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Agile Web Development with Rails, Fourth Edition--New from Pragmatic Bookshelf

Press release: April 5, 2011

Agile Web Development with Rails, Fourth Edition

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Raleigh, NC—The Ruby on Rails web framework is the framework for modern, accelerated web development, and Agile Web Development with Rails, 4th Edition (Pragmatic Bookshelf, $43.95) remains the definitive guide to this fundamental technology.

Rails 3 and Ruby 1.9 bring hundreds of improvements, including new APIs and substantial performance enhancements. The fourth edition of this award-winning classic has been reorganized and refocused so it's more useful than ever before for developers new to Ruby and Rails.

Rails 3 is a major release—the changes aren't just incremental, but structural. So we decided to follow suit. This book isn't just a mild reworking of the previous edition to make it run with the new Rails. Instead, it's a complete refactoring.

You'll still find the Depot example at the front, but you'll also find testing knitted right in. Gone are the long reference chapters—that's what the web does best. Instead you'll find more targeted information on all the aspects of Rails that you'll need to be a successful Web developer.

Ruby on Rails helps you produce high-quality, beautiful-looking web applications quickly. You concentrate on creating the application, and Rails takes care of the details.

Tens of thousands of developers have used this award-winning book to learn Rails. It's a broad, far-reaching tutorial and reference that's recommended by the Rails core team. If you're new to Rails, you'll get step-by-step guidance. If you're an experienced developer, this book will give you the comprehensive, insider information you need.

Rails has evolved over the years, and this book has evolved along with it. We still start with a step-by-step walkthrough of building a real application, and in-depth chapters look at the built-in Rails features. This edition now gives new Ruby and Rails users more information on the Ruby language and takes more time to explain key concepts throughout. Best practices on how to apply Rails continue to change, and this edition keeps up. Examples use cookie backed sessions, HTTP authentication, and Active Record-based forms, and the book focuses throughout on the right way to use Rails. Additionally, this edition now reflects Ruby 1.9, a new release of Ruby with substantial functional and performance improvements.

Available in epub, mobi, and PDF direct from the publisher and in paperback from fine bookstores worldwide.

Advance Praise
"After reading through the latest edition cover to cover, I can happily say that it continues that trend and remains the first book I recommend to any new Rails developer."
—Mikel Lindsaar, Rails core commit team, creator of the Ruby Mail library, and director, RubyX

"I've never read a programming book as successful as Agile Web Development with Rails. Sam made learning Ruby on Rails easy, comprehensive, and fun."
—Keith Ballinger, Chairman of WS-I's first Basic Profile working group; author; and key contributor to the .NET and Visual Studio .NET frameworks

For a review copy or more information please email pragprogpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

About the Authors

Sam Ruby is a prominent software developer who is a co-chair of the W3C HTML Working Group and has made significant contributions to many of the Apache Software Foundation's open source software projects. He is a Senior Technical Staff Member in the Emerging Technologies Group of IBM.

View Sam Ruby's full profile page.

Dave Thomas, as one of the authors of the Agile Manifesto, understands agility. As the author of "Programming Ruby," he understands Ruby. And, as an active Rails developer, he knows Rails.

View Dave Thomas's full profile page.

David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of the Rails framework.

View David Heinemeier Hansson's full profile page.

Additional Resources
For more information about the book, including: code, errata, discussions, full table of contents, excerpts from the book and more, see the catalog page for Agile Web Development with Rails (4th edition).

Agile Web Development with Rails, Fourth Edition Agile Web Development with Rails, Fourth Edition
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf
By Sam Ruby, Dave Thomas, David Heinemeier Hansson
Print ISBN: 9781934356548  
Pages: 480
Print Price: $43.95  
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

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About Pragmatic Bookshelf
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The Pragmatic Bookshelf features books written by developers for developers. The titles continue the well-known Pragmatic Programmer style, and continue to garner awards and rave reviews. As development gets more and more difficult, the Pragmatic Programmers will be there with more titles and products to help programmers stay on top of their game.

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