Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition

The definitive, Jolt-award winning guide to learning and using Rails is now in its Second Edition. Rails is a new approach to web-based application development that enables developers to create full-featured, sophisticated web-based applications using less code and less effort. Now programmers can get the job done right and still leave work on time. NEW IN THE SECOND EDITION: The book has been updated to take advantage of all the new Rails 1.2 features. The sample application uses migrations, Ajax, features a REST interface, and illustrates new Rails features. There are new chapters on migrations, active support, active record, and action controller (including the new resources-based routing). The Web 2.0 and Deployment chapters have been completely rewritten to reflect the latest thinking. Now you can learn which environments are best for your style application, and see how Capistrano makes managing your site simple. All the remaining chapters have been extensively updated. Finally, hundreds of comments from readers of the first edition have been incorporated, making this book simply the best available. Rails is a full-stack, open source web framework that enables you to create full-featured, sophisticated web-based applications with a twist...you can create a full Rails application using less code than the setup XML you'd need just to configure some other frameworks. With this book, you'll learn how to use Rails Active Record to connect business objects and database tables. No more painful object-relational mapping. Just create your business objects and let Rails do the rest. You'll learn how to use the Action Pack framework to route incoming requests and render pages using easy-to-write templates and components. See how to exploit the Rails service frameworks to send emails, talk to web services, and interact dynamically with JavaScript applications running in the browser (the ''Ajax'' architecture). You'll see how easy it is to deploy Rails. You'll be writing applications that work with your favorite database (MySQL, Oracle, Postgres, and more) in no time at all. Preface to the Second Edition......Page 11 Introduction......Page 13 Rails Is Agile......Page 15 Finding Your Way Around......Page 16 Getting Started......Page 20 Models, Views, and Controllers......Page 21 Active Record: Rails Model Support......Page 24 Action Pack: The View and Controller......Page 29 Installing Rails......Page 31 Installing on Windows......Page 32 Installing on Mac OS X......Page 34 Development Environments......Page 36 Rails and Databases......Page 40 Keeping Up-to-Date......Page 42 Rails and ISPs......Page 43 Creating a New Application......Page 44 Hello, Rails!......Page 47 Linking Pages Together......Page 58 What We Just Did......Page 62 Building an Application......Page 64 Incremental Development......Page 65 What Depot Does......Page 66 Let's Code......Page 70 Iteration A1: Get Something Running......Page 71 Iteration A2: Add a Missing Column......Page 83 Iteration A3: Validate!......Page 86 Iteration A4: Prettier Listings......Page 91 Iteration B1: Create the Catalog Listing......Page 99 Iteration B2: Add a Page Layout......Page 103 Iteration B3: Use a Helper to Format the Price......Page 104 Iteration B4: Linking to the Cart......Page 106 Sessions......Page 109 Iteration C1: Creating a Cart......Page 112 Iteration C2: A Smarter Cart......Page 115 Iteration C3: Handling Errors......Page 121 Iteration C4: Finishing the Cart......Page 125 Iteration D1: Moving the Cart......Page 130 Iteration D2: An Ajax-Based Cart......Page 136 Iteration D3: Highlighting Changes......Page 140 Iteration D4: Hide An Empty Cart......Page 142 Iteration D5: Degrading if JavaScript is Disabled......Page 145 What We Just Did......Page 146 Iteration E1: Capturing an Order......Page 148 Iteration F1: Adding Users......Page 164 Iteration F2: Logging In......Page 172 Iteration F3: Limiting Access......Page 175 Iteration F4: A Sidebar, More Administation......Page 176 Generating the XML Feed......Page 184 Finishing Up......Page 191 Tests Baked Right In......Page 193 Unit Testing of Models......Page 194 Functional Testing of Controllers......Page 206 Integration Testing of Applications......Page 217 Performance Testing......Page 