6.3. Summary

This chapter covered a lot of ground. It began with a general introduction to the components that compose Action Pack, the Rails library responsible for the controller and the view. Then, it launched into a controller walk-through, where you visited your scaffold-generated controller. In doing so, you learned about routes, what happens when you generate a scaffold, how actions relate to views, and how to work with layouts. You were introduced to Rails' form helpers, and you learned how easily forms integrate with Active Record objects. The chapter also introduced partials, and you learned how to keep your templates DRY and easy to maintain.

This chapter gave you your first taste of Rails outside the model. You now have a complete understanding of how Rails divides its concerns and a firsthand look at MVC in action. You started by modeling your domain in Chapters 4 and 5, and now you've completed the first iteration of building a web application around your domain.