Ruby Essential Training Part 3: Files, Formats, Templates

Course details

Discover how to use Ruby code to interact with the file system. With Ruby, you can read and write to config files and logs, automate tasks like mail merge, and find and organize files without ever leaving your code editor. In this course, the third in the Ruby Essential Training series, Kevin Skoglund reviews the basic techniques for working with files and directories. Learn to find existing files and directories and to create new ones. Discover different techniques for reading and writing data to files. Then learn how to import and export data in popular formats and how to use Embedded Ruby (ERB) to bind dynamic values into reusable file templates. Each lesson is filled with practical examples, and programming challenges allow you to practice your new skills as you progress through the course.

Learning objectives
File system basics
Writing to and reading from files
Renaming, deleting, and copying files
Creating and editing directories
Working with common data formats
ERB templating

Concepts

Introduction

Learn the essentials of working with files in Ruby
What you need to know

The File System

Input output basics
File system basics
Types of file paths
File permissions

Work with Files

Access files
Write to files
Read from files
File pointer
Read or write an entire file
Rename, delete, copy
Examine file details
Challenge - List maker
Solution - List maker

Work with Directories

Create directories
Change directories
Entries
Glob
Challenge - Multi-list maker
Solution - Multi-list maker

Common Data Formats

CSV
CSV to hashes
YAML
JSON
XML

ERB Templating

Embed Ruby
Binding
Template files
Challenge - Mail merge
Solution - Mail merge

Conclusion

Next steps