Beginning Rails

This book not only teaches the necessary skill set to become a proficient Ruby on Rails developer, it also explains the theory needed for the developer to explore and learn on their own. The reader will not be burdened by yet another set of "hello world" and other mundane examples. In this text they will learn Ruby on Rails by creating real world projects; a task manager, RSS aggregator, a community manager similar to MySpace.com, and an Amazon based store. While the book covers the basics for beginners, it also offers more advanced tools, including Ajax and a detailed discussion of ActiveRecord and ActionPack.

Beginning Rails 4 is a book that will guide you from never having programmed with Ruby, to having a Rails application built and deployed to the web. You’ll learn how to combine all the components of Rails to develop your own web applications. You will use test driven development to make sure your application works exactly like you expect. You will learn how to use Git for source control and best practice techniques to create applications like a pro. Essential, and often-missed, information on testing and learning to program with Ruby are also covered. This book is well suited for someone with little to no Ruby or Rails experience, or possibly even someone with no experience developing web applications at all. Beginning Rails 4 does assume a basic familiarity with the web and typical web terms, but doesn’t require you to be an expert of these. This book will springboard your journey into web application development, and show you how much fun building web applications with Ruby on Rails can be. Learn to create Rails applications from the bottom up Learn the basics of the Ruby programming language Completely updated for Rails 4, including new information on turbo links, etc. Beginning Rails 4 gently guides you through designing your application, writing tests for the application, and then writing the code to make your application work as expected.

Beginning Rails 3 is the practical starting point for anyone wanting to learn how to build dynamic web applications using the Rails framework for Ruby. You'll learn how all of the components of Rails fit together and how you can leverage them to create sophisticated web applications with less code and more joy. This book is particularly well suited to those with little or no experience with web application development, or who have some experience but are new to Rails. Beginning Rails 3 assumes basic familiarity with web terms and technologies, but doesn't require you to be an expert. Rather than delving into the arcane details of Rails, the focus is on the aspects of the framework that will become your pick, shovel, and axe. Part history lesson, part introduction to object-oriented programming, and part dissertation on open source software, this title doesn't just explain how to do something in Rails, it explains why. Learn to create Rails web applications from scratch Includes a gentle introduction to the Ruby programming language Completely updated to include the features of Rails 3

The Rails framework empowers developers with unprecedented levels of productivity by embracing principles such as “convention over configuration” and “don’t repeat yourself”. This paradigm is even apparent at the community level, where developers regularly share their custom framework extensions by way of Rails’ plugins feature. Plugins offer a way for developers to extend the core Rails framework with their own custom features, allowing for rapid integration of features such as authentication, user ratings, and search. Practical Rails Plugins shows you how to capitalize upon the wide variety of plugins at your disposal by guiding you through their integration into a number of interesting projects. You’ll learn how to rapidly augment projects involving asynchronous video transcoding, geocoding and mapping, content management, community ratings, and PDF generation. You’ll also learn how to create and distribute your own plugins. The ultimate guide to building powerful web sites faster using Rails plugins Demonstrates how to use popular plugins within a number of practical (and fully functional) projects and mini–applications Shows you how to create and distribute your own plugins