226 Using Mock Objects......Page 230 The Rails Framework......Page 233 Directory Structure......Page 234 Rails Configuration......Page 242 Naming Conventions......Page 245 Debugging Hints......Page 249 What's Next......Page 251 Generally Available Extensions......Page 253 String Extensions......Page 254 Extensions to Numbers......Page 257 Time and Date Extensions......Page 258 An Extension to Ruby Symbols......Page 259 Active Record Basics......Page 261 Tables and Classes......Page 262 Columns and Attributes......Page 263 Primary Keys and IDs......Page 269 Connecting to the Database......Page 271 CRUD---Create, Read, Update, Delete......Page 273 Relationships between Tables......Page 289 Transactions......Page 312 Acts As......Page 319 Aggregation......Page 324 Single Table Inheritance......Page 330 Validation......Page 334 Callbacks......Page 343 Advanced Attributes......Page 351 Miscellany......Page 355 Context and Dependencies......Page 358 The Basics......Page 359 Routing Requests......Page 360 Action Methods......Page 372 Cookies and Sessions......Page 383 Flash---Communicating between Actions......Page 394 Filters and Verification......Page 396 Caching, Part One......Page 402 The Problem with GET Requests......Page 409 Templates......Page 412 Builder templates......Page 414 RHTML Templates......Page 415 Helpers......Page 418 Formatting Helpers......Page 420 Linking to Other Pages and Resources......Page 423 Pagination......Page 425 Form Helpers......Page 427 Layouts and Components......Page 444 Caching, Part Two......Page 454 Adding New Templating Systems......Page 459 Introducing AJAX......Page 463 The Rails Way......Page 466 The User Interface, Revisited......Page 474 Advanced Techniques......Page 479 Sending E-mail......Page 491 Receiving E-mail......Page 499 Testing E-mail......Page 501 What AWS Is (and What It Isn't)......Page 505 The API Definition......Page 506 Dispatching Modes......Page 511 Using Alternate Dispatching......Page 514 Method Invocation Interception......Page 515 Testing Web Services......Page 518 Protocol Clients......Page 521 SQL Injection......Page 522 Cross-Site Scripting (CSS/XSS)......Page 525 Avoid Session Fixation Attacks......Page 528 Creating Records Directly from Form Parameters......Page 529 Don't Trust ID Parameters......Page 530 Don't Expose Controller Methods......Page 531 File Uploads......Page 533 Knowing That It Works......Page 534 Development Deployments......Page 536 Scaling Out......Page 538 Appendices......Page 540 Ruby Is an Object-Oriented Language......Page 541 Ruby Names......Page 542 Methods......Page 543 Classes......Page 545 Modules......Page 547 Arrays and Hashes......Page 548 Regular Expressions......Page 550 Blocks and Iterators......Page 551 Marshaling Objects......Page 552 Ruby Idioms......Page 553 RDoc Documentation......Page 555 Active Record Configuration......Page 557 Action Pack Configuration......Page 558 Test Case Configuration......Page 560 The Full Depot Application......Page 561 Bibliography......Page 584 Preface to the Second Edition 11 Introduction 13 Rails Is Agile 15 Finding Your Way Around 16 Getting Started 20 The Architecture of Rails Applications 21 Models, Views, and Controllers 21 Active Record: Rails Model Support 24 Action Pack: The View and Controller 29 Installing Rails 31 Your Shopping List 32 Installing on Windows 32 Installing on Mac OS X 34 Installing on Linux 36 Development Environments 36 Rails and Databases 40 Keeping Up-to-Date 42 Rails and ISPs 43 Instant Gratification 44 Creating a New Application 44 Hello, Rails! 47 Linking Pages Together 58 What We Just Did 62 Building an Application 64 The Depot Application 65 Incremental Development 65 What Depot Does 66 Let's Code 70 Task A: Product Maintenance 71 Iteration A1: Get Something Running 71 Iteration A2: Add a Missing Column 83 Iteration A3: Validate! 86 Iteration A4: Prettier Listings 91 Task B: Catalog Display 99 Iteration B1: Create the Catalog Listing 99 Iteration B2: Add a Page Layout 103 Iteration B3: Use a Helper to Format the Price 104 Iteration B4: Linking to the Cart 106 Task C: Cart Creation 109 Sessions 109 Iteration C1: Creating a Cart 112 Iteration C2: A Smarter Cart 115 Iteration C3: Handling Errors 121 Iteration C4: Finishing the Cart 125 Task D: Add a Dash of Ajax 130 Iteration D1: Moving the Cart 130 Iteration D2: An Ajax-Based Cart 136 Iteration D3: Highlighting Changes 140 Iteration D4: Hide An Empty Cart 142 Iteration D5: Degrading if JavaScript is Disabled 145 What We Just Did 146 Task E: Checkout! 