_why’s Poignant Guide to Ruby isn’t just another programming book; it’s a whimsical journey into the world of Ruby, filled with quirky illustrations, engaging stories, and a genuine love for the language. This guide introduced a generation to Ruby, offering a unique blend of technical instruction and artistic expression.
What is _why’s Poignant Guide to Ruby?
why’s (poignant) Guide to Ruby is a free online resource that transcends the typical programming manual. It’s a book rich with narrative and personality, offering a distinct approach to learning Ruby. Many programmers, starting with a “view source code” mentality, were drawn to the Ruby language through this guide. Combining Ruby introductions, self-aware humor, and a fictional narrative featuring cartoon foxes (sometimes sad, sometimes wicked), and collages, the book evokes a fanzine vibe that resonates with readers. Many Ruby developers remember their first “Hello World” moment, often with the following code:
5.times { print "Odelay!" }The guide’s accessible explanations made it easy to follow along, even for those with limited English proficiency. The book broke down the code in plain english: “Five times print ‘Odelay!'”.
Why Does _why’s Poignant Guide Matter?
This book wasn’t just impactful for one person. It was the starting point for many developers who began their programming journey with Ruby. The story of the author’s disappearance adds another layer of intrigue to the guide’s legacy. The following short documentary (less than 20 minutes) sheds some light on the author.
Key Highlights from the Guide
My conscience won’t let me call Ruby a computer language. That would imply that the language works primarily on the computer’s terms. That the language is designed to accommodate the computer, first and foremost. That therefore, we, the coders, are foreigners, seeking citizenship in the computer’s locale. It’s the computer’s language and we are translators for the world.
But what do you call the language when your brain begins to think in that language? When you start to use the language’s own words and colloquialisms to express yourself. Say, the computer can’t do that. How can it be the computer’s language? It is ours, we speak it natively!
We can no longer truthfully call it a computer language. It is coderspeak. It is the language of our thoughts.
