Beginning Ring Programming

Gain a gentle introduction to the world of Ring programming with clarity as a first concern using a lot of practical examples. The first part lays the foundations of the language and its basic features (data types, control structures, functions, and classes). The unique way to rigorously structure Ring programs is also explained. Then, in the second part you'll discover how declarative, natural, and metaprogramming are beautifully implemented on top of Ring objects, and how functional programming and meta-programming can be embraced. It's magic regarding how they are implemented and how easy they can be used, but mainly because these paradigms open new possibilities for writing software. Hence, they provide a pragmatic bridge to the historical gap between programming as a technical construct (be executable by machines) and the problem to solve (usually expressed as a declarative rules-oriented business requirement or in plain natural language). The third part is where real programs are made. From desktop to mobile to web programming, you'll cover every application domain. Game programming is explained in more detail through the impressive yet comprehensive 2D declarative game engine written in Ring and shipped within the language. To conclude this part, the TextParser sample application is introduced to show you how multiple paradigms can be combined in Ring to completely change the rules when solving complex algorithmic problems. Finally, the fourth part of the book analyzes some advanced features of the language such as error handling and debugging, multilingual support, and extending Ring's capabilities using external C and C++ code and libraries. Beginning Ring Programming is for anyone who is passionate about innovation in programming, critical thinking in computer science, and capacity building in coding and software craftsmanship. What You Will Learn Get started with the Ring programming language Master data types, I/O, controls, functions, classes, operators, and structure Carry out functional, declarative, natural, and meta-programming with Ring Apply Ring to game development Build web, desktop, and mobile applications with Ring Extend Ring with C/C++ Who This Book Is For Beginners looking for a consistent and hackable programming environment with a strong flavor of learnability and expressiveness.