Udemy – Code With Ruby – Ruby Programming

• Exposure to other dynamic languages + frameworks would be good.
• Since ruby is an object-oriented language, it’s very nice if you have a good previous background in object-oriented programming.
• Some good front-end skills in HTML/HTML5 will help you.
• Basic knowledge of JavaScript

Description

Are you interested in building a web applications? Did you ever wonder who web applications are built and deployed onto the loud? Are you piqued by the growing popularity of web services, and want to dabble in them too?

This program is the perfect stepping stone into the world of web application building, focused on one of the best web application frameworks to start out with: Ruby on Rails.

The framework is designed for rapid prototyping, and this takes you through the basics and concepts, and gives you the necessary knowledge and skills to pull off your own web application.

What is Ruby?

Ruby is one of the older programming languages, created two decades ago.

It is among the top ten most popular programming languages by most measures, though it is usually ranked towards the end of the list. Most of its popularity these days also stems from the popularity of the Rails framework.

What is Rails?

Rails is basically a software library that extends Ruby, created by David Heinemeier Hansson. It is called ‘Ruby on Rails’, ‘RoR’, or just ‘Rails’ in many cases.

It is a software code addition to the Ruby programming language. In technical terms, it is a package library or ‘RubyGem’ installed with the command-line interface of the operating system.

Why opt for Ruby?

Ruby is popular in the programming world for its uncluttered, to-the-point syntax that does not require a lot of repetition or punctuation, like Java or PHP. It is more streamlined than Java, requiring less code for the basic structures, like data fields.

It is a modern language where it is easier to use meta-programming and other high-level abstractions. Meta-programming in particular eases the development of a domain specific language, customizing Ruby for certain uses.

Rails and several other RubyGems use this DSL capability.

Studying Ruby before Rails

Should you study Ruby, the programming language, before you learn Rails, the framework?

Well, the short answer to this question is NO. But it is a good idea to just introduce yourself to Ruby and its syntax so that you are not too overwhelmed by the first experience of Ruby on Rails from scratch.

You should be able to recognize current and incorrect formatting when typing Ruby on your text editor.

As you develop proficiency on Rails, though, you will have to pick up Ruby too. You need to develop your Ruby skills as you practice and utilize Rails. Because Rails is a DSL, it has its own directives that is separate from the Ruby core.

Why opt for Rails?

Rails has earned its popularity because of its precise and pervasive conventions.

Web applications have complex requirements including basic functions, like generation of HTML, accessing a database and processing form submissions.

Without a framework, programmers have to take on the implementation of all the infrastructure.

Developers who learn this ‘Rails way’ can produce web applications that other rails developers can work on and understand more quickly. This makes development faster and collaboration quicker. And there is a lot of support for Rails too, with a huge pool of open-source libraries available for enhancing Rails.

Rails also matches well with agile software development practices, especially with its focus on ‘convention over configuration’ and software testing