This past weekend I finally started building my first Rails application. I’m pretty impressed with the framework. I will admit that Rails is very hyped. Some say that it is over-hyped. I really can’t agree there. You really have to build an application to understand the cleverness that is Rails. I do believe the folks who have been building web apps for quiet some time will get the most out of Rails. While it’s not necessary, it is very helpful to be familiar with OOP. With that being said, here are my suggestions.

Buy the following books:

1. Agile Web Development with Rails
2. Ruby for Rails
3. Rails Recipes

Build the example “Depot Application” in Agile Web Development with Rails. Then read Ruby for Rails to really get up to speed on the Ruby language. Build the “Depot Application” again. This time, feel free to make changes based on previously gained knowledge. Practice is good. Then read the chapters on Active Record, Action Controller, and Action View. Now that you have a decent foundation in Rails, start building your app. The other chapters can wait until you’re ready to read them.

As you find time, thumb through Rails Recipes. Aside from the fact that you can use about a dozen of these recipes in your first app, it’s packed with great examples of real world code. Most recipes only take about 5 minutes to read through.

Use the following documentation religiously:

1. Rails Framework Documentation
2. Ruby Core Libraries

Subscribe to the following blogs:

1. Err The Blog
2. Jamis Buck
3. The Rails Way

These blogs are all great because they all offer advice based on cold, hard, real world scenarios working with Ruby on Rails.