Building Dynamic Web 2.0 Websites with Ruby on Rails: Create database-driven dynamic websites with this open-source web application framework [Paperback]

A P Rajshekhar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2008

Learn to create dynamic websites with Ruby on Rails. This book is for anyone who has basic concepts of object-oriented programming as well as relational databases and wants to develop online applications using Ruby on Rails. Prior knowledge of Ruby or Rails is not expected.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A. P. Rajshekhar, Senior Developer with Vectorform, has worked on enterprise-level web applications and game development. His endeavors include development of a Learning Management System, a Supply Management Solution and Xbox-based games. He holds a Masters Degree in Computer Applications. He is a regular contributor to Devshed Portal on topics ranging from server-side development (JEE/.Net/RoR) to mobile (Symbian-based) development and game development (SDL and OpenGL) with a total readership of more than 1.4 million.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Packt Publishing (March 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847193412
• ISBN-13: 978-1847193414
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,295,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Steer clear!, August 12, 2008

By 

James Stewart (Grand Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Dynamic Web 2.0 Websites with Ruby on Rails: Create database-driven dynamic websites with this open-source web application framework (Paperback)

Massive interest in Ruby on Rails over the past few years was quickly mirrored in book sales. Early entrants like the (near definitive) Agile Web Development with Ruby on Rails were break away hits in a world that usually sees modest sales of each title. It's not surprising a lot of people wanted to get a share of that market, and the range of Ruby and Rails titles has exploded, with an unsurprising dip in average quality.

This latest title from Packt sits somewhere very low down the quality scale. An unfocussed volume, it purports to introduce the ruby language and show how to get up and running with a simple buzzword-laden Rails application, but does a distinctly inadequate job on both counts. Any moderately experienced rubyist would worry at seeing code like:

class Tale
@author
@genre
@tale_body
end

recommended as the way to define a class with three attributes, rather than the more succinct, idiomatic and functional:

class Tale
attr_accessor :author, :genre, :tale_body
end

(For those unfamiliar with ruby, the former will define attributes but not accessors for them. The latter will define the attributes and its accessors and is the recommended approach for public attributes)

That example occurs early on, and as the book progresses it is hard to shake the sense that the author isn't sufficiently familiar with the idioms and best practices of the Ruby and Rails communities to be introducing either the language or the framework. When working with a framework as dependent on conventions and opinions as Rails, a failure to grasp the idioms is a serious problem.

It would be hard to recommend this book even if there weren't many superior titles available. Newcomers to Ruby and/or Rails would be far better with any of several alternatives. Beyond that, while packt have published a number of excellent titles, the publication of this book should be taken as a reminder that there is no consistent quality control over the books they publish and buyers should research carefully before buying one.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book for review by the publisher.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Outdated before it was published, April 15, 2008

By 

Charles Engelke - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Building Dynamic Web 2.0 Websites with Ruby on Rails: Create database-driven dynamic websites with this open-source web application framework (Paperback)

I have just cracked this book open and started skimming it. It looks like it might be a pretty good resource for Rails 1.2.6.

But version 2.0 of Rails was released four months before this book's publication date, and announced long before that. I'm very surprised that this book wasn't based on that current version. There are significant differences between Rails 1.2.6 and 2.0.

Most potential readers of this book should get one that covers Rails 2.0 instead.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Most disappointed I've ever been in a technical book, September 5, 2008

By 

Kevin Tieskoetter (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building Dynamic Web 2.0 Websites with Ruby on Rails: Create database-driven dynamic websites with this open-source web application framework (Paperback)

Boy, I wish I had a chance to see the reviews here before I bought this book. I very rarely take the time to post a review, but this book is the most disappointing technical book I've read in all my memory.

As a concept is introduced, it starts with a small example and builds on it. But every time a new line is added to the example, the entire example is reproduced. Within a few pages the examples are taking an entire page of text; almost exactly the same text that was on the previous page.

The code formatting is inconsistent, showing a lack of care by the author and proofreader.

At times new concepts are introduced with no explanation, leaving the reader to wonder if it was a typo or not.

The prose is oddly formal and excruciatingly verbose. Sentences are constantly repeated in slightly different ways. English is clearly not the strong suit of the author, which can be fine if a solid editor is involved. Unfortunately, that's not the case here.

I'll admit I only got a few chapters in before I gave up in order to retain my sanity. It struck me as odd that in a book so thin (which can be a great thing in a technical book - K&R's C book a prime example), the author appeared to be attempting to stretch it out as far as he could go.

Anyway, listen to the other reviews on this site and pick up _Agile Web Development with Rails_ instead - I bought a pdf of the latest beta of the 3rd edition, and it's excellent.