Speaker Topics - No Fluff Just Stuff

Rails for JRuby

This session explains all the hype surrounding Ruby on Rails, in a context familiar to Java developers. It covers convention over configuration, ActiveRecord, controllers, views, Ajax, scaffolding, testing, and deployment…on the JVM, using JRuby.

Find out why everyone won't shut up already about Ruby on Rails! This web framework for Ruby has appeared from nowhere to become the critics darling: there must be good reasons why. This session shows those reasons, in a context familiar to Java developers. It discusses how configuration works in Rails, persistence through ActiveRecord, scaffolding, controllers, views, and Ajax. It also covers the important topic of testing, and how Rails makes it easy and automatic. Finally, this session discusses deployment on the JVM, using JRuby, and reflects back on the important lessons that Rails teaches Java developers. This session also presents information about the boundary between Rails, Ruby, and JRuby.

Session Topics:

  • Why Ruby? Why Rails?
  • Getting started
  • JRuby and Rails
  • Convention over configuration
  • Scaffolding
  • ActiveRecord: Persistence done right
  • ActionPack
    • Controllers
    • Views
    • Ajax for free
  • Testing
  • Deployment
  • Reflection


About Neal Ford

Neal is Director, Software Architect, and Meme Wrangler at ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy with an exclusive focus on end-to-end software development and delivery.
Before joining ThoughtWorks, Neal was the Chief Technology Officer at The DSW Group, Ltd., a nationally recognized training and development firm. Neal has a degree in Computer Science from Georgia State University specializing in languages and compilers and a minor in mathematics specializing in statistical analysis.
He is also the designer and developer of applications, instructional materials, magazine articles, video presentations, and author of 6 books, including the most recent The Productive Programmer. His language proficiencies include Java, C#/.NET, Ruby, Groovy, functional languages, Scheme, Object Pascal, C++, and C. His primary consulting focus is the design and construction of large-scale enterprise applications. Neal has taught on-site classes nationally and internationally to all phases of the military and to many Fortune 500 companies. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker, having spoken at over 100 developer conferences worldwide, delivering more than 600 talks. If you have an insatiable curiosity about Neal, visit his web site at http://www.nealford.com. He welcomes feedback and can be reached at nford@thoughtworks.com.

More About Neal »