Ruby is an interpreted language, capable of saving programmers considerable time during program development since no compilation and linking are necessary. It is ideal for writing text-processing applications, server-side scripts, application prototypes, mathematics, and for many everyday programming tasks. Reviews Ruby's clever syntax and demonstrates why that makes it a perfect choice for beginning programmers, and also shows how its multipurpose capabilities make it a sound choice for experienced developers Explores Ruby's uses for prototyping, text processing, and other tasks

Suresh Mahadevan is an engineering graduate with three years' experience in developing technical courses and Instructor-Led Training materials (ILTs). He started his career by training professionals on various technologies ranging from Microsoft to Sun. For the past two years, Mahadevan has worked with the Knowledge Solutions Business group (KSB) of NIIT, Ltd., where he is the team leader on a project to develop a successful learning solution for clients. He is also the author of other technical books.