Press releases

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

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