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Resources for Getting Started with Ruby on Rails

115 points by danishkhan 16y ago

jim_h 16y ago
I also recommend this website for a good collection of blogs entries daily. http://www.planetrubyonrails.com/ http://www.planetrubyonrails.com/ Good list. There's a few sites I haven't been to yet. Not a fan of bit.ly links though. I like knowing exactly where the links are going to
- danishkhan 16y ago
  Yea, I realize that know. I think I'm going to add the urls next to the links so people know where they are going.
  - spicyj 16y ago
    Why use shortened links at all if no users have to type them? You've added the complete links now, but they're not clickable.
    - aidanf 16y ago
      Indeed. This is really bizarre behaviour. The full links are shown in non-clickble text beside the links. But the links actually point to shortened bit.ly links. What's the point of using shortened links here at all?
      - epochwolf 16y ago
        from the comments on the blog: -- quote -- Hey Matt, Thanks, glad you find it useful. My reasoning for the bit.ly links is so that I can see what types of resources readers of the EY blog find interesting so that I can cater future posts and tutorials with that in mind. I know that google analytics does the same thing, but I myself do not have access to that and all I need to know is what links were clicked on not everything else. I did not expect people to find the bit.ly links annoying. Is there something about them I am missing? I wouldn't have done it if I thought people would find it to be an annoyance. -- end quote --
DanI-S 16y ago
I started learning Rails a few months ago, just before version 3 came out. My #1 tip - install Ruby Version Manager! Playing around with various different versions of Ruby, Rails and various gems, I managed to get my setup into a pretty broken state more than once. RVM lets you manage multiple Ruby installs on the same machine, which basically means that if you screw something up (or find out that a gem you needed to use won't work right with your version of Ruby/Rails) you don't have to reconfigure your entire machine. If I had taken the time to install it straight away I would have saved a lot of wasted effort.
- danishkhan 16y ago
  haha, yea RVM is an amazing tool. I'm working on creating a tutorial for setting up your local machine to have it ready to start working on RoR. I just need to do a little more research about the best ways to do it for Windows since that is an OS I'm not to familiar with.
  - drewda 16y ago
    A tutorial would be great. I couldn't figure RVM out from the messy docs; had to have others step me through the install and set-up process.
    - steveklabnik 16y ago
      On Windows? rvm is *NIX only. You can use Pik, though: https://github.com/vertiginous/pik https://github.com/vertiginous/pik Here's my 'rvm tutorial in a HN comment': To install rvm, run this: $ bash < <( curl http://rvm.beginrescueend.com/releases/rvm-install-head ) Then add this to your .bashrc, at the bottom: [[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && . "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" Open a new shell and you should be golden. Never 'sudo gem install' again! To install any Ruby, 'rvm install 1.9.2', for example. To switch Rubies, 'rvm 1.9.2'. That's it! Pretty easy. I like to take two further steps, though: create a gemset per application, and set up .rvmrc files to switch to the right ruby automatically. To do the gemset thing, 'rvm gemset create gemset_name'. You can switch to a specific gemset at the time you switch rubies with 'rvm 1.9.2@gemset_name', or after with 'rvm gemset use gemset_name' Once you've got that going, make a '.rvmrc' file in the root of your project, and put in it the rvm command to switch to your ruby/gemset. "echo 'rvm 1.9.2@gemset_name' > .rvmrc" is probably the easiest way to do this. Then, when you switch to your project, you're in the correct ruby and gemset automatically. When you have 9 or 10 projects on 4 different Rubies, this helps a lot...
danishkhan 16y ago
I updated the post so that you know where the links are taking you.
- thibaut_barrere 16y ago
  In case you find it useful: http://www.learnivore.com http://www.learnivore.com aggregates most of the ruby/rails programming screencasts I could find (disclaimer: I'm running this site).
cantbecool 16y ago
Why's Poignant Guide to Ruby and Foundation of Rails 2, should be on that list.
marcamillion 16y ago
That link doesn't work for me. Anyone else having issues?
macco 16y ago
If you are a beginner, the rails tutorial is just awesome. It describes every step you take - really, really great stuff.
- BvS 16y ago
  Do you mean: http://railstutorial.org/ http://railstutorial.org/
timinman 16y ago
WPGTR: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/
pdelgallego 16y ago
There are other places with nice screencasts, like : - Teach me to code: http://teachmetocode.com/ http://teachmetocode.com/ - Lernivore: (this is an aggregator) http://learnivore.com/ http://learnivore.com/ Even they are not rails specific I found this interesting: - Katacasts: http://katacasts.com/ http://katacasts.com/ - Remi: http://remi.org/ http://remi.org/ (I think he has stop uploading anything new) - Vimcast: http://vimcasts.org/ http://vimcasts.org/ - Ruby Pulse: http://rubypulse.com/ http://rubypulse.com/ I also like to check out Confreaks to see the sessions of some conferences http://confreaks.net/events http://confreaks.net/events
danishkhan 16y ago
I have updated the post to have the base url for all the resources. My apologizes to the creators of those resources. My intentions were never to take away from your PageRanks. Also, I will be adding resources recommended by people in the comments on the post, HN, and Reddit shortly. So if you have any you want added let me know soon.
danishkhan 16y ago
Updated the post to include suggestions by commenters on the blog, HN, and twitter.

