MacRuby team lead and Apple employee Laurent Sansonetti has unveiled MacRuby 0.8, the latest release of the Ruby 1.9-compatible Mac-focused Ruby implementation. The main MacRuby site hasn't been updated at the time of writing but you can get MacRuby 0.8 now from the MacRuby files folder or direct at http://www.macruby.org/files/MacRuby 0.8.zip

0.8 follows on swiftly from the MacRuby Bug Smash held on IRC on Saturday 4th December. Given this, 0.8 is primarily a bug fixing release with more compatibility and stability fixes than you could shake a bacon-coated stick at. Some enhancements have been made to MacRuby's Cocoa development support (a post on the official MacRuby blog is due soon) and macirb now supports auto-indentation and completion.

Update: Wayne E Seguin has released an updated version of RVM - 1.1.5 - that uses MacRuby 0.8 by default for its MacRuby implementation installer.

As well as a new MacRuby release, there's also some news regarding a couple of new MacRuby books. They're a perfect way to get going with this now production ready implementation (and it is - there are a lot of OS X GUI app projects underway now, such as Erik Michaels-Ober's Hubcap).

MacRuby: The Definitive Guide

First up - and the most complete - is MacRuby: The Definitive Guide by Matt Aimonetti (who's been quite involved with the MacRuby project for a while now). It's technically still in beta but the "early release e-book" edition is now available to buy and the print version (due in April 2011) can be preordered.

Matt's book is interesting because it's also available in a free, Creative Commons licensed form through O'Reilly's Open Feedback Publishing System. Nonetheless, you're encouraged to buy the official release if you are able.

MacRuby in Action

MacRuby in Action is another MacRuby book - this time by Brendan Lim (of Intridea fame) and Paul Crawford. Very little of the book has been released under Manning's Early Access Program so far, alas, and the final print date is "Summer 2011." Anyone who owns a few Manning books know just how well they're put together though, so MacRuby in Action shouldn't disappoint.

I also have word from Brendan Lim that if you use the code macruby50 at checkout before January 4, 2011 you'll get a whopping 50% off - so if you're going to buy this book anyway, you might as well do it while this offer is valid.

[suggestion] Want to get on the Rails 3 train? Michael Hartl's Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial series is the way to go. There's a free, online book but if you want to go further, pick up the 15+ hours of screencasts giving you an 'over the shoulder' view of a Rails professional building Rails 3 apps in real time.