January 2012
1 post
Why I Wanted to Apply Myself and Learn Ruby on...
Below is an essay I wrote on why on wanted to apply and be accepted into Code Academy, a Ruby on Rails learning program based in Chicago. It’s a good reflection for me on where I was at the time I wrote the piece and where I want to go from here, which is eCommerce development work.
Top quality instruction, passionately involved community, awesome opportunity. These are the reasons that I...
December 2011
2 posts
Switching Layouts: Take a View and Give it a...
Rails has a seemingly endless supply of cool tools and tricks to have fun with, one of which is for switching the layout for a view. For example, I have a view called “show” that is using the standard “application.html.erb” layout in the layouts file. However, I also have a page entitled, “info”, that I want to have a different layout. The switch or change is...
Geocoder: Learning and Applying It Fast
I wanted to learn Geocoder (which allows you to create a static map via Google’s static map api) fast for a startup weekend at Code Academy and I did learn and apply it fast. Within 2-hours I had applied what I learned into a functioning static Google map. Here’s the steps that I went through:
Watch the “Geocoder” episode on the Railscasts website.
Build the app that...
November 2011
5 posts
Raking in Other Versions: When Executing Rake Does...
When developing and running an internet application on various computers, you can run into version problems. One computer might use Ruby 1.8.7 another may use Ruby 1.9.2. And when running custom rake tasks, errors might crop up. As they did for me.
After transferring the rails project to a different computer to develop on, and migrating and seeding the database, I wanted to run my custom rake...
Water Fluoridation: Chicago’s Government Employees...
Below is a piece that I wrote and posted on “Healthwars.net”, a blog that I have and write under pen names. The reason that I am re-posting this article here is that my fellow classmates at Code Academy need to become aware of what is put into Chicago’s water supply. The added ingredients will negatively affect their health and mental abilities, and since we are all using a lot...
Ruby on Rails: The Learning Path
There are many ways to learn a subject. You can read a book on it, ask people about it, watch a video that covers it, or a combination of all these. However, the first thing you want to consider, really think about before you delve into the subject, is the reason why you want to learn it. Is the reason for a small interest or is the reason for bigger, more passionate objectives. It’s my...
Object's Form
The Ruby on Rails framework has at it’s disposal the “form_for”, which is a way to intake and display an object’s information on a Web page. The following example will use an object named, “user” that has a model, i.e. a database table, named “user” and has only two fields: the primary key and “name”. I only want to collect a name and...
4 tags
Mental Shift
One can focus on getting a job to earn money. And many do. College students are a huge population that resides in this category. The thinking goes something like this: Let’s go to school, get decent grades, join a few clubs, volunteer, get an internship, build up that resume, and then search for and hopefully land a job. This way of thinking is pervasive. How many people have you just met...
October 2011
6 posts
Koans, WTF?
Ruby Koans, found here —> http://rubykoans.com/, is a website that provides a way to learn more about Ruby. I’ve been going through it, and am about 1/4 through. It has you check your work and look for answers on the Web, or somewhere because you can’t proceed until you know the answer. Good way to learn how Ruby operates but so far there’s no knowledge gained for...
Constructing & Deconstrucing Rails
Ruby on Rails has a lot of “magic” going on behind the scenes. This can make it hard to follow and progress if you’re like me and want to know how Rails can, say, know where to go even though you didn’t hard-code any URL or didn’t change any URL’s. This “magic” occurs when using the “resources” key work in the routes file.
Took plenty of...
Why Must Good Times Pass So Fast?
Into the third week of Code Academy and I’m appreciating the entire experience SO much. Everyone in class is awesome. I’m the dumbest one in the program which isn’t so bad since I will learn a LOT from everyone. What is bad is that Code Academy ends in December. There’s so much to learn in so little time and it is the time that is flying by…why must it be so? Why...
Ruby Koans Notes
Working with koans and on the about_nil.rb file. Had me stumped a little while with the “assert_equal __, ex.class” part. I learned that when an error occurs, an object is created and that is the Exception object. Its message, however, is contained in the $! constant. So I substituted this. Figuring out what exception was caught was time consuming but the answer was in front of me all...
First Week
A light intro into ruby and rails. Rails seems to be an intricately complex system. It’ll take a bit of time and effort to learn as will ruby.
Have to develop sharp design and programming skills. Lots to learn and practice is the key.
Code Academy Begins
Run On Rails Code Academy begins!
October 4th was a long wait for me as I wanted to immerse myself in learning Ruby on Rails. The program will be a challenge for me since there is much to learn in a rather short time frame. But, this is all good.