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. This book is the only complete reference for both Ruby 1.9 and Ruby 2.0, the very latest version of Ruby. 2013 marks the 20th anniversary of the Ruby language. We're proud that throughout its history, we've continued to cover the latest version of Ruby. Would you like to go from first idea to working code much, much faster? Do you currently spend more time satisfying the compiler instead of your clients or end users? Are you frustrated with demanding languages that seem to get in your way, instead of getting the work done? Are you using Rails, and want to dig deeper into the underlying Ruby language? If so, then we've got a language and book for you! Ruby is a fully object-oriented language, much like the classic object-oriented language, Smalltalk. Like Smalltalk, it is dynamically typed (as opposed to Java or C++), but unlike Smalltalk, Ruby features the same conveniences found in modern scripting languages such as Perl and Python. The combination of the power of a pure object-oriented language with the convenience of a scripting language makes Ruby a favorite tool of intelligent, forward-thinking programmers. The Pickaxe contains four major sections: * An acclaimed tutorial on using Ruby. * The definitive reference to the language. * Complete documentation of all built-in classes, modules, and methods. * Complete descriptions of all 97 standard libraries. This is the reference manual for Ruby, including a description of all the standard library modules, a complete reference to all built-in classes and modules (including all the new and changed methods introduced by Ruby 1.9, 1.9.2, 1.9.3, and 2.0). It also includes all the new and changed syntax and semantics introduced since Ruby 1.8. Learn about the new parameter passing rules, local variable scoping in blocks, fibers, and the new block declaration syntax, among other exciting new features. About Ruby 2.0 Ruby 2.0 is a minor update to Ruby 1.9, unlike the more major updates from Ruby 1.8 to Ruby 1.9. The major language changes in Ruby 2.0 are the addition of keyword arguments and the change to use UTF-8 as the default source file encoding. There are a number of additions to the standard library, including: * @Enumerator::Lazy@, which adds support for lazy access to potentially infinite lists. * Refinements allow you to encapsulate changes to third-party classes, and scope their application to individual source files, preventing your changes from polluting the global application. You'll also find that Ruby 2 is faster, and has memory management improvements that make it more server-friendly. All told, there are over 110 sections of the book that have been flagged and cross-linked to indicate 2.0 content. What You Need * This book assumes you have a basic understanding of object-oriented programming. * In general, Ruby programmers tend to favor the the command line for running their code, and they tend to use text editors rather than IDEs.

Printed in full color.Software development happens in your head. Not in an editor, IDE, or designtool. 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 tipsto 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."Programmers have to learn constantly; not just the stereotypical new technologies, but also the problem domain of the application, the whims of the user community, the quirks of your teammates, the shifting sands of the industry, and the evolving characteristics of the project itself as it is built. We'll journey together through bits of cognitive and neuroscience, learning and behavioral theory. You'll see some surprising aspects of how our brains work, and how you can take advantage of the system to improve your own learning and thinking skills.

In this book you'll learn how to: Use the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition to become more expertLeverage the architecture of the brain to strengthen different thinking modesAvoid common "known bugs" in your mindLearn more deliberately and more effectivelyManage knowledge more efficiently

Provides an introduction to the nature, synthesis and transformation of sound which forms the basis of digital sound processing for music and multimedia. Background information in computer techniques is included so that you can write computer algorithms to realise new processes central to your own musical and sound processing ideas. Finally, material is inlcuded to explain the way in which people contribute to the development of new kinds of performance and composition systems.Key features of the book include: Contents structured into free-standing parts for easy navigation `Flow lines' to suggest alternative paths through the book, depending on the primary interest of the reader. Practical examples are contained on a supporting website.Digital Sound Processing can be used by anyone, whether from an audio engineering, musical or music technology perspective. Digital sound processing in its various spheres - music technology, studio systems and multimedia - are witnessing the dawning of a new age. The opportunities for involvement in the expansion and development of sound transformation, musical performance and composition are unprecedented.The supporting website (www.york.ac.uk/inst/mustech/dspmm.htm) contains working examples of computer techniques, music synthesis and sound processing.

More and more people are going through higher education, and huge numbers are now working towards Masters level. Increasingly at undergraduate level there is an emphasis on project and research work, and nothing is more important to the student that their final project. Unfortunately many students don't know how to manage the project and struggle with this crucial part of their degree.
This book guides the student through the process of transition from passive learner to active researcher. Covering everything from selecting and refining a research topic, time and project management, to the actual report and the viva. It is ideal for all final year undergraduates and students on Masters degrees. It will also help reduce the load on supervisors, as a large proportion of the supervision process involves taking the student slowly through the steps of how to manage themselves.