for Beginner only and 1 Workshop in this book

“Ruby on Rails™ Tutorial by Michael Hartl has become a must-read for developers learning how to build Rails apps.” —Peter Cooper, Editor of Ruby Inside Used by sites as diverse as Twitter, GitHub, Disney, and the Yellow Pages, Ruby on Rails is one of the most popular frameworks for developing web applications, but it can be challenging to learn and use. Whether you’re new to web development or new only to Rails, Ruby on Rails™ Tutorial, Third Edition, is the solution. Best-selling author and leading Rails developer Michael Hartl teaches Rails by guiding you through the development of three example applications of increasing sophistication, focusing on the fundamental techniques in web development needed for virtually any kind of application. The updates to this edition include simplified installation via a standard development environment in the cloud, use of the default Rails stack throughout, a light-weight testing approach, an all-new section on image upload, and an all-new chapter on account activation and password resets, including sending email with Rails. This indispensable guide provides integrated tutorials not only for Rails, but also for the essential Ruby, HTML, CSS, and SQL skills you’ll need when developing web applications. Hartl explains how each new technique solves a real-world problem, and then he demonstrates it with bite-sized code that’s simple enough to understand, yet novel enough to be useful. Whatever your previous web development experience, this book will guide you to true Rails mastery. This book will help you Install and set up your Rails development environment, including a pre-installed integrated development environment (IDE) in the cloud Go beyond generated code to truly understand how to build Rails applications from scratch Learn testing and test-driven development (TDD) Effectively use the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern Structure applications using the REST architecture Build static pages and transform them into dynamic ones Master the Ruby programming skills all Rails developers need Create high-quality site layouts and data models Implement registration and authentication systems, including validation and secure passwords Update, display, and delete users Upload images in production using a cloud storage service Implement account activation and password reset, including sending email with Rails Add social features and microblogging, including an introduction to Ajax Record version changes with Git and create a secure remote repository at Bitbucket Deploy your applications early and often with Heroku

The Ruby on Rails 2.3 Tutorial teaches web development with Ruby on Rails, an open-source web framework that powers many of the web's top sites, including Twitter, Hulu, and the Yellow Pages. Ruby on Rails 2.3 Tutorial helps you learn Rails by example through the development of a substantial sample application, including a site layout, a user data model, a full registration and authentication system, user-status associations, social "following," and a feed of status updates. Ruby on Rails 2.3 Tutorial also teaches good software development practices, including version control with Git and GitHub, test-driven development with RSpec, and instant deployment with Heroku. Though of necessity the book focuses on a specific sample application, the emphasis throughout this book is on general principles, so you will have a solid foundation no matter what kind of web application you want to build.

“Ruby on Rails™ 3 Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example by Michael Hartl has become a must read for developers learning how to build Rails apps.” —Peter Cooper, Editor of Ruby Inside Using Rails 3, developers can build web applications of exceptional elegance and power. Although its remarkable capabilities have made Ruby on Rails one of the world’s most popular web development frameworks, it can be challenging to learn and use. Ruby on Rails™ 3 Tutorial is the solution. Leading Rails developer Michael Hartl teaches Rails 3 by guiding you through the development of your own complete sample application using the latest techniques in Rails web development. Drawing on his experience building RailsSpace, Insoshi, and other sophisticated Rails applications, Hartl illuminates all facets of design and implementation—including powerful new techniques that simplify and accelerate development. You’ll find integrated tutorials not only for Rails, but also for the essential Ruby, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SQL skills you’ll need when developing web applications. Hartl explains how each new technique solves a real-world problem, and he demonstrates this with bite-sized code that’s simple enough to understand, yet novel enough to be useful. Whatever your previous web development experience, this book will guide you to true Rails mastery. This book will help you Install and set up your Rails development environment Go beyond generated code to truly understand how to build Rails applications from scratch Learn Test Driven Development (TDD) with RSpec Effectively use the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern Structure applications using the REST architecture Build static pages and transform them into dynamic ones Master the Ruby programming skills all Rails developers need Define high-quality site layouts and data models Implement registration and authentication systems, including validation and secure passwords Update, display, and delete users Add social features and microblogging, including an introduction to Ajax Record version changes with Git and share code at GitHub Simplify application deployment with Heroku

