40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should really be titled "Thinking in Ruby", April 8, 2010
This review is from: Metaprogramming Ruby: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Paperback)
I've read quite a few Ruby books and this is one of the best. The author very effectively does a number of things in this book:
i) Highlights the conceptual differences between Ruby and other currently popular languages
ii) Shows how those conceptual differences are expressed in programming constructs by walking the reader through a number of small but realistic example problems
iii) Reviews internal details of a number of pieces of real-world software (most notably Rails) to show how the authors of these packages use the techniques he describes to solve their problems
iv) Provides a number of helpful and applicable guidelines on how to 'think in Ruby'
v) Generates a GoF style catalog of implementation patterns
vi) Skewers the notion that 'metaprogramming' is any different than regular programming
After finishing this book I have a real appreciation of the techniques the author describes, and how they can be used to write flexible, powerful, and maintainable software. Before reading this book I was aware of a number of these techniques, but I didn't necessarily understand how they could be effectively used to solve real problems. Now I do. The book truly covers how to think in Ruby - how to naturally solve problems in Ruby, as opposed to adapting techniques commonly used in languages from the C/C++/Java lineage.
The one major criticism I had of Metaprogramming Ruby was the 'fanboy' tone that permeates a lot of the text. Frequently the author seems more interested in getting you to agree with him that Ruby is great than in conveying the concepts being discussed. There are a lot of gratuitous slams of other languages (especially Java) that were frankly unnecessary and distracted from the book. Had the tone of those comparisons been a little more highbrow and a little less schoolyard, this would have been a better book.
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short and sweet, March 3, 2010
This review is from: Metaprogramming Ruby: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Paperback)
I have a BS and MS in Computer Science, and worked with Ruby professionally for two years. I've read every major Ruby book on the market. This book brought me to the next level. If you dig Ruby or Rails and are a programmer looking for the next step, this is it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential to Appreciate Ruby's Power, April 8, 2010
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Metaprogramming Ruby: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Paperback)
I have been programming in Ruby for almost two years, and I have done some Ruby on Rails. With this book I finally begin to understand what Ruby was doing for me all along -- especially when it's running on Rails. Ruby was easy to use like I've used many other languages, but now I understand how unique and powerful Ruby really is. And I'm sure that I will begin to take advantage of that extra power.
Also: the book is well written and organized. I especially like that whenever a particular topic is mentioned a page reference also appears. This makes it easy to do a quick review of the topic before going further, like "Hook Methods (181)."
This book will not sit idly on my shelf. I'll be going back to it again and again for review and further mastery of the topics.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
