# A computer science book to learn about interpreter, VM etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 8, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034 "2008-05-08T14:06:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034/1 "2008-05-08T14:06:16Z")
I learned HTML and then I learned programming. Have been a JAVA programmer for a bunch of years and now I have been working on Rails for more than six months. Never worked on C though. I am having trouble understanding this thread. [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_thread/thread/d69165ad2b711c2c#](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_thread/thread/d69165ad2b711c2c#) But I want to understand what is being discussed. I guess I need a computer science book which describes what exactly interpreting means. Also the other day some guys were talking about ERB being interpreted but liquid (shopify guys) not being interpreted. I couldn’t follow that too. Also I can’t follow what is “Iron ruby”. I mean what does it mean to have ruby being ported to .NET . Could you please refer me a book or two which explains these computer science fundamentals. Also note that I don’t have much background to build up on so please refer books which are not too _geeky_. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034/2 "2008-05-08T15:16:43Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: | I learned HTML and then I learned programming. Have been a JAVA | programmer for a bunch of years and now I have been working on Rails | for more than six months. Never worked on C though. | | I am having trouble understanding this thread. | [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_thread/thread/d69165ad2b711c2c#](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_thread/thread/d69165ad2b711c2c#) | | But I want to understand what is being discussed. I guess I need a | computer science book which describes what exactly interpreting means. Interpreted: translated into machine code every time the source is executed. Compiled: ‘Translated’ into the machine code once, and then executed from this object code (C) / byte code (Java) / Intermediary Language (.NET). | Also the other day some guys were talking about ERB being interpreted | but liquid (shopify guys) not being interpreted. I couldn’t follow | that too. Also I can’t follow what is “Iron ruby”. I mean what does it | mean to have ruby being ported to .NET . IronRuby is ‘just’ an implementation of Ruby for the .NET language platform (IIRC, they use C#). It is about the same as writing Ruby in C, and comparable to JRuby, a Ruby implementation using the Java language. 😉 | Could you please refer me a book or two which explains these computer | science fundamentals. Also note that I don’t have much background to | build up on so please refer books which are not too _geeky_. I think the Red Dragon Book is the de facto standard work on compiler theory.[0] However, from what I know, the book as anything but non-geeky… N.B.: This is all from a layman’s perspective, too. 😑 [0] > **[Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compilers:_Principles,_Techniques,_and_Tools)** > > Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools is a computer science textbook by Alfred V. Aho, Monica S. Lam, Ravi Sethi, and Jeffrey D. Ullman about compiler construction for programming languages. First published in 1986, it is widely regarded as the classic definitive compiler technology text. > It is known as the Dragon Book to generations of computer scientists as its cover depicts a knight and a dragon in battle, a metaphor for conquering complexity. This name can also refer to Aho and Ullman... * * * Phillip G. Twitter: [twitter.com/cynicalryan](http://twitter.com/cynicalryan) Blog: [http://justarubyist.blogspot.com](http://justarubyist.blogspot.com) ~ What’s the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see 'em? – Calvin -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.8 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - [http://enigmail.mozdev.org](http://enigmail.mozdev.org) iEYEARECAAYFAkgi/RcACgkQbtAgaoJTgL/ZhgCdGfq0yR0chBCnbupy2UAes+JI kYYAoIIJX/SE+6o9tjLuvLtsDP8AuZSS =0/Ft -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034/3 "2008-05-08T16:26:22Z")
On 8 May 2008, at 13:05, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > but liquid (shopify guys) not being interpreted. I couldn’t follow > that too. Also I can’t follow what is “Iron ruby”. I mean what does it > mean to have ruby being ported to .NET . > > Could you please refer me a book or two which explains these computer > science fundamentals. Also note that I don’t have much background to > build up on so please refer books which are not too _geeky_. It’s probably out of print, but ‘Programming Languages - An Interpreter-Based Approach’ by Samuel N. Kamin is my fave book on the subject. It’s a treatment of several families of programming languages (functional, OO, Lisp, etc.) which presents simplified interpreters and includes a chapter on Compilation. The code is in Pascal but don’t be put off by that as it’s clearly documented and Pascal is a very easy language to understand. There’s probably also a discussion of these and other concepts in ‘Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs’ by Abelson and Sussman, but as my copy seems to have gone MIA I can’t check at the moment. Ellie ## Eleanor McHugh Games With Brains [http://slides.games-with-brains.net](http://slides.games-with-brains.net) raise ArgumentError unless @reality.responds\_to? :reason ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034/4 "2008-05-08T17:30:13Z")
On 8 May 2008, at 13:05, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: > I learned HTML and then I learned programming. Have been a JAVA > programmer for a bunch of years and now I have been working on Rails > for more than six months. Never worked on C though. > Could you please refer me a book or two which explains these computer > science fundamentals. Also note that I don’t have much background to > build up on so please refer books which are not too _geeky_. If you’re familiar with Java, you should be able to make good progress with this: Programming Language Processors in Java - Compilers and Interpreters by David A Watt, Deryck F Brown Regards, Andy S. ---
**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/a-computer-science-book-to-learn-about-interpreter-vm-etc/137034/5 "2008-05-08T20:42:02Z")
On May 8, 8:03 am, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid wrote: … > Could you please refer me a book or two which explains these computer > science fundamentals. Also note that I don’t have much background to > build up on so please refer books which are not too _geeky_. Not sure how easy this text is but its free 9^): [http://www.cs.brown.edu/~sk/Publications/Books/ProgLangs/2007-04-26/](http://www.cs.brown.edu/~sk/Publications/Books/ProgLangs/2007-04-26/)