Review By: Mike Cohn
02/20/2006"Programming Ruby" covers all of the basic syntax and operations, as well as the different ways you may wish to use Ruby--in an interactive shell, as a Web language, with a user interface, and so on. Authors Thomas, Fowler, and Hunt delve deep into the aspects of the language. The last three hundred plus pages feature a typical but well-done library reference.

This book has a clean layout that works well, considering its over eight hundred pages. I appreciated the lay-flat spine, which came in handy when typing source code examples. Before I finished the first section, I had developed a feel for the language and was able to start writing my own simple programs that went beyond the examples given. Next, I dove into the chapters that were most relevant to my immediate needs. From there, I started writing the programs for which I wanted to use Ruby.

The authors'' writing style is very clear, concise, and direct. Examples and explanatory text are of an appropriate length. I never felt that the authors were talking down to me. The book read like they were sitting next to me, explaining new concepts. There is not much information specific to QA or testing, so I would not recommend buying a copy solely for that angle. There is one short chapter on how to unit test your Ruby programs. Another chapter describes how to use a Ruby extension to automate Windows applications. Ruby makes a good scripting language for the testing of Windows programs.
I would recently become bored with programming. Writing one more Java program did not get excite me anymore.

The book "Programming Ruby"--and the Ruby language itself--has re-ignited my passion for programming. If Ruby does become "the next big thing," then this book will certainly be in every Ruby programmer''''''''s library. It''''''''s that good. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in this powerful language.