# REST without ActiveResource

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 29, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607 "2007-10-29T13:38:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607/1 "2007-10-29T13:38:05Z")

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I have been reading the manual on how to develop a REST application with  
Rails, from b-simple[1]. However, after finishing, they talk about  
ActiveResource. What is the place of this ActiveResource? I mean, the  
manual has taught me to do a REST app, what is the sense of  
ActiveResource? Where does it fit in mi app after all?

Thanks.

[1]  
[http://blog.b-simple.de/articles/2007/02/19/restful-rails-tutorial-in-english](http://blog.b-simple.de/articles/2007/02/19/restful-rails-tutorial-in-english)

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607/2 "2007-10-29T16:38:54Z")

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On 10/29/07, Damaris F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> ## [http://blog.b-simple.de/articles/2007/02/19/restful-rails-tutorial-in-english](http://blog.b-simple.de/articles/2007/02/19/restful-rails-tutorial-in-english)
> 
> Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/).
> 
> >

ActiveResource is a client for REST services. You don’t need to use  
it in your app, though you might want to write a test app, because  
some of your customers will probably use it if they consume your API  
from within a Rails app.

If your app doesn’t expose an XML API then ARes doesn’t play a role at  
all.

Pat

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607/3 "2007-10-29T16:38:54Z")

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On 29 Oct 2007, at 12:38, Damaris F. wrote:

> I have been reading the manual on how to develop a REST application  
> with Rails, from b-simple[1]. However, after finishing, they talk  
> about ActiveResource. What is the place of this ActiveResource? I  
> mean, the manual has taught me to do a REST app, what is the sense  
> of ActiveResource? Where does it fit in mi app after all?

ActiveResource is the other side of a RESTful app.

If you build your app to be RESTful, ActiveResource can be used as a  
client to retrieve resources from your app. It helps you write  
clients for your applications, or for other peoples’ applications  
that are RESTfully designed.

James.

–  
James S. : Web D.  
Work : [Processing Greenbelt 2009 – James Stewart](http://jystewart.net/process/)  
Play : [http://james.anthropiccollective.org](http://james.anthropiccollective.org)

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rest-without-activeresource/118607/4 "2007-11-13T13:07:07Z")

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Ok. So I can write my app without ActiveResource and then, if a client  
wants to use it, I can transformed it with any further effort, I think?

Thanks a lot.

James S. wrote:

> On 29 Oct 2007, at 12:38, Damaris F. wrote:
> 
> > I have been reading the manual on how to develop a REST application  
> > with Rails, from b-simple[1]. However, after finishing, they talk  
> > about ActiveResource. What is the place of this ActiveResource? I  
> > mean, the manual has taught me to do a REST app, what is the sense  
> > of ActiveResource? Where does it fit in mi app after all?
> 
> ActiveResource is the other side of a RESTful app.
> 
> If you build your app to be RESTful, ActiveResource can be used as a  
> client to retrieve resources from your app. It helps you write  
> clients for your applications, or for other peoples’ applications  
> that are RESTfully designed.
> 
> James.
> 
> –  
> James S. : Web D.  
> Work : [Processing Greenbelt 2009 – James Stewart](http://jystewart.net/process/)  
> Play : [http://james.anthropiccollective.org](http://james.anthropiccollective.org)