Rails 2.1 brings a new level of stability and power to this acclaimed web development framework, but keeping track of its numerous moving parts is still a chore. Rails Pocket Reference offers you a painless alternative to hunting for resources online, with brief yet thorough explanations of the most frequently used methods and structures supported by Rails 2.1, along with key concepts you need to work through the framework's most tangled corners. Organized to help you quickly find what you need, this book will not only get you up to speed on how Rails works, it also provides a handy reference you can use anywhere, anytime. Inside, you'll find essential information on how to:

• Install Rails with RubyGems

• Build, compile, and process files with Rake

• Test Rails applications using assertions and fixtures

• Use Rails with Ajax

• Connect objects to a database using ActiveRecord

• Make web requests with the Action Controller framework

• Use REST web service APIs

And much more. Save yourself hours of frustration: If you use Rails daily and just want the facts -- fast -- this is your book.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 4 Ratings

A Great Rails Book! - 2008-10-26
Reviewer Rating:
I have been searching high and low for a text that actually explains something, not just offers massive tutorials. This book fits the bill perfectly. The writing is precise and succinct. Both the author and the O'Reilly editors deserve kudos for writing this.

In short, if you want to learn Rails, and have been struggling, grab this book!

Great book! Fills in the gaps! - 2008-10-10
Reviewer Rating:
Like many who dabble with Rails, I own many books on the subject. I like this format in general, and this book does not disappoint. Rails is a loose set of tools/scripts, and this brings together the "how", with just the right amount of "why".

I give the content 5 stars, but it's so densely packed with information at times the layout is too busy, so I gave it a 4 overall.

A Must have for Rails Development - 2008-12-26
Reviewer Rating:
Just got this book the other day I think its a must have for if you are a rails developer ..

Target Missed! - 2008-11-11
Reviewer Rating:
I bought this book in the hope of a fast reference for Rails 2.x.
First complain: there's only a single, 200 pages long, chapter, splitted into several paragraphs; it ain't a severe drawback, but by dedicating to each topic a chapter would be far more usable.
This book does a good job introducing Rails: gems, scripts and the configuration are all well exposed throughtout the first 30 pages.
Troubles start when introducing Testing (why are there only examples of Functional tests?) and, after a good coverage of the console, get worst by entering the ActiveRecord paragarph: suffice to say that AR proxy's methods aren't mentioned at all, there are no examples about conditional validations (:if with block, proc or symbol), nor abstract AR coverage.
Ok, it's a pocket guide, but why the hell dedicate entire paragraphs to Capistrano and Textmate(!), when core features of Rails are not covered with the needed detail?
It's a pity, cause by adding 20 more pages/examples with the missing topics (and maybe eliminating some useless info) will transform this book into an essential reference (several 2.x features are well explained, such as named_scope and dirty objects). Sorry, target missed!

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