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Metaprogramming Ruby: Program Like the Ruby Pros 1st Edition

by Paolo Perrotta (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars (50)
Everyone in the Ruby world seems to be talking about metaprogramming--how you can use it to remove duplication in your code and write elegant, beautiful programs. Now you can get in on the action as well.

This book describes metaprogramming as an essential component of Ruby. Once you understand the principles of Ruby, including the object model, scopes, and eigenclasses, you're on your way to applying metaprogramming both in your daily work and in your fun, after-hours projects.

Learning metaprogramming doesn't have to be difficult or boring. By taking you on a Monday-through-Friday workweek adventure with a pair of programmers, Paolo Perrotta helps make mastering the art of metaprogramming both straightforward and entertaining.

The book is packed with:

  • Pragmatic examples of metaprogramming in action, many of which come straight from popular libraries or frameworks, such as Rails.
  • Programming challenges that let you experiment and play with some of the most fun, "out-there" metaprogramming concepts.
  • Metaprogramming spells--34 practical recipes and idioms that you can study and apply right now, to write code that is sure to impress.

    Whether you're a Ruby apprentice on the path to mastering the language or a Ruby wiz in search of new tips, this book is for you.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1934356476
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1934356470
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Pragmatic Bookshelf
  5. Publication date
    March 23, 2010
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    7.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  8. Print length
    296 pages
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Metaprogramming Ruby 2: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Facets of Ruby)
Metaprogramming Ruby 2: Program Like the Ruby Pros (Facets of Ruby)
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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. These days, Paolo coaches agile teams for Yoox, a large Internet fashion shop, and teaches Java to developers throughout Europe. He lives in Bologna, Italy, with his girlfriend and a cat. He loves Ruby.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pragmatic Bookshelf
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1934356476
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1934356470
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #2,235,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars (50)

