**Why I Ask this Question:**

I've just starting to learn Ruby (and by extension IronRuby since I work in the Microsoft world). I picked up [IronRuby Unleased][1] to teach me the basic syntax of Ruby, and any particulars of IronRuby. However, learning the syntax is not my primary goal (if that was, I would just obtain [The Ruby Programming Language][2], which I might get eventually anyway).

I say this because I could learn the syntax, but still write programs in a non-Ruby way. Such as:

 1. [Forcing heavy-handed DI via DI frameworks][3]*****
 2. [Using Ruby to write mostly C, Java, or Perl type code][4]

To me, doing these things sounds the effective equivalent of writing procedural code in Java, or learning the syntax of F#, but writing programs as if the language were C#.

**Therefore**, my main goal is to learn to program, to think, in the way that embodies Ruby's:

 1. Language idioms
 2. Dynamic style
 3. Tried-and-true principles and patterns of the community


----------


*****<sub> Response #28 to the link above ([Forcing heavy-handed DI via DI frameworks][3]), asks a similar question to the one I post here. The blog's author suggested reading Jim Weirich's code and perhaps Rails. I'm looking for additional suggestions.</sub>

  [1]: http://www.amazon.com/IronRuby-Unleashed-Shay-Friedman/dp/0672330784
  [2]: http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Programming-Language-David-Flanagan/dp/0596516177
  [3]: http://weblog.jamisbuck.org/2008/11/9/legos-play-doh-and-programming
  [4]: http://blog.aenima.pl/2008/4/14/you-can-write-fortran-in-any-language