On Monday I posted the final, edited version of Everyday Rails Testing with RSpec, available now on Leanpub for $12 US.
First, let me again thank everyone who purchased the early access, beta version of the book. I appreciate the support and all the feedback. As I shared on the Leanpub mailing list yesterday, releasing the book so early in its development cycle perhaps frustrated a couple of readers, but it resulted in a very different (and in my opinion, better) book than I’d originally set out to write. I’m planning to write a more complete retrospective in my personal blog later this week, for anyone interested in the lean publishing approach.
Next, let me remind you what’s in the book as it now stands: 115 pages (as the PDF is formatted), 12 chapters (and a short appendix), and a code sample that iterates from chapter to chapter. The content is more or less a retelling of how I learned to test (specifically, with RSpec). It’s not for people who’ve never worked with Rails. It’s not for people who have developed good testing habits and patterns for themselves already. It is for people who are still trying to build those habits and patterns. I’m not saying my way is the way, but hopefully I’ve shared enough in the book to help you get comfortable with testing and improve your coverage.
If you’re still on the fence, check out the preview available through Leanpub, or refer to the testing series on this blog that started the whole thing.
Once Rails 4.0 begins hitting the release candidate phase, I’m going to revisit the content of the book and the libraries shared within it, with the hope that an updated version of the book can be available within a month of Rails 4’s final release. This version will be a free update to anyone who’s purchased the book. I’m doing that because I know how quickly software books can become obsolete, and that Rails 4 is going to hit sooner rather than later.
I know that the book isn’t available right now in countries Paypal doesn’t support. I know also that there are people who just don’t like Paypal and don’t want to use it. This is a limitation placed by Leanpub, not me. My intention is to make the book available elsewhere as soon as possible, but I want to talk to the folks at Leanpub to determine the best way to go about it. More news as I get it.
If you liked my series on practical advice for adding reliable tests to your Rails apps, check out the expanded ebook version. Lots of additional, exclusive content and a complete sample Rails application.
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