Ruby on Rails's topics - tribe.net

MySQL, Ruby, Rails, and enumerated types

2008-02-29T15:53:13Z

Here's a little something I discovered that might help people out. Especially if you're just getting started with RoR.

I was creating a site for a friend where he needs users to fill out a form with pertinent info: first/last/email/address, etc. So I set out creating a model, and realized when I got to the address that checking to make sure the $state entry was a valid, two letter, USPS-approved, state abbreviation was going to be a pain in the butt someday.
So I asked myself, "Well, doesn't MySQL have enumerated types? Maybe I can just make $state only be one of the abbreviations." Sure enough, with a little checking I found out that MySQL does.
Second thought: "Does RoR know?" With a little checking....it didn't. Well, not really. I found a patch that was kinda old, but after checking with a seasoned RoR friend, he pointed me to a plugin for enumerated types here:
http://enum-column.rubyforge.org

Following the directions, using
script/plugin install svn://rubyforge.org/var/svn/enum-column/plugins/enum-column
the plugin installed cleanly!

The two examples I saw of using :enum used different syntax for the enum types, however. Apparently you can use either. When you're creating the enumerated types, you can use: [ :a, :b, :c, :d ] or [ 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd' ]. I chose the latter, even though the plugin example uses the former, and it still worked.

So, here's my model schema for the db:
ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 1) do

create_table "clients", :force => true do |t|
t.column "firstname", :string
t.column "lastname", :string
t.column "mail_address1", :string
t.column "mail_address2", :string
t.column "mail_city", :string
t.column "mail_state", :enum, :limit => [:AL, :AK, :AR, :AS, :AZ, :CA,
:CO, :CT, :DC, :DE, :FL, :FM, :GA, :GU, :HI, :IA, :ID, :IL, :IN, :KS, :KY, :LA,
:MA, :MD, :ME, :MH, :MI, :MN, :MO, :MP, :MS, :MT, :NC, :ND, :NE, :NH, :NJ, :NM,
:NV, :NY, :OH, :OK, :OR, :PA, :PR, :PW, :RI, :SC, :SD, :TN, :TX, :UT, :VA, :VI,
:VT, :WA, :WI, :WV, :WY]
t.column "mail_zip", :string
end

end

push the migration to the db:
rake db:migrate

create your admin controller:
ruby script/generate controller admin

create a scaffold:
class AdminController < ApplicationController
scaffold :client
end

start your server:
ruby script/server

and check your /admin page - it will present you with text boxes for everything, except the state - which will be a drop-down selection box! Nifty!

posted in Ruby on Rails - 2 replies

Offer to moderate

2008-02-26T05:24:09Z

I'll offer my services to moderate this tribe. According to the rules, we just need some sort of consensus.

I can't imagine this tribe needs much moderation, anyway.

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

Looking for rails developer

2007-12-13T17:20:41Z

Morning,

I have an existing rails site, http://www.itsyogapuertorico.com, that is in need of some work. Mostly backend stuff such as completing the basic CMS for content management, cleaning up the code, updating for rails 2.0, and some performance optimization.

We've had one or two hitches with finding a reliable developer, so we'd like someone with a moderate portfolio. Honestly, all we want is a developer with a professional attitude, ability to make an accurate & realistic estimates of time to completion and costs, and the commitment to meet those estimates.

This job is available for a freelancer with good references or development company.

Thanks!

James Kyle

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

RailsConf

2007-05-19T21:48:01Z

Is anyone in town for RailsConf?

posted in Ruby on Rails - 1 reply

Ruby On Rails

2007-03-17T07:00:28Z

Hello everyone,

I'm new to ruby on rails. I feel like im exploring in a jungle with a few good tools but no road to walk down.

if anyone wants to be ruby on rails nerd with me and just talk about things as we learn please send me a message. I learn best by having discussions with people and learning from each other.

I have some formal education with OOP a few years back and a few years of experience with PHP, but the code was more written in line than with an OOP focus, however im familiar with using functions with PHP.

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

Rails and Beer

2007-03-14T05:40:18Z

Anyone on here interested in giving up some spare time to help out on a web project for Brewers? It'd be no pay at first, but may eventually lead to a small bit of compensation - we can discuss.

The app has many parts to it: recipe formulator, recipe sharing/rating system, inventory controls, various technical calculators, etc. etc... It's not too complex, but not simple either.

There's two of us working on it right now, and only one of is is doing the backend work...and he's learning Ruby/Rails as he goes, so it's slow going. Getting a more experienced person in there would really help.

