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link: ; rel="first memento"; datetime="Wed, 06 Dec 2006 01:24:19 GMT", Ajax on Rails | O'Reilly Media
Featured customer reviews
Balanced AJAX Discussion, September 24 2007
Visuals:
Pretty standard layout. Good clear type. Page numbers, chapter titles, and section titles at bottom of page for easy skimming / searching. Screenshots are clearly printed.
Readability:
Overall the book is written in a instructive & readable format. There are also complete reference for Prototype & scriptaculous, which although you wouldn't necessarily "read" them provide explanation and examples of the various functionality provided.
Practicality:
This is a useful book for individuals looking to start adding AJAX features to their Rails application. Like most books, if you are already using the subject matter (AJAX) at a high level you will find much of the material to be a review of what you have perhaps already learned in the "trenches". Nevertheless, for beginners or experienced users alike, there is valuable information to be had. In addition to "how to do it" type material, there is also some theory about why and when to do it. For example, there are chapters covering "Usability", "Testing & Debugging", "Security" and "Performance".
Audience:
The book describes itself as written for individuals with existing web development experience. While Ruby / Rails specific experience in not necessarily required - those are fundamental topics which are beyond the scope of this book. If you are new to Ruby or Rails, it is best to acquire separate books for those topics.
Overall:
It's a keeper.
excellent for short-attention span webslingers, May 03 2007
This is a very well written book on using the Rails MVC model and AJAX (or more precisely [AS]|[JFV] A [XHJ]) technology to quickly get cool websites up and running on rails. As a programmer, I felt it did a good job of showing you what's happening under the hood, why you wouldn't want to write it yourself for a big website, and how AJAX and Rails can help you get powerfully scripted content attached to the DB your boss likes with a minimum of typing and fuss.
Sharpens your Ajax and Rails skills, January 24 2007
[Respond | View]
Scott Raymond?s book ?Ajax on Rails? (published Jan 2007) serves as an introduction, tutorial, and reference for web development using Ajax and Rails. It is roughly 1/3 introductory and intermediate level text; 1/3 more advanced material for developing ?Ajax on Rails? applications; and 1/3 sample - life-sized - applications. (The sample applications can be downloaded from the O'Reilly site.)
The author writes that Ajax is "a really simple idea: web pages, already loaded in a browser, can talk with the server and potentially change themselves as a result." [p. 2] Along with its simplicity and elegance, there has been a bit of mystery surrounding Ajax and how it works. The author does a great job exploring the basics. You will quickly get all the motivation needed to realize why this simple idea is so powerful in practice. You?ll also soon see why ?Ajax on Rails? is a productive approach for developing next generation applications on the web.
One of the real strengths of this book is its many working examples. I found even tricky techniques described in ways that were easy to understand. As I read the book, I entered sample code described on each page. (Having a working Rails installation is key for getting the most out of the book. The author provides a quick installation introduction which is supplemented with URLs for added help.) It was easy to apply ?Ajax on Rails? techniques to my own project, which I worked on in parallel as I read the book.
The centerpiece of the book is Chapter 5, which covers RJS (also known as Ruby-generated Javascript.) Here is where Ajax and Rails work especially closely together. I expected to learn about Ajax, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned about the magic of Rails and Ruby development! The author's coverage of Prototype and script.aculo.us shows how to create visually appealing Rails applications with Ajax. A number of critical technical topics, often overlooked, are also covered - including ?Usability?, 'Testing and Debugging', 'Performance' and 'Security'.
The author does a great job taking the reader from simple working examples to more complex applications. I certainly felt more comfortable with advanced aspects of Ajax and Rails by the end of the book. It seems to me this is the definitive text on the topic.
?Ajax on Rails" has been a joy to read and work through. Once I got started with this book, I didn't want to put it down because it was so easy to see the results and mark your learning progress along the way. The material is organized clearly. The writing moves at a great pace. Sample code explores how everything works. (I expect I?ll be referring back to the extensive examples in the future.) This book is a great tool to sharpen your skills around two of the most exciting aspects of the evolving web - Ajax and Rails.
