Flexible Rails

is a unique, application-based guide for using Ruby on Rails 2 and Adobe Flex 3 to build rich Internet applications (RIAs). It is not an exhaustive Ruby on Rails or Flex reference. Instead, it is an extensive tutorial in which the reader builds multiple iterations of an interesting RIA using Flex and Rails together.

Author Peter Armstrong walks readers through eleven iterations in which the sample application--pomodo--is variously built, refactored, debugged, sliced, diced and otherwise explored from every conceivable angle with respect to Ruby on Rails and Adobe Flex. The book unfolds both the application and the Flex-on-Rails approach side-by-side.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 12 Ratings

Solid - 2008-02-20
Reviewer Rating:
I wasn't sure whether a mixed-technologies book would be adequate for both reading and reference, especially with two technologies. As both a software engineer and a moonlighting instructor this book was an easy read from the start. Mr. Armstrong explores both Flex 3 and Rails 2 with enough background information on both technologies to get a reader ready to code--and that was just Chapter...err...Iteration 1. The second iteration begins with coding (Hello World) and it doesn't stop. This is a must for your coding library and makes a great textbook for students who enrolled in courses geared toward building web and Rich Internet Applications.

Great combination of technologies - 2008-03-25
Reviewer Rating:
I have used Flex for about a year and I have only dabbled in Ruby/Rails development. I have been curious how I might back a Flex front end with a simple service layer that isn't hard to create, maintain or host. So far I have only worked with Java/Spring/Hibernate backend services which can take a little while to build and integrate (Grails is MUCH faster).

After about 100 pages I'm in interation 4 building an interesting RIA with a Rails backend that I can host on relatively inexpensive server if I wanted to. My only struggles thus far was getting MySQL going properly. But that was only because I forgot a step in installing it.

If you have little exposure to Rails and/or Flex and you feel at home on the command line as well as you do in an IDE like Eclipse, this is a great "project" book for you. I'd say you probably want a primer in Ruby, Rails and Flex before you get going but it is pretty easy follow and has a lot of free professional advice from someone that has obviously been around the block a few times. Peter is very upfront about some things that he has done in the book that should not be considered "best practice".

I am hoping to get some good insight how I might do something similar for Flex and Grails. Regardless, I am confident this is going to be a fun journey!

Best book for ROR with Flex - 2008-05-07
Reviewer Rating:
I found it best technical book till date but you should know Flex & Ruby before you can jump into this..

Complete Example Application - 2009-02-07
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great book to learn Flex, because you get to see a complete application. I used it to connect Flex with Grails instead of Rails. It helps to know a little Flex before you use this book, but it was one of the first books I used to learn Flex, and I am still using it. For example, I used it to see how to handle XML data and error messages sent back from the server. I also used it to learn Cairngorm. I also learned how to send requests via ActionScript instead of MXML. Not part of the book: I am now learning how to connect Flex to Blazeds and Java JPA/Hibernate objects. If this works well, I can use it instead of Grails or Rails on the server side.

great book - 2008-02-21
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great book. Peter is the #1 expert in Flex + Rails.

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Top Level Categories:
Internet/Online

Sub-Categories:
Internet/Online > Flex
Internet/Online > Web Development