Tools

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There currently exists a single implementation of Ruby, from its creator Yukihiro Matsumoto. Ruby is still under active development, but is stable enough for production software development. The version of Ruby used in this chapter (and Chapter 20, Network Code Patterns in Ruby) is 1.6.8.

Interpreter/Tools Used

The Ruby interpreter operates on Linux, native Windows, and Windows using the Cygwin environment. Ruby includes its own threading model and, therefore, provides multithreading capabilities that are transparent to the underlying operating system.

Note 

The sample code patterns presented here (and in Chapter 20) and on the CD-ROM will execute on any of the supported environments.

Networking API Used

Ruby is bundled with its own networking APIs; therefore, no other downloads are necessary for the Sockets API.

Where to Download

The Ruby interpreter and tools may be downloaded at its source, http://www.ruby-lang.org (under “Download”). The Ruby site includes both source and binary versions of the interpreter. If the Cygwin environment for Windows is to be used, it may be downloaded at http://www.cygwin.com/.

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