"The Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial and Reference Collection" consists of two bestselling Rails eBooks: "Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial: Learn Rails by Example" by Michael Hartl"The Rails 3 Way" by Obie Fernandez In "Ruby on Rails 3 Tutorial" leading Rails developer Michael Hartl teaches Rails 3 by guiding you through the development of your own complete sample application using the latest techniques in Rails Web development. Drawing on his experience building RailsSpace, Insoshi, and other sophisticated Rails applications, Hartl illuminates all facets of design and implementation-including powerful new techniques that simplify and accelerate development. Hartl explains how each new technique solves a real-world problem and demonstrates this with bite-sized code that's simple enough to understand, yet novel enough to be useful. "The Rails 3 Way" is the only comprehensive, authoritative guide to delivering production-quality code with Rails 3. Pioneering Rails expert Obie Fernandez and a team of leading experts illuminate the entire Rails 3 API, along with the idioms, design approaches, and libraries that make developing applications with Rails so powerful. You learn advanced Rails programming techniques that have been proven effective in day-to-day usage on dozens of production Rails systems. Dive deep into the Rails 3 codebase and discover why Rails is designed the way it is-and how to make it do what you want it to do. This collection helps youInstall and set up your Rails development environmentGo beyond generated code to truly understand how to build Rails applications from scratchLearn Test Driven Development (TDD) with RSpecEffectively use the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern Structure applications using the REST architectureBuild static pages and transform them into dynamic onesMaster the Ruby programming skills all Rails developers needDefine high-quality site layouts and data modelsImplement registration and authentication systems, including validation and secure passwordsUpdate, display, and delete users Add social features and microblogging, including an introduction to AjaxRecord version changes with Git and share code at GitHubSimplify application deployment with HerokuLearn what's new in Rails 3Increase your productivity as a Web application developerRealize the overall joy in programming with RailsLeverage Rails' powerful capabilities for building REST-compliant APIsDrive implementation and protect long-term maintainability using RSpecDesign and manipulate your domain layer using Active RecordUnderstand and program complex program flows using Action ControllerMaster sophisticated URL routing conceptsUse Ajax techniques via Rails 3 support for unobtrusive JavaScriptLearn to extend Rails with popular gems and plugins and how to write your own Extend Rails with the best third-party plug-ins and write your ownIntegrate email services into your applications with Action MailerImprove application responsiveness with background processingCreate your own non-Active Record domain classes using Active ModelMaster Rails' utility classes and extensions in Active Support

This book provides intermediate Rails users with an essential learning aid to take them to higher level, teaching them countless real world techniques via a series of practical project-based chapters. Each chapter takes the reader through the complete process of building up a full-functional Rails web application. Projects taught in the book include a blog, a REST-based task manager, an online IT help desk, a web comic (including image upload facilities,) Wiki, and much more. Techniques learned include speeding up development with plugins, engines and Ruby Gems, styling with CSS libraries, and adding dynamism using Ajax.

The expert guide to building Ruby on Rails applications Ruby on Rails strips complexity from the development process, enabling professional developers to focus on what matters most: delivering business value. Now, for the first time, there’s a comprehensive, authoritative guide to building production-quality software with Rails. Pioneering Rails developer Obie Fernandez and a team of experts illuminate the entire Rails API, along with the Ruby idioms, design approaches, libraries, and plug-ins that make Rails so valuable. Drawing on their unsurpassed experience, they address the real challenges development teams face, showing how to use Rails’ tools and best practices to maximize productivity and build polished applications users will enjoy. Using detailed code examples, Obie systematically covers Rails’ key capabilities and subsystems. He presents advanced programming techniques, introduces open source libraries that facilitate easy Rails adoption, and offers important insights into testing and production deployment. Dive deep into the Rails codebase together, discovering why Rails behaves as it does— and how to make it behave the way you want it to. This book will help you Increase your productivity as a web developer Realize the overall joy of programming with Ruby on Rails Learn what’s new in Rails 2.0 Drive design and protect long-term maintainability with TestUnit and RSpec Understand and manage complex program flow in Rails controllers Leverage Rails’ support for designing REST-compliant APIs Master sophisticated Rails routing concepts and techniques Examine and troubleshoot Rails routing Make the most of ActiveRecord object-relational mapping Utilize Ajax within your Rails applications Incorporate logins and authentication into your application Extend Rails with the best third-party plug-ins and write your own Integrate email services into your applications with ActionMailer Choose the right Rails production configurations Streamline deployment with Capistrano

