Rebol for Dummies (Paperback)

This text does a particularly good job of showing how simple REBOL programming can be. (Of course, unless you already know Perl, you won't appreciate how much simpler development can be with REBOL.) It offers a good tour of REBOL basics, from getting up and running (the language is supported on 37 platforms) to basic script development. More advanced readers will probably chaff at the constant authorial intrusions (and endless puns for chapter headings), though they are completely within the bounds of the Dummies format.

This book does a good job of discussing the unique strengths of REBOL, such as its support for extremely simple network programming, not to mention how easy it is to work with HTTP, FTP, and e-mail protocols. By treating data streams as ports, REBOL makes it a snap to work with files, regardless of whether they are local or remote. REBOL's support for objects (again, it would seem, a good deal easier than object-oriented Perl) is also introduced. Short sections about programming on Web servers to deliver up dynamic Web pages will help you get started using REBOL for Web applications. Sections on dialects and natural language parsing, which are available in REBOL, point out some of the unique strengths of the language.

While it's too early to tell whether REBOL will become a real rival to the popular Perl or JavaServer Pages (JSP), REBOL for Dummies is a useful introduction to this scripting language that should be approachable to anyone, regardless of programming experience. --Richard Dragan

Product Description
With REBOL just about anybody can create cool–looking Web pages that run on virtually any platform. Unlike other scripting languages—like Perl, for instance—REBOL is about as close to plain English as a programming language could possibly be, and it directly handles e–mail, Web, FTP, NNTP and every other protocol, without the need for extra libraries or modules. REBOL isn’t hard to learn, but it does pack a slew of details that you’ll need to wrestle into shape while building your Web pages. Which is where REBOL For Dummies comes in.

Your complete guide to building powerful applications for all popular Internet protocols, this friendly guide helps you get your message across using REBOL. Author Ralph Roberts offers clear explanations and dozens of practical, skill–building examples that help you quickly master what you need to know to:

• Write scripts that run on 37 different platforms!
• Enable computers, servers, and PDAs to communicate with each o ther
• Build attractive Web documents with ease
• Synchronize database records
• Streamline your e–business activities

If you can turn on your computer and use a mouse, you can use REBOL to create powerful Web applications, and REBOL For Dummies shows you how. In plain English, it covers all the bases, including:

• Markup in general and REBOL markup in particular
• Creating, editing and structuring scripts
• Using REBOL elements and attributes to design and build simple documents
• Advanced coding techniques for building different types of complex Web pages
• How REBOL works with online resources to build and compile fast, flexible online documents
• Using REBOL to structure, build, save and load databases
• Creating REBOL CGI applications, getting REBOL to output HTML, filling out forms, and other advanced topics

The Bonus CD–ROM features:

• REBOL 2.3 for Windows, Amiga, Linux, UNIX, Mac, BeOS, and dozens of other platforms
• Sample scripts and examples from the book

If you can write a sentence and know the difference between a heading and a paragraph, you can build and publish your own Web documents with REBOL. Now find out how in REBOL For Dummies.

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• Books > Computing & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools
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• Books > Computing & Internet > Web Development > Web Scripting & Programming

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