Learning Ruby on Rails: Anyone want to learn with me?

[77startup]

Hey guys, I know almost nothing about "RoR", however I believe in constant learning and think I've found the formula for learning a new skill and it all starts with group learning with people at the same level as you.

If we start now within 2-3 months we should be able to create a workable app, and within 2 years we should have an 80% mastery of RoR and be good enough to actually take jobs as a programmer.

I've completely taught myself skills such as SEO, and stock/options trading using the above method and the above is what I've found true. Does anyone else want to learn RoR in a group?

For all those interested I suggest adding me on skype. My skype name is socks-to-your-door,inc. This way we can help each other in real time. This thread can be used to post example code and for general discussion.

With that said the first thing you're going to want to do is install your ruby environment. If you're on a pc this is very easy as you can just follow this guide with a one click installer - http://railsinstaller.org/ (I currently have it installed and just set up "engine yard" hosting. It comes with 500 free hours you get to turn off and on anytime.

If you're on a mac it will take a bit longer but you can follow the guide here - http://rubyonrails.org/download.

If you're serious your first goal is to get it fully installed and to join me on skype.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[JDub07]

Ironic you posted this thread. I have started to teach myself this as well. I am reading a ton of material online trying to learn everything I can. I'm off on Friday and heading to Barnes and Noble to soak up as much info as possible. I'm definitely interested in helping in a group setting.

 

[awesom-o]

I could be interested in this. I too have no knowledge of RoR it would be an extremely useful to have a grasp of at least one programming language.

 

[BeachBoy]

I have worked a little with RoR (my background is perl and php) and it's not too hard.

only gripe I have is when it comes to hosting it, it's not as widely used or easy as using perl or php I found.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Pat]

Learning it too, but I don't see any advantages of learning something in a group.

For hosting, why not just get a VPS and set it up yourself?

 

[77startup]

I have worked a little with RoR (my background is perl and php) and it's not too hard.

only gripe I have is when it comes to hosting it, it's not as widely used or easy as using perl or php I found.

I'm using Engine Yard to host it at the moment. It's new and is specifically made for rails. The cool thing about this language is that it has such a great user base, and seems to be perfect for entrepreneurs!

Learning it too, but I don't see any advantages of learning something in a group.

For hosting, why not just get a VPS and set it up yourself?

It depends on your personality I think. I tend to learn much better in a group, which is why I have groups for everything I'm serious about. It's the only way I've ever seen real progress personally. It's why I have 2 partners for my start-up, why I trade with a group of traders, and why I lift weights with a work out partner even though I don't use the barbel bench.

 

[JDub07]

I'm using Engine Yard to host it at the moment. It's new and is specifically made for rails. The cool thing about this language is that it has such a great user base, and seems to be perfect for entrepreneurs!



It depends on your personality I think. I tend to learn much better in a group, which is why I have groups for everything I'm serious about. It's the only way I've ever seen real progress personally. It's why I have 2 partners for my start-up, why I trade with a group of traders, and why I lift weights with a work out partner even though I don't use the barbel bench.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I'm a very solo person by nature but It is good to have variety and when working with other people it really holds you accountable.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[77startup]

For all those interested I suggest adding me on skype. My skype name is socks-to-your-door,inc. This way we can help each other in real time. This thread can be used to post example code and for general discussion.

With that said the first thing you're going to want to do is install your ruby environment. If you're on a pc this is very easy as you can just follow this guide with a one click installer - http://railsinstaller.org/ (I currently have it installed and just set up "engine yard" hosting. It comes with 500 free hours you get to turn off and on anytime.

If you're on a mac it will take a bit longer but you can follow the guide here - http://rubyonrails.org/download.

If you're serious your first goal is to get it fully installed and to join me on skype.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I'm a very solo person by nature but It is good to have variety and when working with other people it really holds you accountable.

Yea, don't get me wrong I do 80% of my work solo, it's just being in a group activates me. It's like natural adderal. It's such a strong effect that I won't even consider starting a scaleable business without a partner.

 

[Brootal]

Check this out. I saw it posted on Hacker News the other day.

Learn Ruby The Hard Way | Learn Ruby The Hard Way

 

[77startup]

Check this out. I saw it posted on Hacker News the other day.

Learn Ruby The Hard Way | Learn Ruby The Hard Way

Awesome looks like we all have a lesson plan. I'm looking at text editors atm, and reading about the concepts a bit while I wait for everyone interested to install their ruby environment.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[maximus20895]

Just wondering, but why are you learning RoR vs php? I don't know either of them, but I think I am wanting to learn PHP..still not sure though.

 

[Talisman]

If we start now within 2-3 months we should be able to create a workable app, and within 2 years we should have an 80% mastery of RoR and be good enough to actually take jobs as a programmer.

This is your 2 year plan? Learn a skill, polish it, and then use it to sell your time for slightly more?

I think it's admirable that you are learning stuff yourself, but do it for a specific reason, other than selling your time.

 

[77startup]

Just wondering, but why are you learning RoR vs php? I don't know either of them, but I think I am wanting to learn PHP..still not sure though.