Ruby on Rails is the super-productive new way to develop full-featuredweb applications. With Ruby on Rails, powerful web applications thatonce took weeks or months to develop can now be produced in a matter ofdays. If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. If you're like a lot of web developers, you've probably consideredkicking the tires on Rails - the framework of choice for the newgeneration of Web 2.0 developers. Ruby on Rails: Up and Running takes you out for a test drive and shows you just how fastRuby on Rails can go. This compact guide teaches you the basics of installing and using boththe Ruby scripting language and the Rails framework for the quickdevelopment of web applications. Ruby on Rails: Up andRunning covers just about everything youneed - from making a simple database-backed application toadding elaborate Ajaxian features and all the juicy bits in between.While Rails is praised for its simplicity and speed of development,there are still a few steps to master on the way. More advancedmaterial helps you map data to an imperfect table, traverse complexrelationships, and build custom finders. A section on working with Ajaxand REST shows you how to exploit the Rails service frameworks to sendemails, implement web services, and create dynamic user-centric webpages. The book also explains the essentials of logging to findperformance problems and delves into other performance-optimizingtechniques. As new web development frameworks go, Ruby on Rails is the talk of thetown. And Ruby on Rails: Up and Running can makesure you're in on the discussion.

The Web is slowly but surely changing from a model in which a human reader browses content on web pages to a model in which services and clients (not necessarily humans) exchange information. And because of this, author Silvia Puglisi explains, it makes more sense to build platforms instead of just products or applications. Platforms are like ecosystems interconnecting different applications, services, users, developers, and partners, and offer many benefits. In this book, you'll learn how to design and develop Representational State Transfer (REST) platforms in Rails. You'll begin with an introduction to Ruby on Rails, and then move quickly through new concepts. At the end of each chapter, you'll have learned something new about building and organically extending a multi-service platform spanning different devices—and will have had some fun in the process. By the end of the book you'll know how to build an architecture composed of different services accessing shared resources through a set of collaborating APIs and applications. Explore the basics of REST and HTTP, including REST architecture and the role of hypermedia Get to know Rails and Ruby on Rails Learn about API development and create an API Take a thorough look at REST, including Asynchronous REST and testing RESTful services Work with data streams as you map them onto an application UI and integrate external APIs in your application Learn about device-independent development Use data analytics to recognize important events, develop key metrics, and track them Explore various tools you can use to build your own data analytic platform Learn how to scale a Rails application successfully Examine privacy and security issues and the implications of handling and collecting user data

In just a matter of days, you can develop powerful web applications with Rails that once took weeks or months to produce with other web frameworks. If that sounds too good to be true, it isn't. Find out for yourself with Rails: Up and Running, the concise and popular book that not only explains how Rails works, but guides you through a complete test drive. Perfect for beginning web developers, this thoroughly revised edition teaches you the basics of installing and using Rails 2.1 and the Ruby scripting language. While Rails is praised for its simplicity, there are still a few tricky steps to master along the way. Rails: Up and Running offers lots of examples and covers just about everything you need to build functional Rails applications right away. Learn how to: Create simple database-backed applications, and build dynamic user-centric web pages using Ajax and REST Exploit the Rails service frameworks to send emails and implement web services Map data to an imperfect table, traverse complex relationships, and build custom finders Use techniques to solve common database performance problems See how fast you can go on Rails, and how reliable it's become with the stability and power of version 2.1. With Rails: Up and Running, you'll discover why Rails is a remarkable new way to build database-driven web applications.

