer, Note Remember, Transfer Protocol, Oliver Twist, Peter Cooper, Chris Scott, Note Ruby, Windows Automation, David Heinemeier Hansson, Hello Beginning Ruby, Note Some, Tue Nov, Word Play, Common Gateway Interface, France Eugene
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(24)
(15)
(8)
(7)
(7)
(6)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
Agree with these tags?
See all 15 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:














i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...