Mark Ju

Ranch Hand
+ Follow
since May 20, 2003
Merit badge: grant badges
For More
Cows and Likes
Cows
Total received
0
In last 30 days
0
Total given
0
Likes
Total received
0
Received in last 30 days
0
Total given
0
Given in last 30 days
0
Forums and Threads
Scavenger Hunt
expand Ranch Hand Scavenger Hunt
expand Greenhorn Scavenger Hunt

Recent posts by Mark Ju

The old adage about chess probably applies here. Mastering Rails will always be challenging as there is so much innovation in the community. Just as you have "mastered" something, someone invents something much better You can view this as a bad thing or a good thing, depending on your attitude.

With that said however, I found Rails very easy to understand and learn. I quickly built a "standard" web app in a few hours. In the Java world, you'd have to use AppFuse or some other "jumpstart" mechanism. Rails' concepts are nothing new, though many techniques are simply not possible in Java.

I feel the real learning curve will be Ruby. It's an easy language to learn, but a tough one to "master". Coming from the Java world, there are many many idioms & techniques that simply don't exist in every day Java coding. Which is why a book like Rails for Java Developers is even more important for Java developers.

Perhaps as an encore, the authors can work on "Ruby for Java Developers"
17 years ago
For me, it was the discovery of Basecamp & 37 signals & "web 2.0", which lead to discovery of Rails, which lead to discovery of Ruby.
17 years ago
I bought the beta book "Rails for Java Developers", and am wondering when the next PDF refresh will be?

btw, LOVE the book so far. I've read several Rails books and this one is right up there with AWDwR. Of course, for Java developers, it may even be more relevant.
17 years ago
Wow, I get to pick? I suddenly feel empowered Just give it to Jesus since s/he replied. Seems fair enough.
17 years ago
Just to be clear, my comment was in response to comparing Rails (as a tightly coupled MVC framework) to Instant Rails/Locomotive (as a tightly coupled Rails dev environment).

I don't know any commercial apps in production entirely based on Instant Rails/Locomotive. That's all I was trying to get at.

Whether or not Rails is proven compared to other languages or frameworks, I'm not sure, but it does the job for my projects and so far, I'm enjoying it.
17 years ago
No, I'm not saying don't use scaffolding. But it's true you'll have a firmer grip on things if you don't. You'll have to decide for yourself where to draw the line between convenience and control.

For me, the line is drawn at my environment setup: I like Rails, my db, my server, etc not be too tightly coupled. Why? Because when I deploy, upgrade, downgrade, optimize, or otherwise tinker with one piece, I can do so without affecting the other parts.

On the other hand, one major selling point of Rails is its tightly coupled MVC stack. It's proven, actively maintained, and a joy to work with. I wouldn't want to switch out ActiveRecord with my own ORM (though I think others have done that).
17 years ago
I'll donate my copy to charity as I already have one.
17 years ago
If you want to learn Rails, I suggest not using those bundled installers, such as Instant rails. Install the pieces for yourself -- you'll know better what's going on under the hood. The downside, of course, is that if it messes up your system, it's harder to back out.
17 years ago
I just bought Rails for Java Developers; so far so good. I'm not quite deep into it yet, but I'm liking it as much as AWDwR...
17 years ago
If a language makes you productive and happy, chances are better you'll produce higher quality code. Don't pick a language b/c it makes someone else happy (or worse, makes your IDE happy), but b/c it makes you happy.

(but you can explore a language b/c others tell you it makes them happy)
17 years ago
Getting the 2nd edition is essential. Rails is changing so fast (1.2 just released) that you need the most up to date tutorial and documentation. Get the 2nd edition; don't ask questions.
17 years ago
I think the more coding skills the better. There are probably lots of Javascript copy/pasters out there. But because Ajax requires knowledge of server side technologies, I think the best coders would make the best Ajax developers. Now, if you want to know how to find the best coders...well, that's another can of worms.
Ajax has been compared w/ Flash or Flex and I'm wondering if there is anything that would make Ajax a compelling technology for mobile based apps as well (compared with Mobile Flash).
Yes, both WAS and WSAD run on XP.
19 years ago
Any reviews on this book yet?
19 years ago