You've heard about this amazing web framework called Ruby on Rails that's taken the world by storm, but thought it was way too complex for you? Think again. Foundation Rails 2 takes you through your first steps in Rails, explaining in plain English how to start building dynamic web applications. And there's never been a better time to jump in to the Rails world, as the release of Rails 2 was a major evolutionary leap forward from previous versions. Unlike other Rails books, this book doesn't throw you into the deep end right away in the hopes that you'll learn to swim. Instead, we'll start out with the basics and continually expand your knowledge until, by the end of the book, we're building a Rails application with dynamic features such as user registration, geocoding, filtering results with AJAX, RSS feeds, and an XML interface. Meanwhile, we'll talk about the important issues that other books often leave out such as testing your application's code, securing your application from hackers, optimizing your code for the best performance, and of course, deploying your application. This book takes a focused approach to guiding you through understanding how the pieces of Rails work individually and how they fit together. Instead of emphasizing boring theoretical discussions, Foundation Rails 2 lets you get your hands dirty with the framework and learn the hows and whys of Rails faster than ever. We start with a tour of what makes Rails special and why you need to learn it, move into a gentle introduction to the high points of programming in Ruby, and then take a tour of a sample Rails application. Next, we dig deeper into the core components of Rails before building a complete Rails application together. By the end of this book, not only will you know how to build Rails applications but you'll understand the reasons behind what you do.

What does it take to develop an enterprise application with Rails? Enterprise Rails introduces several time-tested software engineering principles to prepare you for the challenge of building a high-performance, scalable website with global reach. You'll learn how to design a solid architecture that ties the many parts of an enterprise website together, including the database, your servers and clients, and other services as well. Many Rails developers think that planning for scale is unnecessary. But there's nothing worse than an application that fails because it can't handle sudden success. Throughout this book, you'll work on an example enterprise project to learn first-hand what's involved in architecting serious web applications. With this book, you will: Tour an ideal enterprise systems layout: how Rails fits in, and which elements don't rely on Rails Learn to structure a Rails 2.0 application for complex websites Discover how plugins can support reusable code and improve application clarity Build a solid data model -- a fortress -- that protects your data from corruption Base an ActiveRecord model on a database view, and build support for multiple table inheritance Explore service-oriented architecture and web services with XML-RPC and REST See how caching can be a dependable way to improve performance Building for scale requires more work up front, but you'll have a flexible website that can be extended easily when your needs change. Enterprise Rails teaches you how to architect scalable Rails applications from the ground up. "Enterprise Rails is indispensable for anyone planning to build enterprise web services. It's one thing to get your service off the ground with a framework like Rails, but quite another to construct a system that will hold up at enterprise scale. The secret is to make good architectural choices from the beginning. Chak shows you how to make those choices. Ignore his advice at your peril."-- Hal Abelson, Prof. of Computer Science and Engineering, MIT

Rails is a robust, flexible development platform that lets you build complex websites quickly. Major websites like GitHub, Hulu, and Twitter have run Rails under the hood, and if you know just enough HTML and CSS to be dangerous, Rails Crash Course will teach you to harness Rails for your own projects and create web applications that are fast, stable, and secure. In Part I, you’ll learn Ruby and Rails fundamentals and then dive straight into models, controllers, views, and deployment. As you work through the basics, you’ll learn how to: –Craft persistent models with Active Record –Build view templates with Embedded Ruby –Use Git to roll back to previous versions of your code base –Deploy applications to Heroku In Part II, you’ll take your skills to the next level as you build a social networking app with more advanced Ruby tools, such as modules and metaprogramming, and advanced data modeling techniques within Rails’s Active Record. You’ll learn how to: –Implement an authentication system to identify authorized users –Write your own automated tests and refactor your code with confidence –Maximize performance with the asset pipeline and turbolinks –Secure your app against SQL injection and cross-site scripting –Set up a server and deploy applications with Capistrano Each chapter is packed with hands-on examples and exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned. Whether you’re completely new to Ruby or you’ve been mucking around for a bit, Rails Crash Course will take you from the basics to shipping your first Rails application, fast.