Chapter 23. Use method_missing to Build Flexible APIs

Programmers in the business of producing systems for end users spend a lot of time thinking about interfaces. Should you do a plain Google-style search page or spiff things up with all kinds of AJAXy doo-dads? Should you let them pick the car model with a menu or a pull-down or a bunch of radio buttons? Should you support both drag and drop? When end users are involved it is critical that you think very carefully about interface issues. I’d like to think that much of this is simple professionalism: We work hard to build the best possible system because that’s what we do. There is, however, the uncomfortable fact that end users tend to make their opinions pretty clear. Screw up an end user ...

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