If you like beer, and especially if you brew beer yourself, this might be a fun project to work on. Just send me a message!

posted in Ruby on Rails - 2 replies

Motown Rails

2006-09-17T23:45:37Z

Just found this Tribe, and was a bit surprised to find that it doesn't seem terribly active.
Well, either way, here's the gist of my story:
I'm a 33-year-old Graphic Designer/Multimedia artist turned ASP/VB COM programmer, and I've been just hankering after a web programming language that felt as natural to me as ASP felt when I first started into it seven years ago, but wasn't tied to the Windows world. Rails came as a revelation, and I've really enjoyed what I've read of it, so far.

Now, I'm just trying to cut my teeth into Rails. I'm trying to get Typo installed on my shared space at Dreamhost... I've run into a few snags, so far, but I'm sure I'll get it figured out.

Anyhow, hope to see more activity here in the near future! Anyone know if there are any Rails conferences near the Detroit, MI area?

Jason M. Batchelor

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

I want my braces!

2006-05-19T02:55:13Z

Ok so i had initially cas RoR off after i saw what i consider to be godawful syntax. Then in another discussion someone defeninding RoR said braces and what not are optional and could be used.. At that point i gave it a second thought because far be it from me to not jump on anything in which there is a bunch of hub-bub. But i have yet to find any example sof this optional syntax , ie one implementing the tried and true (), {}, [] instead of english like symbols suh as end and what not. Call me crazy but i <3 brackets and braces and all that jazz it makes more sense to me when pooring over code than reading for literal statements.

As of yet though, i cant find any examples, documentation what have you covering this. Can some one point me in the right direction or something. I suppose i could jsut install everything and use trial and error but im too lazy for all that at the moment :-)

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

Username and Password

2006-04-20T23:19:33Z

I'm trying to create a blog app where the updating portion is secured by a username and password. I know how to creat the blog and everything, I just have no clue how to create the Username and password functionality.

Any suggestions?

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies

Why use Ruby on Rails?

2006-03-18T17:32:41Z

I was corresponding with a friend recently, and asked his opinion of Ruby on Rails. The following two paragraphs are his response:

"Ruby's quite good, well worth learning, astronomically better than PHP or
Perl, and a lot more fun than Java. But for me it's not so much better than
Python that I'd switch (better in some ways that aren't very important to
me, worse in others that are important to me). I prefer the simplicity of
Python syntax. I already know Python well, and it has a lot of excellent
established well designed library modules and extensions, that have had all
the kinks worked out of them over the years. I'd use RoR if a project
required it, and I'd learn it if I had the time, but given the choice, I use
Python.

The TurboGears framework for Python is like Ruby on Rails in a lot of ways,
but there are things I like about it more than RoR. Especially the
templating system, called Kid. I'm not impressed by RoR's weird non-XML
templates. Kid is totally XML-centric, very Pythonic, and instead of trying
to reinvent a kludgy half assed template language syntax, it just lets you
use 100% full power Python via 100% standard XML. Never accept a template
language (like ASP) that tries to pervert XML and can't be processed with
off-the-shelf XML tools -- it's just not worth it. Also, some template
languages attempt to reinvent the if and loop statements and variables and
functions in half-assed ways, but I'm happy with Python and don't want to be
"protected" from it. That's the nice thing about Kid -- very Python and XML
friendly."

His point about generic XML compatibility is excellent. I also appreciate what he says about Python. I'm a Python user and think it compares well with Ruby.

So, why then would someone want to use Ruby on Rails? Well, I for one have yet to dive into XML, so I like the fact that Ruby on Rails doesn't require me to learn any XML. I have lots of experience with relational databases, so I can always work with my data from whatever back-end (MySQL or Postgres) my RoR app uses. I also think we will see the RoR framework extended to accommodate those who wish to work with XML. There is at least one Bay Area start-up (in stealth mode) that is working on extending RoR.

Cheers,

Adrien

posted in Ruby on Rails - 2 replies

What's the best Ruby on Rails book?

2006-03-01T19:46:10Z

I'm interested in learning more about Ruby on Rails. I already know quite a bit about what Java and Perl can do, and want to learn more about Ruby so I can decide what to use when designing a new application.

Could anyone suggest a good Ruby on Rails book for a beginner or any good tutorial websites?

posted in Ruby on Rails - 2 replies

RoR 1.0 and Ruby 1.8.4 are now out!

2005-12-31T02:25:36Z

Ruby on Rails 1.0 was just released, and now Ruby 1.8.4 is out. Ruby 1.8.4 is suppose to work better with RoR. Looks like the train may pick up speed soon.

posted in Ruby on Rails - 1 reply

RoR liftoff!

2005-12-09T00:17:08Z

Looks like Ruby on Rails is about to take off! RoR version 1.0 is due out next week. I can't wait to see where the RoR track will lead!

posted in Ruby on Rails - 0 replies