Sorta new to Rails, and looking for learning resources

First some background. I'm a decent intermediate (I think) programmer and have experience with other languages like PHP, ActionScript, and JavaScript. I just finished watching all the lynda.com videos for Ruby on Rails and I've learned a lot. Now I'm looking for more.

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.

Quoting nemesis256 <nemesis256@gmail.com>, who spaketh thusly:

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'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. :slight_smile:

-- Mitch

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.

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.

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 for all the welcoming messages. This seems to be a great place for info on Rails. I think I'm going to buy the Ruby for Rails book. The thing about answering questions as to how things work, and a section about only Ruby to learn irb like Jeff mentioned are attracting me to this book.

nemesis256 wrote:

Thanks for all the welcoming messages. This seems to be a great place for info on Rails. I think I'm going to buy the Ruby for Rails book. The thing about answering questions as to how things work, and a section about only Ruby to learn irb like Jeff mentioned are attracting me to this book.

>

Theres always Why's guide if you havn't read it already.

One other resource you should seriously look at is Peepcode screencasts (www.peepcode.com) they provide some great info, example and source code and if you get a multi -episode pack its a pretty good deal. He just released some new ''Rails from scratch' episodes that might be right up your alley. Another good resource is railscasts.com which is the same idea as peepcode but deals with smaller concepts and is free.

I've just started programming in RoR but spend most of my time on a ship with no internet connection. What's the best source for a full download RoR docs in pdf or other convenient format?

Thanks in advance. Gavin