[ruby-tut] Errata / Comments

[Davis, James (NIH/CIT)]

The Basics / New names for old things

    Suggestions:
    - Class: Ruby separates everything into classes.
    + Class: Ruby separates everything into classes (or categories).
    
    - Method: These are the things that you can do with an object.
    + Method: These are the things that you can do with an object.
      You can think of methods as the "behavior" an object is capable
      of performing.

    Typo:
    - You've already seen thee classes 
    + You've already seen three classes
    
    Suggestion:
    - You've already seen thee classes for things that you already know:
    + You've already seen three classes for things that you already know
      (note that Ruby class names are capitalized):
      
    Suggestion (in second table, to match first table):
    - Class
    + Ruby class

    Nit:
    - Classes vs objects
    + Classes vs. objects
    
    Nit / suggestion:
    - Strings have several methods that integers and floats don't have
      (e.g. capitalize, length, upcase, etc). 
    + Strings have several methods that integers and floats don't have
      (e.g., capitalize, length, and upcase).
      

The Basics / New names for old things / Converting between classes

    Typo:
    - Ruby has some methods for converting between classess:
    + Ruby has some methods for converting between classes:
    
    Suggestion: capitalize class names in conversion table.
    

The Basics / New names for old things / Exercises

    Comment: After reading, "Ruby can tell you what class an object is.",
    I was expecting you to introduce Object#class, or Object#instance_of?.
    But after thinking about it, I realized it would confuse beginners,
    given the material presented thus far.  Still, it left me wanting more.
    At some point in the tutorial, I think you should discuss subclasses.

    Suggestion:
    - Ruby can tell you what class an object is.
    + Ruby can tell you about the class of an object.
    
    Typo:
    - How would you explain the difference between 12, '12' and 12.0 to a
      younger sibbling?
    + How would you explain the difference between 12, '12' and 12.0 to a
      younger sibling?


More later,


- Jim -