Ruby on Rails for Microsoft Developers (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: incremental development, working sample, active record, Object-Relational Mapping, Handling Requests, Getting Started (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This definitive guide examines how to take advantage of the new Agile methodologies offered when using Ruby on Rails (RoR). You’ll quickly grasp the RoR methodology by focusing on the RoR development from the point of view of the beginner- to intermediate-level Microsoft developer. Plus, you’ll get a reliable roadmap for migrating your applications, skill set, and development processes to the newer, more agile programming platform that RoR offers.

From the Back Cover

With its valuable combination of simplicity and productivity, Ruby on Rails is a portable, extendable, open source web application framework that quickly gained worldwide acclaim. The aim of this book is to make the enticing Rails methodology more approachable for developers who are already familiar with Microsoft tools.

After an overview and brief history of the framework, you'll focus on learning Rails development from the point of view of a beginner-to-intermediate level Microsoft developer.

The author explores all the fundamental aspects of Rails, and includes comparisons and references to Microsoft development tools that you may already be familiar with. In doing so, he provides you with an easier path to learn how Rails simplifies the design and implementation of web applications.

By serving as a roadmap for migrating your skill set, development processes, and applications to the newer Agile programming platform that Rails offers, this book will help you leverage your existing skills so you can quickly take advantage of the full potential of Rails.

What you will learn from this book

• The Rails history and culture, as well as common misconceptions

• How to install Rails on Windows and other platforms

• How to grasp the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern as implemented by Rails

• The different philosophies between Rails and Microsoft frameworks like ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC

• The essentials of the Ruby language and its datatypes

• Techniques for creating and developing a new RESTful Rails application

• Using the ActiveRecord Object-Relational Mapper (ORM) to work with databases

• Publishing and consuming Web Services with Rails

• Getting ready for deployment in production

Who this book is for

This book is for programmers who have experience developing the Microsoft Windows platform and are interested in learning more about, and getting the most out of, Ruby on Rails.

Wrox guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think. Written by programmers for programmers, they provide a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Wrox (April 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470374950
• ISBN-13: 978-0470374955
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #611,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the migrating Windows developer, August 11, 2009

By	Ian M. Piper "ian piper" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Disclaimer - I was the independent technical editor for this book. Nevertheless, I didn't have to write a positive review, or indeed any review at all, so I hope that this endorsement should be all the more valid. I am not a Wrox employee.

I own many books on Ruby on Rails development, and Ruby on Rails for Microsoft Developers has to rank as probably the clearest and easiest to follow exposition of technology and technique of all of them. The book takes a set of logical progressive steps through Rails development, stopping along the way for the occasional very deep dive into the internals. Chapter 7, on ORM with ActiveRecord, is a case in point, and an excellent detail piece for those who want to understand data modelling and database management within Rails. Like many developer books, this one has a theme of a developing application - a blog management system - and the development process is used effectively as a way of bringing in many of the modern essentials for the Rails developer. Topics covered include incremental development, adding textile support, handling of published versus non-published articles, pagination, comments, creating RSS feeds and of course selective use of AJAX techniques. There is also, unusually in my experience of Rails books, good solid coverage of deployment of an application into production with all of the consequences you can expect.

Given the title it would have been remiss of the author to have not spent time on orienting current ASP.NET developers with Rails concepts, and indeed throughout the book there are comparisons between the mechanisms of ASP.NET and Rails for carrying out many of the common development processes for web applications. However this is no Microsoft-basher's bible. Look in vain for the striking of religious poses - Antonio keeps to the point and sets out the facts.

So if you are a current ASP.NET developer or even just a Windows developer who wants to try out the Rails way of development, I can heartily recommend this book.