Pleasantly surprised, January 23 2007
So many times when you purchase a book you don't know much about, you are disapointed. Maybe it is just where I am at with learning ajax and rails, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far with how the Ajax On Rails book has helped me to understand how to make them fit together.
Code is there now., January 22 2007
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
FYI, the example applications are available on this page for download now.
I would like to buy the buy, but what about the code ??, January 19 2007
Based on the reviews, the author history and the resume of the book, I believed this could be a must have for anybody interested on Rails. Yet, I could not buy it until being sure the code is published.
Code?, January 18 2007
I too was looking for code.
Code on the way, January 16 2007
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
Thanks for the feedback! Raymond and Bill, I am sorry that the application downloads aren't on the site yet -- I will work with O'Reilly to make that available ASAP.
Excellent!, January 15 2007
This is a really good book. I was pleasantly surprised... but not too much, because Mr. Raymond is the best person to write this book. I read his writeup in Linux Journal, and listened to him at RailsConf 2006 and on the Rails Podcast, and he's great. He really knows his stuff.
This book does a great job of covering the basics. It could stand to be a little longer, in my opinion, but it is quite thorough nevertheless. The three application samples in the back are excellent... of course, I came here looking for the code, too, as promised. It's not here.
And that's why the four stars. I'd give it five stars, but having to type in those non-trivial applications myself, just for the learning experience, is quite a frustrating proposition!
But all in all: great book. If you're interested in Ajax and Rails, you gotta pick it up.
Nice Reference, January 13 2007
Ajax on Rails, January 12 2007
I haven't finish reading this book. However, one thing REALLY disappoints and bugs me is that unobtrusive javascript topic is not included at all. Even though I haven't read through this book, it still isn't included in the Index list. I really wish the author of the book would've included it.
other than that, this book so far is a good reference book to learn how to use ajax on rails
Media reviews
"Scott Raymond’s book Ajax on Rails serves as an introduction, tutorial, and reference for web development using Ajax and Rails. It is roughly 1/3 introductory and intermediate level text; 1/3 more advanced material for developing Ajax on Rails applications; and 1/3 sample - life-sized - applications...One of the real strengths of this book is its many working examples. I found even tricky techniques described in ways that were easy to understand...The author does a great job taking the reader from simple working examples to more complex applications. I certainly felt more comfortable with advanced aspects of Ajax and Rails by the end of the book. It seems to me this is the definitive text on the topic."
-- Brian DeLacey
"This is a book to get after you’ve been through a couple of the other books, built an application or two, and want to dive more deeply into using Ajax in your application."
-- Michael Slater, Technology for Humans
"If any of you wants a great primer on Ajax and Ruby on Rails, then you should buy this book. It holds invaluable information about Rails, Prototype, and Script.aculo.us — and the examples at the end of the book are immensely useful. Scott’s approach to real-world uses of Ajax and Rails (he is a real-world developer of Rails applications afterall) makes the book easy-to-read and very accessible."
-- Tim Samoff, More things digital...
Read all reviews
Ajax on Rails
Build Dynamic Web Applications with Ruby
By Scott Raymond
January 2007
Pages: 350
ISBN 10: 0-596-52744-6 |
ISBN 13: 9780596527440
(Average of 9 Customer Reviews)
Learn to build dynamic, interactive web applications using the two most important approaches to web development today: Ajax and the phenomenally efficient Ruby on Rails platform. This book teaches you how to use both Ajax and Rails to quickly build high-performance, scalable applications without being overwhelmed with thousands of lines of JavaScript code. More than just recipes, you'll also get a thorough, low-level understanding of what's happening under the hood.
Full Description
Learn to build dynamic, interactive web applications using the two most important approaches to web development today: Ajax and the phenomenally efficient Ruby on Rails platform. This book teaches intermediate to advanced web developers how to use both Ajax and Rails to quickly build high-performance, scalable applications without being overwhelmed with thousands of lines of JavaScript code. More than just recipes, you also get a thorough, low-level understanding of what's happening under the hood.
- Ajax on Rails includes three fully worked out Rails/Ajax applications, and quick reference sections for Prototype and script.aculo.us.
