Course Summary

/images/course-photo.jpg This two-day seminar covers all the essentials for building web applications with Ruby on Rails. Most topics are illustrated with examples that are part of the complete skeleton site that we’ll build together during the two days. Before the class, we’ll provide some background reading material, podcasts, and links to software for you to install. The seminar combines lecture sections and lab sections, during which you’ll learn to use the tools on your own notebook computer (Windows or OS X). We’ll get you over the humps that can slow you down when you’re getting started. When you leave the class, you’ll be all set to customize and further develop your Rails sites.
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Header Icon Duration

2 days.

Header Icon Objectives

  •  The Rails approach to web site design
  •  Basics of Ruby: just enough to get going with Rails
  •  Using Rails layouts and partials
  •  Building forms with validation
  •  Easy Ajax with Prototype, Scriptaculous, and RJS
  •  Working with the database through Active Record
  •  Testing and debugging
  •  Deploying to production

Header Icon Audience

Web designers with some coding experience, and web developers using PHP, .NET, or Java who want to learn to use Ruby on Rails.
If you’re comfortable building web sites with PHP or .NET and a little JavaScript, this seminar is for you. We assume you understand the rudiments of programming but nothing about Ruby or Rails. (If you’re a Java developer, you probably have more software background than we expect.)

To get the most out of the Ruby on Rails QuickStart Seminar, you should be comfortable with:

  •  Basic web site construction, including HTML and CSS
  •  Programming concepts, such as variables and loops
  •  Use of a database, such as MySQL

You do not need to have any experience with Ruby. We’ll provide reading assignments for everyone so you’ll learn the basics of Ruby in advance.

Header Icon Outline


Ruby and Rails introduction
  •   The Rails approach to web site design   
  •   Thinking in terms of model, view, controller
  •   Basics of Ruby: just enough to get going with Rails
  •   Understanding the “magic” in Rails
  •   How data is stored and passed around: parameters, sessions, cookies, and databases

Rails views

  •   Using Rails layouts and partials
  •   Building forms
  •   Creating navigation
  •   Easy Ajax with Prototype, Scriptaculous, and RJS

Rails models

  •   Designing the database schema
  •   Validating data from forms
  •   Querying the database
  •   Using Active Record associations to model your domain

Rails controllers

  •   Managing the flow of information
  •   RESTful design
  •   Pushing business logic into the model

Development practices

  •   Testing and debugging
  •   Storing your code in Subversion
  •   Deploying your application with Capistrano
  •   Managing the server