Doug H wrote:
> I'd recommend the exact opposite.  If you ignore the libraries and GUI
> toolkits, the book is virtually useless.  Most people are using ruby to
> develop _applications_, not to learn programming for programming's
> sake.

Coding applications in Ruby without taking full advantage of what makes
Ruby Ruby is like walking up a hill backwards.  You'll get where you
want to go, but it could be so much nicer.

A guide to libraries would be handy, but indeed many are ephemeral or in
flux, and learning a set of distinct APIs for one thing or another is no
substitute for a proper understanding of Ruby itself.

It's the difference between being a [application|library] scripter and a 
Ruby programmer.


James



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