Well it's simple really. I only really want to be able to create web applications. RoR does it the fastest.

This is your 2 year plan? Learn a skill, polish it, and then use it to sell your time for slightly more?

I think it's admirable that you are learning stuff yourself, but do it for a specific reason, other than selling your time.

I also have a start up company and trade equities and options. The only reason to learn a skill is to learn it to the point where you could get paid doing it.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[maximus20895]

I'm wondering how you made that conclusion that RoR is faster. From what I've been reading php seems better. I just want to know which was is more useful for my application.

 

[James Fake]

@maximus RoR is def faster to get a running web app up than PHP frameworks..

@77startups - checkout heroku.com for hosting; they have a free version. It's def by far the best.

 

[James Fake]

Also, check out the IRC chat #RubyOnRails... there's always people talking, helping, etc. on there.

Like right now; it's 546 people.. usually all day long as well. I just have it running while I work..

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[77startup]

Also, check out the IRC chat #RubyOnRails... there's always people talking, helping, etc. on there.

Like right now; it's 546 people.. usually all day long as well. I just have it running while I work..

EDIT: I managed to figure some more out, stuck at the following step atm because I lack some CMP knowledge. Going to keep trying!

"Change directory to where you want to put the application’s files. They will go in a new folder you are about to create."


Thanks. James I have a question. So I went ahead and installed Rails using Rails Installer. I tried following the video but it jumped straight into text editors which already had prepopulated code. I'm completely clueless atm. Do you know what's the next step after RoR is installed?

Right now I just have "command prompt with ruby and rails" open and a text editor called "gedit". I'm pretty sure I need to link the 2 somehow?

 

[maximus20895]

I'm looking for something that can connect to a MySQL database and have a membership section. I guess I better do some more research!

Looks like there are alot of resources to help learn RoR

 

[acrystal]

I took an ROR class a few years ago but only have time for php, drupal and C.
There are other ruby people on github & stackoverflow.

-A

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[77startup]

Just completed this guide HOWTO install Ruby on Rails on Windows and deploy to Heroku | Dominic Sayers I'm all set up!

 

[PND]

I am also interested in RoR. I have learned a little about this language 2 years ago. I managed to build a kind of architecture for a blog. To me this is a great language.

Now I think I could use RoR to build a private part on my website. The customers could use a login and password to access private downloads. However I would need a better knowledge of RoR to do this.

So I will be in, I am interested in RoR.
But first I need to work to add more content to my website. Only when I will have customers I will spend time to implement RoR on the website.

 

[Birdoftruth]

I might be wrong but I don't see the point of ROR either considering there are more snippets and a bigger community for PHP.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[BeachBoy]

I am watching RoR progress, but with all the Ajax (jQuery, JSON, etc) that is more and more involved in websites, I think a future complete javascript approach will be the future.

where the server app and remote app are the same lang and you don't have to do php stuff, then send in JSON to javascript in order to change the dom elements and change a page live.

 

[77startup]

I might be wrong but I don't see the point of ROR either considering there are more snippets and a bigger community for PHP.

I guess the point would be it's faster to write and more enjoyable. You get to write 30-40% less code to do the same thing. Good luck with PHP

 

[Brootal]

Out of curiosity, what do you plan on building with it?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[PND]

I might be wrong but I don't see the point of ROR either considering there are more snippets and a bigger community for PHP.

RoR advantages (just my opinion):
- many conventions = you can "easily" read other people code
- less code = less bugs
- very easy to run tests every time you add new features to your code = easier to spot broken features
- it's beautiful = well maybe I am crazy

 

[77startup]

Out of curiosity, what do you plan on building with it?

Haha, that's kinda like asking a new car buyer where he plans to go with it. I'll prob spend alot of time working with API's.

 

[karakoram]

I just started learning RoR. I am in full time learning mode now, so I should be able to catch up to anyone that is working on learning RoR part time. Gimme a month or so.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[rorschach]

I heard RoR is great and very easy to use, but most of them were seasoned programmers who were also fluent in PHP. I started learning RoR first, but switched to PHP simply because i think it will serve as a more robust basis. RoR "assumes" a lot and does a lot for you. Easier, but eventually you don't get to learn what happens behind the scenes.

You're completely right on the readability part though
check out rails for zombies, that was a pretty good series. (and it's free too!)

 

[Icy]

I heard RoR is great and very easy to use, but most of them were seasoned programmers who were also fluent in PHP. I started learning RoR first, but switched to PHP simply because i think it will serve as a more robust basis. RoR "assumes" a lot and does a lot for you. Easier, but eventually you don't get to learn what happens behind the scenes.

RoR is a framework, so it's intent is to take out a lot of the leg work. Just like PHP has frameworks of it's own. I wouldn't discount things based on what they do if it won't make your job harder\impossible.

No understanding what is going on behind the scenes is gonig to happen regardless. PHP is made is C, so unless you plan to learn that too you don't know what's going on 'behind the scenes' anyways.

Just my 2 cents...