Preface

In the nearly 10 years since the first edition of The Well-Grounded Rubyist was published, Ruby has achieved wild popularity and made an indelible mark on the programming landscape. Once-fledgling startups that used Ruby have become dominant forces in business and technology. Trade schools and teaching programs have sprung up to teach Ruby to newcomers from all walks of life. The programming language with a friendly creator and a warm, inviting community has touched many, many programmers and changed their professional lives for the better.

Ruby is ever changing and evolving. Not only new methods but new programming techniques have become available. Some long-existing techniques have either gained in popularity or fallen out of popular use. The Well-Grounded Rubyist attempts to put its finger on the pulse of the Ruby programming community to teach not only the most important principles but also those most commonly in use today. This edition targets Ruby 2.5.

The Well-Grounded Rubyist has become one of the most popular and trusted texts for learning Ruby. Much of the teaching in the book is done by example, giving countless opportunities to follow along with your own code and build on the foundations provided in the text. Earlier editions established this approach, and this third edition expands on it, providing more sample code and exercises than ever before.

We’re excited for you to begin your journey through this edition of The Well-Grounded Rubyist. Whether you’re reading this book for the first, second, or third time, we hope you’ll find something new and inspiring, and something that ignites your love of Ruby and keeps it burning!