While I was watching those videos, I was often thinking about how
certain things work. Things like how Rails knows a certain thing such
as tables in a database exist. You know all the awesome stuff that
makes Rails so much easier than other languages for the same purpose.
Maybe because of this, I don't fully feel like I could build a Rails
app on my own yet. In other words I might not know what I have to
create and what Rails can do for me.
So I'm looking for books. I was looking at Ruby for Rails, since it
claims to explain all the underlying stuff of Rails. But I was also
looking at the other two real popular books, Agile Web Development
with Rails, and Rails Recipes. Will these two books (or the first one
mostly) be able to help me out without also having to buy Ruby for
Rails?
I think I also need help with the online documentation for
Rails(Rails: Complete API, Ruby Core, and Ruby Standard Lib). I don't
find it extremely easy to find what I want. Some things such as the
symbols aren't listed in the long lists, and the lack of a search
function doesn't help. What's the difference between the 3
documentations? Any hints on how to use them?
Or any tips about anything else in general?
Thanks.
I'm quickly growing fond of the Pragmatic Programmer series, those two
books are a good start. I didn't get the Ruby for Rails book so I
can't comment on it.
> Or any tips about anything else in general?
I learn by doing, and very little by watching. So for me the best
approach was to jump right on in and start blowing stuff up. :-)
-- Mitch
On Jul 17, 2:51 pm, Mitch Pirtle <mi...@spacemonkeylabs.com> wrote:
if you look on Amazon, there are (or will be this summer) a staggering
volume of books on rails coming out. There's a bunch i consider
outstanding:
Pickax,
AWDR2,
Ajax on Rails (Raymond)
"Rails for java Develoers" and "Pragmatic Ajax" Gehtland et al.
Ruby for Rails (Black)
Rails Cookbook
Textmate (Gray)
The Apress books are quite good as well. That's off the top of my
head, I know i've overlooked some, but that should keep you busy for a
couple days.
The API:
The three sections of the api from top down are:
- files
- classes/modules
- public/protected methods
You should be able to find most things in the api just by using CTR+f
if fire fox and step through the menu. If that doesn't get you what
you want the other options are the online manual
- http://railsmanual.com/ which does have a search (not a great search
mind).
and the code itself which if you know were to look can give you a
masterful perspective on how to do what you want
Lastly: Believe Mitch, the guy is right; if you have the potential
jumping in head first is the best way. it doesn't matter if you feel
confident to build an acuall app yet just try and when you fail learn
from it and use that refactoring book it is the best book on good
codeing (any lang) I've found.
Keynan
--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Please consider the Essential Rails class coming up in September - we
gear it for Java/PHP/.NET devs who are switching to Rails and are
asking your exact question: www.essentialrails.com.
> So I'm looking for books. I was looking at Ruby for Rails, since it
> claims to explain all the underlying stuff of Rails. But I was also
> looking at the other two real popular books, Agile Web Development
> with Rails, and Rails Recipes. Will these two books (or the first one
> mostly) be able to help me out without also having to buy Ruby for
> Rails?
Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Ed. is great; also Ruby for
Rails is arguably better for learning Ruby as much as the Rails
framework.
> I think I also need help with the online documentation for
> Rails(Rails: Complete API, Ruby Core, and Ruby Standard Lib). I don't
> find it extremely easy to find what I want. Some things such as the
> symbols aren't listed in the long lists, and the lack of a search
> function doesn't help. What's the difference between the 3
> documentations? Any hints on how to use them?
Rails API is a reference to the Rails classes and methods; won't make
too much sense until you get an idea of what the framework is all
about. The Ruby Core and Standard Lib docs are for the Ruby language
itself; some classes are "core" while others are separated into a
library, but every distribution of Ruby comes with the standard
library. I often wish there was a unified doc somewhere (I bet there
is, I've been too lazy to look, I just bookmark both of them).
> Or any tips about anything else in general?
I've found that learning Ruby well is really what separates the Rails
"users" from the Rails "developers", if you know what I mean. So try
to spend time writing some Ruby scripts and running them from the
command line. And definitely learn "irb", the interactive Ruby prompt
- it's a great way to learn Ruby.
Feel free to ask more questions here or on our blog,
softiesonrails.com. If you have questions about the class drop a
comment on our blog or email me directly.
Hope this helps!
Jeff
essentialrails.com
> Thanks.
Thanks in advance.
Gavin
On Jul 18, 6:57 am, Keynan Pratt <rails-mailing-l...@andreas-s.net>
wrote:
> Books: (in order of value)
> Refactoring by Martin Fowler (not ruby specific but damn
> valuable)
> Agile Development by the pragmatic programmers
> Programming Ruby by the pragmatic programmers
> Rails up and running by O'rilley media (covers Ajax, Migrations,
> Testing not in .
> Agile Development)
> Ajax on Rails
> The Ruby Way (A how to rather than reference)
>
> The API:
> The three sections of the api from top down are:
> - files
> - classes/modules
> - public/protected methods
>
> You should be able to find most things in the api just by using CTR+f
> if fire fox and step through the menu. If that doesn't get you what
> you want the other options are the online manual
> -http://railsmanual.com/which does have a search (not a great search
will give you the RoR rdoc in html