after reading Simply Rails 2

Question

If I have only the information in Simply Rails 2 now and I want to create more complicated apps next, what should I do to learn that?

Answer 1

Apply for jobs in the field? What are your goals?

Answer 2

This is a pretty open-ended question, but I'd suggest a few things:

• Get really familiar with the Ruby language as a whole, and its constituent components like RDoc, stdlib, and the Rails API itself
• Take on a project for a friend, or build some kind of personal application that you've been wanting to create for a long time
• Try to re-create some popular web site to demonstrate your proficiency in Rails--it can even be something relatively simple, like Digg
• Take a look at http://www.softwaredeveloper.com/features/74-ruby-on-rails-resources-tutorials-050207/ -- there are great resouces there for Ruby, including books, tutorials, and more theoretical material
• Start learning about different methods of testing: unit testing, fuzz testing, scenario testing, etc.

One mistake notoriously made by new developers (especially with Rails) is that reading a book will give you all the tools you need to be a successful developer. This simply is not true. You basically need to get out there and really demonstrate your skills in a real-world sense (by creating real-world applications).

Understanding how to write code is not sufficient; you also need to know how to deploy it, maintain it, and test it effectively.

Answer 3

What you need to do is start building real applications. I'm not familiar with "Simply Rails 2", but I assume it has some basic tutorial apps in it. That's a good way to get your feet wet, but now you'll need to move into the real world. If you're going to do it on your own you'll need something that intrinsically motivates you, something you're interested in. In my case I rewrote my blog in Rails. Ideally you will test and deploy this application publicly so that you can list it on your resume.

Another angle to pursue is deploying and modifying existing apps. You can find many at Open Source Rails.

The key thing here is the you will learn best by doing, and you need to be able to solve problems outside of a tutorial situation.