Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented programming language
Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented programming language that was created in the 1995 by Yukihiro Matsumoto, commonly known as Matz.
Matsumoto has said that Ruby was conceived in 1993.
The first public release of Ruby 0.95 was announced on Japanese domestic newsgroups on December 21, 1995.
Ruby is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language which supports multiple programming paradigms.
It was designed to be easy to read and write, with a focus on simplicity and productivity. Ruby has gained popularity for its elegant syntax and flexible features, making it a popular choice for web development, scripting, and automation.
Here are some key features and characteristics of Ruby:
- Object-Oriented: Ruby follows the object-oriented programming paradigm, treating everything as an object. It supports features like classes, inheritance, and polymorphism.
- Dynamic Typing: Ruby is dynamically typed, meaning that variable types are determined at runtime. This allows for greater flexibility but requires careful attention to type-related issues.
- Expressive and Readable Syntax: Ruby has a clean and readable syntax that aims to resemble natural language, making it easier for developers to write and understand code.
- Garbage Collection: Memory management in Ruby is handled by an automatic garbage collector, which takes care of deallocating memory for objects that are no longer in use.
- Extensive Standard Library: Ruby comes with a rich set of built-in libraries, known as the Ruby Standard Library. It provides a wide range of functionality, including file I/O, networking, regular expressions, and more.
- Metaprogramming: Ruby allows for metaprogramming, which means you can write code that generates or modifies other code dynamically. This feature enables powerful abstractions and DSL (Domain-Specific Language) creation.
- High-Level Abstractions: Ruby provides high-level abstractions that simplify common programming tasks. It has built-in support for iterators, blocks, and closures, which contribute to more concise and expressive code.
Ruby gained significant popularity with the release of Ruby on Rails, a popular web application framework, which accelerated its adoption for web development. However, Ruby can be used for a wide variety of applications, including desktop software, system utilities, and automation scripts.
Overall, Ruby offers a balance between simplicity and power, making it an attractive language for both beginners and experienced developers.