- Testing lessons show you how to eliminate cross-browser JavaScript errors and DOM debugging nightmares using a combination of Firebug, and Venkman.
- Advanced material explains the most current design practices for Ajax usability. You'll learn to avoid user experience mistakes with proven design patterns.
Featured customer reviews
Balanced AJAX Discussion, September 24 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
J. Pease
[Respond | View]
Visuals:
Pretty standard layout. Good clear type. Page numbers, chapter titles, and section titles at bottom of page for easy skimming / searching. Screenshots are clearly printed.
Readability:
Overall the book is written in a instructive & readable format. There are also complete reference for Prototype & scriptaculous, which although you wouldn't necessarily "read" them provide explanation and examples of the various functionality provided.
Practicality:
This is a useful book for individuals looking to start adding AJAX features to their Rails application. Like most books, if you are already using the subject matter (AJAX) at a high level you will find much of the material to be a review of what you have perhaps already learned in the "trenches". Nevertheless, for beginners or experienced users alike, there is valuable information to be had. In addition to "how to do it" type material, there is also some theory about why and when to do it. For example, there are chapters covering "Usability", "Testing & Debugging", "Security" and "Performance".
Audience:
The book describes itself as written for individuals with existing web development experience. While Ruby / Rails specific experience in not necessarily required - those are fundamental topics which are beyond the scope of this book. If you are new to Ruby or Rails, it is best to acquire separate books for those topics.
Overall:
It's a keeper.
excellent for short-attention span webslingers, May 03 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
revieweronrails
[Respond | View]
This is a very well written book on using the Rails MVC model and AJAX (or more precisely [AS]|[JFV] A [XHJ]) technology to quickly get cool websites up and running on rails. As a programmer, I felt it did a good job of showing you what's happening under the hood, why you wouldn't want to write it yourself for a big website, and how AJAX and Rails can help you get powerfully scripted content attached to the DB your boss likes with a minimum of typing and fuss.
Sharpens your Ajax and Rails skills, January 24 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
Brian DeLacy |
[Respond | View]Scott Raymond?s book ?Ajax on Rails? (published Jan 2007) serves as an introduction, tutorial, and reference for web development using Ajax and Rails. It is roughly 1/3 introductory and intermediate level text; 1/3 more advanced material for developing ?Ajax on Rails? applications; and 1/3 sample - life-sized - applications. (The sample applications can be downloaded from the O'Reilly site.)
The author writes that Ajax is "a really simple idea: web pages, already loaded in a browser, can talk with the server and potentially change themselves as a result." [p. 2] Along with its simplicity and elegance, there has been a bit of mystery surrounding Ajax and how it works. The author does a great job exploring the basics. You will quickly get all the motivation needed to realize why this simple idea is so powerful in practice. You?ll also soon see why ?Ajax on Rails? is a productive approach for developing next generation applications on the web.
One of the real strengths of this book is its many working examples. I found even tricky techniques described in ways that were easy to understand. As I read the book, I entered sample code described on each page. (Having a working Rails installation is key for getting the most out of the book. The author provides a quick installation introduction which is supplemented with URLs for added help.) It was easy to apply ?Ajax on Rails? techniques to my own project, which I worked on in parallel as I read the book.
The centerpiece of the book is Chapter 5, which covers RJS (also known as Ruby-generated Javascript.) Here is where Ajax and Rails work especially closely together. I expected to learn about Ajax, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned about the magic of Rails and Ruby development! The author's coverage of Prototype and script.aculo.us shows how to create visually appealing Rails applications with Ajax. A number of critical technical topics, often overlooked, are also covered - including ?Usability?, 'Testing and Debugging', 'Performance' and 'Security'.
The author does a great job taking the reader from simple working examples to more complex applications. I certainly felt more comfortable with advanced aspects of Ajax and Rails by the end of the book. It seems to me this is the definitive text on the topic.
?Ajax on Rails" has been a joy to read and work through. Once I got started with this book, I didn't want to put it down because it was so easy to see the results and mark your learning progress along the way. The material is organized clearly. The writing moves at a great pace. Sample code explores how everything works. (I expect I?ll be referring back to the extensive examples in the future.) This book is a great tool to sharpen your skills around two of the most exciting aspects of the evolving web - Ajax and Rails.
