The Pragmatic Bookshelf

Agile Web Development with Rails, Third Edition

Rails just keeps on changing. Rails 2, released in 2008, brings hundreds of improvements, including new support for RESTful applications, new generator options, and so on. And, as importantly, we’ve all learned a lot more about writing Rails applications in the last few years.

So here’s the Third Edition of the Jolt Award winning book that shows you a new approach to web development, updated for Rails 2. Sam Ruby joins the team to add his world-class knowledge of web application development, making this the most up-to-date and authoritative Rails book out there.

You can buy the combo pack of the third edition (which gets the PDF now and the paper book when it’s ready).

If you need a paper book now, we have a special offer. While stocks last, we’re selling the paper version of the second edition at half price.

Oct 2008

Core Animation for OS X and the iPhone

Have you seen Apple’s Front Row application and Cover Flow effects? Then you’ve seen Core Animation at work. It’s about making applications that give strong visual feedback through movement and morphing, rather than repainting panels. This comprehensive guide will get you up to speed quickly and take you into the depths of this new technology.

Jul 2008

Desktop GIS

From Google Maps to iPhone apps, geographic data and visualization is quickly becoming a standard part of life. Desktop GIS shows you how to assemble and use an Open Source GIS toolkit. You’ll find strategies for choosing a platform, selecting the right tools, integration, managing change, and getting support. You’ll get a good introduction to using the many tools available so you can visualize, digitize, and analyze your own mapping data.

Sep 2008

Developing Facebook Platform Applications with Rails

With more than 60 million users, Facebook provides a captive audience for developers. More than 12,000 Facebook applications have been launched so far: Is yours next? It could be, with this book. You’ll see how to develop Facebook Platform applications quickly, using the popular Ruby on Rails framework. You’ll learn to use Facebook technologies such as FBML and FQL, and you’ll see how to leverage Rails and the Facebook Platform to make your application a success.

Aug 2008

Hello, Android

Android combines the ubiquity of cell phones, the excitement of open source software, and the corporate backing of Google and other Open Handset Alliance members. The result is a mobile platform you can’t afford not to learn. This book will get you started.

Oct 2008

Pragmatic Thinking and Learning

Software development happens in your head. Not in an editor, IDE, or design tool. You’re well educated on how to work with software and hardware, but what about wetware—our own brains? Learning new skills and new technology is critical to your career, and it’s all in your head.

In this book by Andy Hunt, you’ll learn how our brains are wired, and how to take advantage of your brain’s architecture. You’ll learn new tricks and tips to learn more, faster, and retain more of what you learn.

You need a pragmatic approach to thinking and learning. You need to Refactor Your Wetware.

NOW IN BETA: 207/250 pages available.

Aug 2008

Pragmatic Version Control Using Git

There’s a change in the air. High-profile projects such as the Linux Kernel, Mozilla, Gnome, and Ruby on Rails are now using Distributed Version Control Systems (DVCS) instead of the old stand-bys of CVS or Subversion.

Git is a modern, fast DVCS. But understanding how it fits into your development can be a daunting task without an introduction to the new concepts. Whether you’re just starting out as a professional programmer or are an old hand, this book will teach you how to use Git in this new distributed world.

Oct 2008

Programming Ruby 3

This is the Pickaxe book, named for the tool on the cover. The original PickAxe was the first English-language book on Ruby. Each edition of the book tracks the latest Ruby release, and each is the definitive reference to Ruby. This third edition maintains that tradition, and has been updated to reflect the new features of Ruby 1.9.

Ruby is the fastest growing and most exciting dynamic language out there. If you need to get working programs delivered fast, you should add Ruby to your toolbox.

Did You Buy the Second Edition from Us?

If you bought the second edition book or PDF from us, we have some significant savings for you. Visit your home page for details.

Sep 2008

Rails for .NET Developers

Rails for .NET Developers introduces the joy of Ruby on Rails development to Microsoft .NET developers. This book demonstrates the essential elements of both the Ruby language and the Rails application framework, geared especially for developers already fluent in the Microsoft .NET platform.

Nov 2008

RubyCocoa

RubyCocoa brings together two enthusiastic development communities. Ruby programmers will tell you how productive they are with just the right amount of code. Cocoa developers know the importance of a clean, intuitive interface.

Now, through RubyCocoa, the joy of Cocoa meets the joy of Ruby.

Nov 2008

Scripted GUI Testing with Ruby

If you need to automatically test a user interface, this book is for you. Whether it’s Windows, Mac OS X, Java-based or a web app, you’ll see how to test it reliably and repeatably.

Many automated test frameworks promise the world and deliver nothing but headaches. Fortunately, you’ve got a secret weapon: Ruby. Ruby lets you build up a solution to fit your problem, rather than forcing your problem to fit into someone else’s idea of testing.

This book is for people who want to get their hands dirty on examples from the real world—-and who know that testing can be a joy when the tools don’t get in the way. It starts with the mechanics of simulating button pushes and keystrokes, and builds up to writing clear code, organizing tests, and beyond.

Aug 2008