115 points by danishkhan 16y ago

jim_h 16y ago

I also recommend this website for a good collection of blogs entries daily. http://www.planetrubyonrails.com/ http://www.planetrubyonrails.com/ Good list. There's a few sites I haven't been to yet. Not a fan of bit.ly links though. I like knowing exactly where the links are going to

danishkhan 16y ago
Yea, I realize that know. I think I'm going to add the urls next to the links so people know where they are going.
- spicyj 16y ago
  Why use shortened links at all if no users have to type them? You've added the complete links now, but they're not clickable.
  - aidanf 16y ago
    Indeed. This is really bizarre behaviour. The full links are shown in non-clickble text beside the links. But the links actually point to shortened bit.ly links. What's the point of using shortened links here at all?
    - epochwolf 16y ago
      from the comments on the blog: -- quote -- Hey Matt, Thanks, glad you find it useful. My reasoning for the bit.ly links is so that I can see what types of resources readers of the EY blog find interesting so that I can cater future posts and tutorials with that in mind. I know that google analytics does the same thing, but I myself do not have access to that and all I need to know is what links were clicked on not everything else. I did not expect people to find the bit.ly links annoying. Is there something about them I am missing? I wouldn't have done it if I thought people would find it to be an annoyance. -- end quote --

DanI-S 16y ago

I started learning Rails a few months ago, just before version 3 came out. My #1 tip - install Ruby Version Manager! Playing around with various different versions of Ruby, Rails and various gems, I managed to get my setup into a pretty broken state more than once. RVM lets you manage multiple Ruby installs on the same machine, which basically means that if you screw something up (or find out that a gem you needed to use won't work right with your version of Ruby/Rails) you don't have to reconfigure your entire machine. If I had taken the time to install it straight away I would have saved a lot of wasted effort.

danishkhan 16y ago
haha, yea RVM is an amazing tool. I'm working on creating a tutorial for setting up your local machine to have it ready to start working on RoR. I just need to do a little more research about the best ways to do it for Windows since that is an OS I'm not to familiar with.
- drewda 16y ago
  A tutorial would be great. I couldn't figure RVM out from the messy docs; had to have others step me through the install and set-up process.
  - steveklabnik 16y ago
    On Windows? rvm is *NIX only. You can use Pik, though: https://github.com/vertiginous/pik https://github.com/vertiginous/pik Here's my 'rvm tutorial in a HN comment': To install rvm, run this: $ bash < <( curl http://rvm.beginrescueend.com/releases/rvm-install-head ) Then add this to your .bashrc, at the bottom: [[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && . "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" Open a new shell and you should be golden. Never 'sudo gem install' again! To install any Ruby, 'rvm install 1.9.2', for example. To switch Rubies, 'rvm 1.9.2'. That's it! Pretty easy. I like to take two further steps, though: create a gemset per application, and set up .rvmrc files to switch to the right ruby automatically. To do the gemset thing, 'rvm gemset create gemset_name'. You can switch to a specific gemset at the time you switch rubies with 'rvm 1.9.2@gemset_name', or after with 'rvm gemset use gemset_name' Once you've got that going, make a '.rvmrc' file in the root of your project, and put in it the rvm command to switch to your ruby/gemset. "echo 'rvm 1.9.2@gemset_name' > .rvmrc" is probably the easiest way to do this. Then, when you switch to your project, you're in the correct ruby and gemset automatically. When you have 9 or 10 projects on 4 different Rubies, this helps a lot...

danishkhan 16y ago

I updated the post so that you know where the links are taking you.

thibaut_barrere 16y ago
In case you find it useful: http://www.learnivore.com http://www.learnivore.com aggregates most of the ruby/rails programming screencasts I could find (disclaimer: I'm running this site).

cantbecool 16y ago

Why's Poignant Guide to Ruby and Foundation of Rails 2, should be on that list.

marcamillion 16y ago

That link doesn't work for me. Anyone else having issues?

macco 16y ago

If you are a beginner, the rails tutorial is just awesome. It describes every step you take - really, really great stuff.

BvS 16y ago
Do you mean: http://railstutorial.org/ http://railstutorial.org/

timinman 16y ago

WPGTR: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/

pdelgallego 16y ago

There are other places with nice screencasts, like : - Teach me to code: http://teachmetocode.com/ http://teachmetocode.com/ - Lernivore: (this is an aggregator) http://learnivore.com/ http://learnivore.com/ Even they are not rails specific I found this interesting: - Katacasts: http://katacasts.com/ http://katacasts.com/ - Remi: http://remi.org/ http://remi.org/ (I think he has stop uploading anything new) - Vimcast: http://vimcasts.org/ http://vimcasts.org/ - Ruby Pulse: http://rubypulse.com/ http://rubypulse.com/ I also like to check out Confreaks to see the sessions of some conferences http://confreaks.net/events http://confreaks.net/events

danishkhan 16y ago

I have updated the post to have the base url for all the resources. My apologizes to the creators of those resources. My intentions were never to take away from your PageRanks. Also, I will be adding resources recommended by people in the comments on the post, HN, and Reddit shortly. So if you have any you want added let me know soon.

danishkhan 16y ago

Updated the post to include suggestions by commenters on the blog, HN, and twitter.