Pleasantly surprised, January 23 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
Terry Birch
[Respond | View]
So many times when you purchase a book you don't know much about, you are disapointed. Maybe it is just where I am at with learning ajax and rails, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far with how the Ajax On Rails book has helped me to understand how to make them fit together.
Code is there now., January 22 2007
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
FYI, the example applications are available on this page for download now.
I would like to buy the buy, but what about the code ??, January 19 2007
Rating:
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
Based on the reviews, the author history and the resume of the book, I believed this could be a must have for anybody interested on Rails. Yet, I could not buy it until being sure the code is published.
Code?, January 18 2007
Rating:
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
I too was looking for code.
Code on the way, January 16 2007
Submitted by Anonymous Reader [Respond | View]
Thanks for the feedback! Raymond and Bill, I am sorry that the application downloads aren't on the site yet -- I will work with O'Reilly to make that available ASAP.
Excellent!, January 15 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
Raymond Brigleb
[Respond | View]
This is a really good book. I was pleasantly surprised... but not too much, because Mr. Raymond is the best person to write this book. I read his writeup in Linux Journal, and listened to him at RailsConf 2006 and on the Rails Podcast, and he's great. He really knows his stuff.
This book does a great job of covering the basics. It could stand to be a little longer, in my opinion, but it is quite thorough nevertheless. The three application samples in the back are excellent... of course, I came here looking for the code, too, as promised. It's not here.
And that's why the four stars. I'd give it five stars, but having to type in those non-trivial applications myself, just for the learning experience, is quite a frustrating proposition!
But all in all: great book. If you're interested in Ajax and Rails, you gotta pick it up.
Nice Reference, January 13 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
Bill Eisenhauer
[Respond | View]
This book does a nice job of introducing the basics of Ajax and then progressing into how Rails has baked helpers right into the framework.
There is some duplication of coverage found in other books, but this is not necessarily a negative since not everyone owns every book.</>
The book includes three non-trivial examples with the code listed in the back. Unfortunately, though there are references to the code being available on the O'Reilly site, the code has not been loaded as yet.
If you are looking for the most in-depth book on Ajax as it relates to Rails, this is your only option. Other books have chapters or sections, but this book is exclusively about this top. You could find information about this topic online, but not organized so well, and not written so well. As such, definitely worth the price (IMHO).
Ajax on Rails, January 12 2007
Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
[Respond | View]
I haven't finish reading this book. However, one thing REALLY disappoints and bugs me is that unobtrusive javascript topic is not included at all. Even though I haven't read through this book, it still isn't included in the Index list. I really wish the author of the book would've included it.
other than that, this book so far is a good reference book to learn how to use ajax on rails
Media reviews
"Scott Raymond’s book Ajax on Rails serves as an introduction, tutorial, and reference for web development using Ajax and Rails. It is roughly 1/3 introductory and intermediate level text; 1/3 more advanced material for developing Ajax on Rails applications; and 1/3 sample - life-sized - applications...One of the real strengths of this book is its many working examples. I found even tricky techniques described in ways that were easy to understand...The author does a great job taking the reader from simple working examples to more complex applications. I certainly felt more comfortable with advanced aspects of Ajax and Rails by the end of the book. It seems to me this is the definitive text on the topic."
-- Brian DeLacey
"This is a book to get after you’ve been through a couple of the other books, built an application or two, and want to dive more deeply into using Ajax in your application."
-- Michael Slater, Technology for Humans
"If any of you wants a great primer on Ajax and Ruby on Rails, then you should buy this book. It holds invaluable information about Rails, Prototype, and Script.aculo.us — and the examples at the end of the book are immensely useful. Scott’s approach to real-world uses of Ajax and Rails (he is a real-world developer of Rails applications afterall) makes the book easy-to-read and very accessible."
-- Tim Samoff, More things digital...
Read all reviews
"...this is the definitive text on the topic."
--Brian DeLacey
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