QuickTips Index
Optional Method Parameters with Hashes
Using hashes to simulate optional named parameters in methods.
Capturing the Return Value of an External Program
Ruby makes it easy to run external programs and capture their output. Using the built-in "backtick" operator is as easy as running these programs from the command line. However, it's not obvious how to capture the return value of these programs.
Net::SSH--The SSH (Secure Shell) Protocol
Net::SSH is a way for Ruby to interact with SSH (Secure Shell) protocol. It relies on the OpenSSL library for encryption.
25 Gem Commands for RubyGems
The [i]gem[/i] command is one of the most used Ruby-related commands. This article shows 25 Gem Commands and their functions.
Net::SSH Classes--Interfacing With the Net::SSH Library
The Net::SSH library contains handy abstractions for most common tasks so you don't always have to think about channels. However, to get the most out of the library, you'll have to learn about channels.
Ruby Best Practices--Making Quick Exceptions
Knowing how to make quick exceptions to catch and tell the difference between several conditions is a Ruby best practice you can't afford not to know.
Arranging Widgets in WxRuby
Arranging widgets in your WxRuby applications can be accomplished more easily by using the layout managers, known as sizers.
Appending Sub-Menus in WxRuby
Appending sub-menus in WxRuby applications can be used to reduce clutter in large menus and keep everything neat and tidy without overwhelming the user. When the mouse hovers over a sub-menu, another menu pops out to the right, giving a whole sub-set of choices for the user.
Adding a Status Bar to Your WxRuby Applications
Adding a status bar to your WxRuby applications, whether it be to show progress in loading a page or to provide hyperlink information, is as easy as adding a Status Bar object to a Frame.
Creating a "Hello World" Program With WxRuby
Want to learn how to use WxRuby? There's no better way to get started than to write a "Hello World" program.
How to Install wxRuby on Ubuntu Linux
wxRuby, a GUI toolkit for Ruby which interfaces with wxWidgets, can be installed on Ubuntu Linux with relative ease.
How to Parse Twitter XML in Ruby on Rails
Learn how to parse the Twitter API's XML easily using Hpricot.
How to Tweet From Ruby
Now that you have a handle on the Twitter API and parsing the data returned by Twitter, it's time to start tweeting!
How to Use the Twitter Gem for Ruby
Using the Twitter RubyGem, making API requests to Twitter is even easier than using the [i]twitter[/i] method.
Automatically Following Followers on Twitter
Since the Twitter API makes it easy to do anything you can do on the website, writing a Ruby script to automatically follow followers is very simple.
Be Notified of New Twitter Updates by IM
Be notified of Twitter updates by IM, using this Ruby script. It's a pain to switch to a Web browser every you want to check your Twitter account. This script solves that by sending you an instant message (IM) using the Jabber protocol when there's something new to see on Twitter.
ShortURL: Use ShortURL for Twitter
Shortening URLs for Twitter is much easier with the one-line interface provided by ShortURL.
Spotlight on RubyGems: The Simple-RSS RubyGem
The Simple-RSS RubyGem provides a simplified interface for reading RSS and Atom documents.
Update Twitter From an RSS Feed
This Ruby script to update Twitter from an RSS feed is what's often referred to as a "mashup." Mashups interface one protocol to another, or one website to another. This mashup takes information from an RSS feed and posts it as updates to Twitter.
Fibers
Fibers are lighter than threads. A fiber is a bit like a method, but instead of being run in its entirety when called, a Fiber will run until it yields a value. At this point, it will save its internal state and [i]suspend[/i] itself and control will return to the caller.
How to Follow Someone on Twitter With Ruby
Learn how to follow Twitter updates using Twitter's openly-provided Ruby API.
How to Twitter in Ruby on Rails
The Twitter API (Application Programming Interface) in Ruby on Rails is about as simple as you can get. Twitter is a RESTful Rails application.
What's New in Ruby 1.9.1?-- Dot Syntax Changes
Among the new features in release of Ruby 1.9.1 is that newlines are now allowed before or after the dot (method call) operator. Learn more about these dot syntax changes in Ruby 1.9.1.
New in 1.9.1: The String Index Operator
Among the new features in release of Ruby 1.9.1 is the behavior of the string index operator. Learn what happens now in Ruby 1.9.1.
What's New in Ruby 1.9.1? --The String Index Operator in Ruby 1.9.1
Among the new features in release of Ruby 1.9.1 is what the question mark operator will return. Learn what happens now in Ruby 1.9.1.