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Ruby & Rails Bootcamp(2)

Start Date: November 30, 2011

End Date: December 2, 2011

Learn how to develop high-quality web applications fast using the renowned web framework that powers Twitter, Groupon, Github, Basecamp and more.

Ruby on Rails is a powerful open-source web framework that enables you to build sophisticated web applications - fast. More importantly, it's optimised for programmer happiness and productivity. It lets you write beautiful code by favouring convention over configuration, and eliminates so much of the drudgery associated with building web applications. And with the current high demand for experienced Ruby on Rails developers, there's never been a better time to learn Ruby and Rails.

Learning Outcomes

This is a 3 day "bootstrap" course aimed at giving you the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to build and deploy your very own Rails applications from scratch. It will cover the most recent versions of Ruby (1.9.2) and Rails (3.1).
You will learn:

the basics of the Ruby language
how to build a Rails application from scratch using Rails best practices
how to manage your database with migrations
how to build complex models using ActiveRecord, including associations, validations and callbacks
how to enhance your UI using Rails' built-in support for unobtrusive JavaScript and AJAX
how to quickly add functionality and extend your Rails applications using third-party plugins and gem libraries
all about REST and how following RESTful conventions leads to code that is easier to develop and simpler to follow
about TDD (Test Driven Development) and how Rails helps you quickly and easily write tests to validate your applications behaviour
the options and best practices for automated deployment for quick, headache-free deployment and updating of your apps.

What you need to be familiar with

Although no prior knowledge of Ruby or Rails is required, you will need experience in a web programming language such as php, asp, .NET, Java or Python, as well as a general understanding of web development principles, including HTML/CSS, Javascript, GET/POST requests, redirects, etc. Ruby is an object oriented language so you will also need an understanding of the theory of object oriented programming. Finally, a familiarity with SQL and relational databases is also desirable.

Software and costs

The fee for the 3 day course (30th Nov - 2nd Dec) is £570.
There is a 10% Early Registration Discount till the 11th of November.
Included in this price is a hot buffet lunch, with vegetarian options (please notify us if you have other dietary requirements)
Ruby and Rails are open-source, as are all the supporting libraries that we shall be using. Other than that, all you will require is a text editor or IDE that you are familiar with using.

Equipment you’ll need

You will need to bring a computer, ideally a laptop, with a recent version of Linux, Windows or OSX installed. You will need a USB interface on this computer.

Tutor Biography

Ric Roberts
Ric Roberts is the founder of Swirrl, a company which makes tools for working with data online. He's an active blogger and founder the popular JavaScript blog DailyJS , and more recently Learn Linked Data. He has also previously written for one of the most popular Ruby blogs Ruby Inside. For the last couple of years Ric has been the Technical Lead at award-winning Manchester digital agency Stardotstar, but is now a Freelancer for hire specialising in Ruby and JavaScript.

Asa Calow is a Ruby on Rails veteran, having worked on and deployed projects using the framework since version 0.9 in 2004 - back when its creator DHH was barely out of school, the simplest Rails project needed a Babel-like stack of infrastructure to get off the ground and Kelis' "Milkshake" ruled the charts. Since then he has worked continuously with both Ruby and Rails, and is presently a contractor/gun for hire whose bread-and-butter work is frequently although not exclusively Rails-based.

Other than Ruby, Asa's favourite things are test-driven development, experimental technology, new/old programming languages, science-themed cocktails and kickass food; not necessarily in that order.