Introduction to Ruby

Learn the basics of Ruby

Introduction to Ruby

Ruby is a dynamic, open-source programming language that emphasizes simplicity and productivity. It has an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write. It is a high-level programming language which has been used to create powerful web applications and software.

What you will learn:

  1. Ruby basics and setup
  2. Syntax, Variables, and Data Types
  3. Control Structures and Methods
  4. Classes, Modules, and Mixins
  5. Error Handling
  6. File I/O and Serialization
  7. Ruby Gems and Bundler
  8. Testing with RSpec

Ruby Basics and Setup

Ruby is easy to install. On most UNIX-like systems, you can use the package manager to install Ruby. For Windows, RubyInstaller is the easiest way to get Ruby. After installing Ruby, you can verify the installation by running ruby -v in your terminal.

Syntax, Variables, and Data Types

Ruby syntax is clean and easy to write. Variables in Ruby can hold any type of data and do not need a type declaration.

name = "John Doe" # String
age = 30 # Integer

Ruby has several data types including numbers, strings, arrays, and hashes.

Control Structures and Methods

Ruby has several control structures including if, unless, while, and until. Ruby methods are defined using the def keyword.

def greeting(name)
  "Hello, #{name}"
end

puts greeting("John Doe") # => "Hello, John Doe"

Classes, Modules, and Mixins

Ruby is an object-oriented programming language, and as such, it uses classes. You can also use modules to encapsulate methods, constants, and class variables. Mixins allow you to include methods from other modules.

Error Handling

Ruby uses exceptions for error handling. You can use begin, rescue, ensure, and raise to work with exceptions.

File I/O and Serialization

Ruby has a powerful set of classes for working with files and directories. You can also serialize objects to save them for later.

Ruby Gems and Bundler

RubyGems is a package manager for Ruby that provides a standard format for distributing Ruby libraries and applications. Bundler is a tool that manages gem dependencies for your ruby application.

Testing with RSpec

RSpec is a testing tool for Ruby. It allows you to write examples of how your code should behave, and checks that your code meets these expectations.

With this introduction, you are now ready to dive deeper into Ruby. Enjoy the journey!

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