Metaprogramming Ruby--New from Pragmatic Bookshelf

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***For Immediate Release***

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Mary Rotman
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Metaprogramming Ruby--New from Pragmatic Bookshelf
Program Like the Ruby Pros

Raleigh, NC--Ruby is magical: it can manipulate itself at runtime. Few languages can do this. Ruby
supports code that writes code (metaprogramming) in a more dynamic way than you can do using code
generators or compilers. With Ruby, runtime isn't set in concrete like an aging building. Instead,
it's more like a busy, thriving marketplace. Bits of code can walk up to other bits and ask them
questions about themselves, and work out what to do next. These techniques make it far easier to
extend and adapt existing programs as they're running.

The problem is that metaprogramming techniques have been out of reach for common Rubyists--let
alone for newbie Rubyites. But according to author and developer Paolo Perrotta, the flexibility
and elegance of metaprogramming "isn't an obscure art reserved for Ruby gurus." In his new book,
Metaprogramming Ruby: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Pragmatic Bookshelf, $32.95), Perrotta clearly
describes 34 "spellsâ" or language patterns that make metaprogramming understandable to Rubyists at
all levels.

The book, Metaprogramming Ruby, uses stories and case studies to teach the techniques. Part 1,
Metaprogramming Ruby, follows a new programmer as he learns the five core concepts: the object
model, methods, blocks, class definitions, and code that writes code. Part 2, Metaprogramming in
Rails, is presented as a case study.  Readers closely examine source code in Rails--the flagship
Ruby framework--and see how the masters actually use metaprogramming to develop real-world
software.

Fun but provocative quizzes encourage readers to dig in--or to run off and think about the
concepts. Three appendices expand the book, gathering useful idioms, resources on domain-specific
languages, and a summary of the book's magic spells for metaprogramming.

To Perrotta, there's no reason for Ruby programmers to be intimidated by metaprogramming or to
consider it a "bolt-on power feature." He writes, "If you want to take the path to advanced Ruby
coding, you'll find metaprogramming at every step. Even if you're happy with the amount of Ruby you
already know and use, you're still likely to stumble on metaprogramming in your coding travels: in
the source of popular frameworks, in your favorite library, and even in small examples from random
blogs. Until you master metaprogramming, you won't be able to tap into the full power of the Ruby
language."

With Metaprogramming Ruby, new and experienced Rubyists can follow a practitioner's journey to
learn metaprogramming and then dive into examples of live code written by Ruby masters. Like the
best teachers, Perrotta strips away what's mysterious or intimidating about his subject--and
delivers the magic.

Advance Praise
"In Ruby, the practitioners of metaprogramming have found a language where they are only
constrained by their imagination. To reach mastery is hard, and even harder is to apply it
tastefully. This book gives a grounding in the fundamentals of metaprogramming Ruby in such a way
that anyone can pick it up and then immediately start using it. Paolo brings out the core of how
simple metaprogramming can be in this book, and that is no easy task." 
--Ola Bini, ThoughtWorks

For a review copy or more information please email maryr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery
address and contact information.

Paolo Perrotta has more than ten years of experience as a developer and writer. He worked for
domains ranging from embedded to enterprise software, computer games, and web applications.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover
graphic, see: http://post.oreilly.com/rd/9z1z0cvtnbrbfi4he26j52cm6pj4n8...

Metaprogramming Ruby
http://post.oreilly.com/rd/9z1ztjr551m8l5get2v93t1vd50r6q...
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf
Paolo Perrotta
ISBN 13: 9781934356470, 240 pages,
$32.95 USD
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

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