RB: Ruby Source Code

What is Ruby?

Ruby is a dynamic, interpreted, object-oriented programming language created by Yukihiro Matsumoto (Matz) in 1995. Ruby emphasizes simplicity and productivity with an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write.

Ruby became widely popular thanks to Ruby on Rails, a powerful web application framework. The language follows the principle of least surprise, making it intuitive for developers and emphasizing programmer happiness.

Key Features

• Pure Object-Oriented: Everything is an object
• Elegant Syntax: Clean, readable code
• Dynamic Typing: Flexible variable types
• Blocks and Closures: Powerful functional programming
• Mixins: Multiple inheritance alternative
• Garbage Collection: Automatic memory management
• Rich Standard Library: Extensive built-in functionality
• Metaprogramming: Code that writes code

Common Uses

• Web development (Ruby on Rails, Sinatra)
• DevOps and automation (Chef, Puppet)
• Scripting and task automation
• API development
• Data processing and scraping
• Static site generators (Jekyll)
• Test automation (RSpec, Cucumber)

Advantages

• Elegant and readable syntax
• Strong Ruby on Rails ecosystem
• Rich gem library ecosystem
• Excellent for rapid prototyping
• Strong metaprogramming capabilities
• Developer-friendly and productive
• Great community and documentation

Limitations

• Slower execution than compiled languages
• Less popular than JavaScript or Python
• Smaller job market compared to other languages
• Performance can be an issue at scale
• Limited mobile development support

Technical Information