About the author

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Paolo Perrotta

Paolo Perrotta

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Paolo Perrotta speaks and writes about software development. He worked as a developer all around the world, in domains that range from embedded to enterprise software, computer games, and web applications. He is the author of Metaprogramming Ruby, Programming Machine Learning, and the Git courses on Pluralsight. He has a basecamp in Bologna, Italy.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
50 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book provides helpful information about metaprogramming concepts and is super readable. Moreover, they appreciate the programming language content, with one customer noting it covers object-oriented programming effectively. Additionally, the writing style receives mixed reactions, with some finding it well written while others describe it as obnoxious. The storyline also gets mixed reviews, with one customer appreciating the fictional coworkers narrative while another finds it boring.
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14 customers mention knowledge, 12 positive, 2 negative
Customers appreciate the book's knowledge, particularly its explication of metaprogramming concepts and practical examples, with one customer noting how it improved their Ruby programming skills and another mentioning how it increased their understanding of Rails.
...how Metaprogramming Ruby works, by all means: buy this book, it is very useful! The content of the book is excellent!...Read more
...There is a ton of good information in this book that can be used for new projects, refactoring, and anything in between....Read more
The book contains great practical examples of how to use metaprogramming, taking you through basic designs and improving them incrementally with...Read more
...good introduction for those only newly come to Ruby, with excellent examples throughout.Read more
5 customers mention readability, 4 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book super readable, with one mentioning it is easy to understand.
This book is well written and quite easy to read. The author takes a novel approach at presenting one of ruby's more difficult topics/features....Read more
...Now I'm reading it the second time. It's enjoyable reading it. If you're a serious Ruby developer, you HAVE TO own a copy of it.Read more
...I found this easy to understand and useful from a process standpoint....Read more
...I can only second that statement! It is extremely annoying to read this book because of the stupid side-story, and it is very hard to find the...Read more
4 customers mention programming language, 3 positive, 1 negative
Customers appreciate the book's programming content, with one customer highlighting its coverage of metaprogramming in Ruby and another noting its good handle on object-oriented programming.
...of good information in this book that can be used for new projects, refactoring, and anything in between....Read more
This was exactly what I was looking for. I have a good handle on object oriented programming but was having trouble around understanding some of the...Read more
Great content, bad editing...Read more
...I highly recommend it not only for Metaprogramming in Ruby, but also to get deep insight into how Ruby works - The Ruby Object Model, Ruby's...Read more
3 customers mention author style, 3 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the author's style, with one noting their effective approach and another highlighting their use of good examples.
...The author very effectively does a number of things in this book:...Read more
This book is well written and quite easy to read. The author takes a novel approach at presenting one of ruby's more difficult topics/features....Read more
...The techniques described are very useful, and the author uses mostly good examples to illustrate the use of the different recipes....Read more
3 customers mention design patterns, 3 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the design patterns in the book, with one mentioning it generates a GoF style catalog of implementation patterns, while another notes it takes readers through basic designs.
...great practical examples of how to use metaprogramming, taking you through basic designs and improving them incrementally with concepts from the text...Read more
...BTW, another one of the best is "Design patterns in Ruby".) Now I'm reading it the second time. It's enjoyable reading it....Read more
...Generates a GoF style catalog of implementation patterns...Read more
3 customers mention storyline, 1 positive, 2 negative
Customers have mixed reactions to the storyline of the book, with some finding it engaging, while others describe it as boring.
...attempts to present said information as a story. That story is very boring, gets old after the first paragraph, and makes it very difficult...Read more
...contrast to some other reviewers, I like how the book weaves a story about two fictional coworkers as it explicates metaprogramming concepts....Read more
...reviews I saw before reading the book mentioned the story-based narrative was distracting....Read more
3 customers mention writing style, 2 positive, 1 negative
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it well written while others describe it as obnoxious.
...Meta-programming is one of those, its beautiful written, whit-full, smart and still as concise as the topic it speaks about....Read more
...orangekay's review here on Amazon: [...] it's written in a really annoying tone that attempts to present said information as a story....Read more
This book is well written and quite easy to read. The author takes a novel approach at presenting one of ruby's more difficult topics/features....Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Peter M. Goldstein
    5.0 out of 5 stars Should really be titled "Thinking in Ruby"
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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
    54 people found this helpful
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  • p shelley
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Ruby books I've ever read
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The book contains great practical examples of how to use metaprogramming, taking you through basic designs and improving them incrementally with concepts from the text. I found this easy to understand and useful from a process standpoint. Like many others, I'd used Ruby metaprogramming many times before without fully understanding what I was doing. The book filled in many missing details for me. For the first time I felt I understood the Ruby object model. I actually dreamed of the object model after reading the book, seeing all of the parts line up. In contrast to some other reviewers, I like how the book weaves a story about two fictional coworkers as it explicates metaprogramming concepts. The light-hearted side story made it super readable for me since I enjoy narrative. The storyline kept me interested and made the text less dry. In conclusion, this is an excellent book that I will return to again and again. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to put the pieces together of Ruby Metaprogramming.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book I've Read on Ruby
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book gets to the heart of what makes Ruby such an amazing language. It is also a great example of why reading an in-depth discussion on a topic in (e)book form can be far more valuable than spending the same amount of time researching the topic online.

    The author starts by letting you know the ever-important "whys" around the language's origin & design; many of which I didn't know despite programming in Ruby for many years. Building on these basics, the author presents a coherent view of how to use the unique features of the language to become much more effective at software development. He extends this with example after example of how the world's best have done exactly that in Ruby's popular frameworks & gems -- including the core components of Ruby on Rails and ActiveRecord.

    A few reviews I saw before reading the book mentioned the story-based narrative was distracting. While I can completely see this point of view, and the author is a developer not a novelist for sure, the story did serve as a solid tool to connect the various topics.

    Highly, highly recommended.
    One person found this helpful
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  • execdd17
    5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Book!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I've been using Ruby for about 3 years now and thought I had a good understanding of the language and its capabilities. Wow, was I wrong! This book was like a grenade going off in my head that rearranged my perception of Ruby programming reality. There is a ton of good information in this book that can be used for new projects, refactoring, and anything in between.