This book guides the student through the transition from passive learner to active researcher. Covering everything from choosing and refining a research topic to writing the actual report, the book shows students how to manage their workload, and how to approach the viva. Key areas covered include:

• personal time management
• aims and objectives
• working towards success
• common problems
• the final report and publishing your results
• the viva voce examination.

It is ideal for all final year undergraduates and students on Masters degrees, and contains useful information for course supervisors and tutors to pass on to the students who approach them for advice.

Provides an introduction to the nature, synthesis and transformation of sound which forms the basis of digital sound processing for music and multimedia. Background information in computer techniques is included so that you can write computer algorithms to realise new processes central to your own musical and sound processing ideas. Finally, material is inlcuded to explain the way in which people contribute to the development of new kinds of performance and composition systems.
Key features of the book include:
- Contents structured into free-standing parts for easy navigation
- Flow lines' to suggest alternative paths through the book, depending on the primary interest of the reader.
- Practical examples are contained on a supporting website.
Digital Sound Processing can be used by anyone, whether from an audio engineering, musical or music technology perspective.
Digital sound processing in its various spheres - music technology, studio systems and multimedia - are witnessing the dawning of a new age. The opportunities for involvement in the expansion and development of sound transformation, musical performance and composition are unprecedented.
The supporting website (www.york.ac.uk/inst/mustech/dspmm.htm) contains working examples of computer techniques, music synthesis and sound processing.
Written in easy to understand manner, with a minimum of maths
Suit readers from a number of disciplines: audio engineering, music technology or computing
Supporting website contains practical examples in computer techniques, music synthesis and sound processing

Ruby is an increasingly popular, fully object-oriented dynamic programming language, hailed by many practitioners as the finest and most useful language available today. When Ruby first burst onto the scene in the Western world, the Pragmatic Programmers were there with the definitive reference manual, "Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide". Now in its Second Edition, author Dave Thomas has expanded the famous Pickaxe book with over 200 pages of new content, covering all the new and improved language features of Ruby 1.8 and standard library modules. The Pickaxe contains four major sections: an acclaimed tutorial on using Ruby; the definitive reference to the language; complete documentation on all built-in classes, modules, and methods; and complete descriptions of all 98 standard libraries. If you enjoyed the First Edition, you'll appreciate the new and expanded content, including: enhanced coverage of installation, packaging, documenting Ruby source code, threading and synchronization, and enhancing Ruby's capabilities using C-language extensions. Programming for the worldwide web is easy in Ruby, with new chapters on XML/RPC, SOAP, distributed Ruby, templating systems and other web services. There's even a new chapter on unit testing. This is the definitive reference manual for Ruby, including a description of all the standard library modules, a complete reference to all built-in classes and modules (including more than 250 significant changes since the First Edition). Coverage of other features has grown tremendously, including details on how to harness the sophisticated capabilities of irb, so you can dynamically examine and experiment with your running code. "Ruby is a wonderfully powerful and useful language, and whenever I'm working with it this book is at my side" - Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist, ThoughtWorks.

The practices that make a software project successful are usually missing in those projects that fail. These are the practices, habits, ideas and approaches that make that critical difference between success and failure. By following these better practices you can show yourself, your teammates and your managers real results, and begin to effect a broader change for your whole project. This book covers practices in five areas: Development Process While Coding Developer Attitude Project and Team Management Iterative and Incremental Learning These practices provide guidelines that will help you succeed in delivering and meeting the user's expectations, even if the domain is unfamiliar. You'll be able to keep normal project pressure from turning into disastrous stress while writing code, and see how to effectively coordinate mentors, team leads, and developers in harmony. The one wealth that grows as we give is knowledge. But this is also the one wealth that may be hardest to obtain. It takes effort, especially in a field as dynamic as software development. This book shows you why keeping up with change is important, and provides options to make it work for you.

A top sales industry performer explains the basics of learning how to make your business non price sensitive. Make your job and your life more rewarding by becoming the superstar salesperson you know you are. Don't work extra hard, just work smart by knowing your customers. Here are a few outstanding ideas to help bring out that savvy salesperson and truly discover what sales is all about.