Write Software, Well (Page 3)

How to Access Rails Models in a Rake Task

This article shows how you can access your application models and other constants inside rake tasks by adding the `environment` task as a dependency. We'll also go one level deeper and learn exactly how this task loads the environment by inspecting the Rails source code.

Rails Internals 3 min read

Understanding Rails Parameters

Rails parameters let you access data sent by the browser, either in the URL or via form submission. In this article, we'll cover the basics of parameters, including what they are, how they work, and why they're important. We'll also learn how you can pass parameters when redirecting a request.

7 min read

I am Available as a Freelance Developer

With my current projects wrapping up, I have the capacity to take on at least one or two new freelance projects, and I can devote my full attention for 20-30 hours each week per project. If you (or your team) are looking for a freelance Ruby and Rails developer, please reach out to me via email.

4 min read

From a Lorry Driver to Ruby on Rails Developer at 38

I recently had the pleasure to interview Pedro David Garcia Lopez, a Ruby and Rails developer based in UK, who used to be a Lorry driver. What's interesting is that he decided to become a developer at the age of 38. This post shares his story and I hope you find it as inspiring as I did!

Interview 11 min read

How I Read Rails Source Code

Here're two techniques I've found really helpful for reading the Rails codebase, without getting overwhelmed. If you want to dive into the Rails source code for a deeper understanding, but feel intimidated by the sheer size of the codebase and don't know where to begin, this post is for you.

Rails Internals 13 min read

How a Ruby Method Becomes a Rails Action: Part One (Metal)

In this post, we will explore how a simple Ruby method, when added to a controller, becomes an action in Rails, ready to process incoming HTTP requests and send responses. We'll also trace the path of an incoming HTTP request to a Rails controller action.

Rails Internals 7 min read

Build Your Own Router in Ruby

Have you always wondered what a Router is and how it works? I know I have. In this second bonus post in my Rails Companion course, we'll build our own router in Ruby to get a deeper understanding of the Rails Router. We'll also use some meta-programming to make it look just like the Rails router.

This article is for Members only

Rails Companion 11 min read

Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests

Testing software is good. Period. This book gives a practical approach to building software combining the principles of object-oriented programming with test-driven development. All the buzzwords might trigger your inner sceptic, but this book is really, really good. Highly recommended.

book-notes 11 min read

Understanding Ruby's defined? Keyword

Ruby's defined? keyword is an elegant way to check if a variable is defined or not and also to cache expensive operations. However, it's confusing, and a few gotchas await the new Rubyist. Now that I've had a few opportunities to play with it, here’s my shot at sparing you some of the confusion.

Ruby Gems 4 min read

Honeybadger Now Supports Logging and Event Monitoring

Honeybadger recently added support for logging and event monitoring. It's one feature that I've been waiting for a while now, and I recently stumbled upon it randomly yesterday. This post shows how you can log events from your Rails apps to Honeybadger.

2 min read

Rails Companion - Build a Web Application in Ruby, without Rails

In this course, we'll build a web application in Ruby from scratch, without using Rails, to understand how web applications work and the core ideas behind Rails. In each lesson, we will build a specific feature from scratch using Ruby and understand the corresponding Rails concept in-depth.

Rails Companion 8 min read

Let's Build a Web Application in Ruby without Rails

Rails is great for building web apps. But it can be quite overwhelming if you don't know how web applications work. In this series of articles, we'll build a simple but complete app in plain Ruby without Rails, to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of everything Rails does for us.

Rails Companion 9 min read