"Like the original version, this tutorial will show you how to develop a web-based, database-driven application using Ruby on Rails. Also like the original, it will not teach you how to program in Ruby. On the other hand, if you already know another object-oriented programming language, you should have no problem following along (and at the end you can find links on learning Ruby and lots more)."

"Ruby is a pure object-oriented programming language with a super-clean syntax that makes programming elegant and fun. Ruby successfully combines Smalltalk's conceptual elegance, Python's ease of use and learning, and Perl's pragmatism. Ruby originated in Japan in the early 1990s. It has become popular worldwide in the past few years as more English-language books and documentation have become available (and its popularity has "

"Rails is an open source Ruby framework for developing web-based, database-driven applications. What's special about that? There are dozens of frameworks out there, and most of them have been around much longer than Rails. Why should you care about yet another framework?"

"Part of the answer lies in the Ruby programming language. Rails takes full advantage of Ruby. The rest of the answer is in two of Rails' guiding principles: "

" means you write fewer lines of code to implement your application. Keeping your code small means faster development and fewer bugs, which makes your code easier to understand, maintain, and enhance. Very shortly, you will see how Rails cuts your code burden."

" means an end to verbose XML configuration files--there aren't any in Rails! Instead of configuration files, a Rails application uses a few simple programming conventions that allow it to figure out everything through reflection and discovery. Your application code and your running database already contain everything that Rails needs to know!"

"Developers are used to hearing excessive hype accompanying something new. We know. We're developers, too, and we can easily imagine that skeptical look on your face. "

"We're not asking you to accept it on blind faith. We'll show you how to prove it to yourself."

"When you've finished this tutorial, we think you'll be both motivated and ready to learn to "ride the Rails" to similar results yourself. This updated version of the tutorial will produce an application that looks like and has exactly the same features as the original, so we decided to approach it a bit differently. Rather than pretend that we're making this up for the first time, let's pretend that the boss walks into our office just before lunch and says..."

" Hey, CB (that's us). I'm in kind of a jam. I really need your help. I'm supposed to do a little dog-and-pony show for my boss tomorrow morning. I've been working up a little app for him on the side. It's kind of a big deal to him and I think he's going to invite some other folks to the demo tomorrow. Maybe "

" boss. Problem is, I've been using an outside consultant for this, and he must have won the lottery last night. He didn't come in this morning, hasn't responded to my emails, and he's not answering his cell phone. And on top of that, the app stopped working about an hour ago for some unknown reason and I can't even find the source code. CB, this is "

" the story I want to walk into my boss' office with tomorrow morning. Word around the water cooler is that you've been trying to get some new development tool approved. You say it lets you produce code like ten times faster than the tools we're using now?"

" 10x. But I haven't had any success with the Ops guys. Can't even get 'em to take a look at it. They're just not enthused about putting anything new into their mix right now."

" CB, I really need to get the situation with this app fixed by tomorrow morning. If you can do that, you can use any tool you want. Just give me a web-based, database-driven app that looks like and acts like the one my boss has already seen. I know that's a lot. I'm probably asking you to work late. Tomorrow morning's really got to be pushing it. I tell you what. If you'll agree to give it a shot, I'll make a phone call, see if I can maybe break the ice for you with the Ops guys."

" Tell you what, boss. It's almost lunch. If you go get us some pizza, and let me "

" you how productive Rails can make us, I think we can have you fixed up before lunch is over."

" No sweat, boss. You go get the pizza. I'll get Rails installed. The Ops guys wouldn't let me download the Rails software through the firewall so I brought in a CD this morning. I'll be ready by the time you get back."

" You're going to get a new development environment set up and ready by the time I get back? And then, while we eat, you're going
... read the whole article