148 Iteration E1: Capturing an Order 148 Task F: Administration 164 Iteration F1: Adding Users 164 Iteration F2: Logging In 172 Iteration F3: Limiting Access 175 Iteration F4: A Sidebar, More Administation 176 Task G: One Last Wafer-Thin Change 184 Generating the XML Feed 184 Finishing Up 191 Task T: Testing 193 Tests Baked Right In 193 Unit Testing of Models 194 Functional Testing of Controllers 206 Integration Testing of Applications 217 Performance Testing 226 Using Mock Objects 230 The Rails Framework 233 Rails in Depth 234 So Where's Rails? 234 Directory Structure 234 Rails Configuration 242 Naming Conventions 245 Logging in Rails 249 Debugging Hints 249 What's Next 251 Active Support 253 Generally Available Extensions 253 Enumerations and Arrays 254 String Extensions 254 Extensions to Numbers 257 Time and Date Extensions 258 An Extension to Ruby Symbols 259 Active Record Basics 261 Tables and Classes 262 Columns and Attributes 263 Primary Keys and IDs 269 Connecting to the Database 271 CRUD---Create, Read, Update, Delete 273 Relationships between Tables 289 Transactions 312 More Active Record 319 Acts As 319 Aggregation 324 Single Table Inheritance 330 Validation 334 Callbacks 343 Advanced Attributes 351 Miscellany 355 Action Controller and Rails 358 Context and Dependencies 358 The Basics 359 Routing Requests 360 Action Methods 372 Cookies and Sessions 383 Flash---Communicating between Actions 394 Filters and Verification 396 Caching, Part One 402 The Problem with GET Requests 409 Action View 412 Templates 412 Builder templates 414 RHTML Templates 415 Helpers 418 Formatting Helpers 420 Linking to Other Pages and Resources 423 Pagination 425 Form Helpers 427 Layouts and Components 444 Caching, Part Two 454 Adding New Templating Systems 459 The Web, V2.0 463 Introducing AJAX 463 The Rails Way 466 The User Interface, Revisited 474 Advanced Techniques 479 Action Mailer 491 Sending E-mail 491 Receiving E-mail 499 Testing E-mail 501 Web Services on Rails 505 What AWS Is (and What It Isn't) 505 The API Definition 506 Dispatching Modes 511 Using Alternate Dispatching 514 Method Invocation Interception 515 Testing Web Services 518 Protocol Clients 521 Securing Your Rails Application 522 SQL Injection 522 Cross-Site Scripting (CSS/XSS) 525 Avoid Session Fixation Attacks 528 Creating Records Directly from Form Parameters 529 Don't Trust ID Parameters 530 Don't Expose Controller Methods 531 File Uploads 533 Don't Cache Authenticated Pages 534 Knowing That It Works 534 Deployment and Production 536 Development Deployments 536 Initial Production Deployments 538 Playing Nice With Existing Environments 538 Hosting Multiple Applications on the Same Machine 538 Scaling Out 538 Appendices 540 Introduction to Ruby 541 Ruby Is an Object-Oriented Language 541 Ruby Names 542 Methods 543 Classes 545 Modules 547 Arrays and Hashes 548 Control Structures 550 Regular Expressions 550 Blocks and Iterators 551 Exceptions 552 Marshaling Objects 552 Interactive Ruby 553 Ruby Idioms 553 RDoc Documentation 555 Configuration Parameters 557 Active Record Configuration 557 Action Pack Configuration 558 Action Mailer Configuration 560 Test Case Configuration 560 Source Code 561 The Full Depot Application 561 Resources 584 Online Resources 584 Bibliography 584 "This guide introduces the concepts behind the Rails MVC framework for developing web applications, examines most of its modules and methods, either by example or narratively in the text, and walks through the creation of a simple online store. The active record for connecting to databases, the action controller, action view, AJAX, and testing are covered. An appendix explains the syntax of the Ruby object-oriented scripting language." -- Publisher This book is very good, but I strongly SUGGEST and cannot hardly STRESS ENOUGH for every newbie with Ruby on Rails -- LEARN RUBY FIRST. I am telling you, this will benefit thousand times later when you start developing.At the moment I am writing this review this 2nd edition of the books is outdated, as we have even Rails 3 coming soon. ;-)