Ruby Under a Microscope. An Illustrated Guide to Ruby Internals 1st Edition

How Ruby Works Under the HoodRuby is a powerful programming language with a focus on simplicity, but beneath its elegant syntax it performs countless unseen tasks.Ruby Under a Microscope gives you a hands-on look at Ruby’s core, using extensive diagrams and thorough explanations to show you how Ruby is implemented (no C skills required). Author Pat Shaughnessy takes a scientific approach, laying out a series of experiments with Ruby code to take you behind the scenes of how programming languages work. You’ll even find information on JRuby and Rubinius (two alternative implementations of Ruby), as well as in-depth explorations of Ruby’s garbage collection algorithm.Ruby Under a Microscope will teach you:How a few computer science concepts underpin Ruby’s complex implementationHow Ruby executes your code using a virtual machineHow classes and modules are the same inside RubyHow Ruby employs algorithms originally developed for LispHow Ruby uses grammar rules to parse and understand your codeHow your Ruby code is translated into a different language by a compilerNo programming language needs to be a black box. Whether you’re already intrigued by language implementation or just want to dig deeper into Ruby, you’ll find Ruby Under a Microscope a fascinating way to become a better programmer.Covers Ruby 2.x, 1.9 and 1.8 Table of contents Foreword by Aaron PattersonAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: Tokenization and ParsingChapter 2: CompilationChapter 3: How Ruby Executes Your CodeChapter 4: Control Structures and Method DispatchChapter 5: Objects and ClassesChapter 6: Method Lookup and Constant LookupChapter 7: The Hash Table: The Workhorse of Ruby InternalsChapter 8: How Ruby Borrowed a Decades-Old Idea from LispChapter 9: MetaprogrammingChapter 10: JRuby: Ruby on the JVMChapter 11: Rubinius: Ruby Implemented with RubyChapter 12: Garbage Collection in MRI, JRuby, and Rubinius