    A great thing about this book is that it presents these cool but seemingly impractical techniques, and then gives you a great real world example of just how common and practical it really is. Another thing I wasn't expecting is the humor. I laughed out loud reading some sections of the book.

    I'm not sure that I'd recommend this for the new Rubyist, but if you have a decent foundation, this book will take you to the next level.
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  • computer user
    5.0 out of 5 stars I learned more about ruby from this book than any other
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I am an experienced software developer who has only recently started working on ruby and rails projects. I thought meta-programming was interesting but that I was not experienced enough with the language yet to benefit from reading much about it. It turns out that learning the techniques in this book has taught me so much about the ruby object model and how the language works that it has benefited all aspects of my ruby programming and drastically increased my understanding of how rails works. I cannot recommend it highly enough for that reason alone. I cannot however attest to its usefulness to people who want to use it as a foundation for doing serious ruby meta-programming themselves.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible si programas en Ruby
    Reviewed in Spain on June 24, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Libro imprescindible si programas en Ruby. Lo mejor es que su lectura se hace bastante entretenida, cosa rara en libros técnicos. Un 10.
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  • Chris
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wer dieses Buch liest, versteht, wie Ruby wirklich funktioniert.
    Reviewed in Germany on July 7, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Das Buch erklärt zwar - wie der Titel sagt - viele Tricks aus der Metaprogramming-Zauberkiste. Das wirklich wertvolle an diesem Buch finde ich jedoch, dass es die beste und gründlichste Erklärung des Ruby Objekt-Modells enthält, die ich bisher gefunden habe.

    Diese Buch hat mir enorm geholfen, alle Ruby-spezifischen Konzepte wie Singleton Classes, Scopes, Klassenobjekte, method_missing, method lookup, include/extend, ancestor chain, class_eval/instance_eval etc wirklich zu verstehen und sicher anwenden zu können.

    Im hinteren Teil gibts es dazu eine handliche Referenz, die typische Idiome und Patterns erklärt (der Autor nennt sie "Spells"), die man in Ruby-Code häufig antrifft und die die eigene Arbeit erleichtern.

    Wer Ruby wirklich verstehen will, sollte dieses Buch unbedingt anschauen und sich nicht vom Titel abschrecken lassen.
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  • Ivo Jesus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-bending!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a mind bending book. I already had o little crush on Ruby but after this book, I'm completely in love!
    The book is clear, it has a funny way of introducing things and the whole "lets tell a story about this" kind of approach just makes it seem like I'm not reading a technical book but a story book.
    This book helped me understand how many ruby gems do things, especially ActiveRecord, and helped me be a better programmer.
    Now I'm so much into the metaprogramming concept that any language that doesn't support it, I'm not interested!
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  • dgt79
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book on Ruby
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is the best Ruby book I came across as it explains the concepts behind Ruby in a very easy to understand way. Besides, the book is written in a very similar style to Head First - Design Patterns, which is funny and easy to follow. I was also pleased to see that it's up to date with Ruby 1.9.
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  • N.Piaschinski
    5.0 out of 5 stars Einführung in "Metaprogramming Ruby" gelungen
    Reviewed in Germany on June 1, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Nachdem ich ein deutsches Handbuch in Einführung Ruby und Rails gelesen hatte, waren für mich noch zu viele Fragen offen. Schließlich möchte (muss) man ja verstehen, wie die Methoden, Klassen und Objekte in Ruby miteinander funktionieren.

    Das Kindle-Buch "Metaprogramming Ruby" hat für mich diese große Lücke geschlossen. Auch wenn man in der englischen Sprache nicht ganz zu Hause ist, ist dieses Buch - umrahmt von einer kleinen Alltagsgeschichte aus dem Büro (Workshop) - sehr gut zu lesen.

    Im Rahmen eines Workshops in Form von Aufgaben werden hier die verschiedensten Methoden/Klassen/Objekte und die Funktionsweise innerhalb von Ruby dargestellt.

    Auf jeden Fall macht es Lust auf mehr... Also von meiner Seite eine klare Kaufempfehlung!
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