# What do I need to learn Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, AJAX?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 21, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033 "2006-02-21T04:20:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/1 "2006-02-21T04:20:12Z")

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So I’ve sort of come to the conclusion that if I wanna get stuff done, I  
need to either A) Find some dang money and pay people to do it or B) Do  
it myself. I’m opting for B. Soooo…now I’ve got some  
programming/technologies to learn. I’m self-employed and I can afford to  
take a month (or 2) off to totally immerse myself in this and learn how  
to do it.

Right now (on a programming level) I’ve got an intermediate knowledge of  
PHP and veerrrryyy beginner knowledge in Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, and  
AJAX. At the end of this little “learning spree” I’d like to be on a  
very strong intermediate to expert level on all of this.

Now…the problem is that I don’t even really know where to start. RoR  
is up and running on my server so I’m good to go for actually coding  
stuff…but what do I read? What do I learn first? What’s the best way  
to teach myself this stuff?

Any advice/suggestions here would be huge.

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**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/2 "2006-02-21T04:27:38Z")

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Start with:  
1). [https://pragprog.com/titles/ruby/programming-ruby-2nd-edition/](http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/ruby/index.html)  
2). [http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html](http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html)

in that particular order.

## – Kent

> **[DATANOISE.COM](https://www.datanoise.com/)**
>
> DATANOISE.COM - Contact us for any business inquiries

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/3 "2006-02-21T04:27:40Z")

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And maybe even  
[http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/fr\_ltp/index.html](http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/fr_ltp/index.html)  
for good measure.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/4 "2006-02-21T15:01:18Z")

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Also, if you can spring it take the next RailsStudio  
([http://studio.pragprog.com/rails/index.html](http://studio.pragprog.com/rails/index.html)) class. It’s three days  
and is an excellent way to get yourself up to speed quickly. It’s  
also an incredible value. Good luck.

Michael

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**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/5 "2006-02-21T11:57:47Z")

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Josh

Start with the pdf version of :  
[http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html](http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html)

, print it, and bind it in 3 parts.  
The dead-tree version uses a paper that’s too thin =\> you can’t really  
annotate and write and highlight.  
Try and make it your own “Head-First with RoR”.

You can learn Ruby online right now, with your browser :  
[tryruby.hobix.com/](http://tryruby.hobix.com/)

Alain

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/6 "2006-02-21T15:12:34Z")

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Another good method…

There is alot of good items of ruby and RoR on the full archives of:

> **[开云在线登录入口设计有限公司-广州办公室装修\_广州写字楼装修\_广州室内装修设计公司](http://www.planetrubyonrails.org)**
>
> 开云在线登录入口(中国)科技有限公司专注广州办公室装修设计、写字楼装修、办公楼设计为企业量身定制一站式办公空间设计、施工等整体解决方案，创意设计，品质装修。欢迎致电：13710059809。

Everything from cheat sheets to how RoR scales and other goodness…

Also, reading the archives doe sintroduce you to the ruby ad RoR  
cultures.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@jpigford](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jpigford)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-learn-ruby-rails-javascript-ajax/54033/7 "2006-02-21T15:40:58Z")

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Thanks everybody for the tips.

What about things like JavaScript/AJAX? What are some good resources for  
learning that?