Project ?? Ruby on Rails , J2ME(JME), Other

cyberwit

I am looking to learn Ruby on Rails or J2ME (JME) or both over the summer.

I am interested in learning either with the possibility of using one in a fourth year computing project that will have to do next year, currently i am a third year computing student.

I was thinking J2ME (JME) because i am currently doing java (Swing, JDBC etc) and figure there will not be as big a learning curve or should i say at least i have some experience with the Java area so if problems arise i can handle it.

Ruby on Rails to develop a web based application but do i want to develop another web based application and where do i begin to learn Ruby on Rails, is it difficult etc.


Currently I am leaning towards Ruby on Rails but If anyone has any advice on either language or could suggest other possible development environments i could use it would be greatly appreciated.

Something that I could learn over the summer that would allow me to get straight into a possible project in September

jessy

cyberwit wrote: »

I am looking to learn Ruby on Rails or J2ME (JME) or both over the summer.

I am interested in learning either with the possibility of using one in a fourth year computing project that will have to do next year, currently i am a third year computing student.

I was thinking J2ME (JME) because i am currently doing java (Swing, JDBC etc) and figure there will not be as big a learning curve or should i say at least i have some experience with the Java area so if problems arise i can handle it.

Ruby on Rails to develop a web based application but do i want to develop another web based application and where do i begin to learn Ruby on Rails, is it difficult etc.


Currently I am leaning towards Ruby on Rails but If anyone has any advice on either language or could suggest other possible development environments i could use it would be greatly appreciated.

Something that I could learn over the summer that would allow me to get straight into a possible project in September

well the language is irrelevant until you know what the project is! Both languages are good at different thing, so you really need to have a good idea of what type of application you want to build first. I have started learning RoR myself recently and I have to say it gives the term rapid application development a new meaning, you can start to see stuff working almost immediately but its only really good for build business apps. have you any idea what kind of projects are available to select from?

Mad_Max

cyberwit wrote: »

I am looking to learn Ruby on Rails or J2ME (JME) or both over the summer.

I am interested in learning either with the possibility of using one in a fourth year computing project that will have to do next year, currently i am a third year computing student.

I was thinking J2ME (JME) because i am currently doing java (Swing, JDBC etc) and figure there will not be as big a learning curve or should i say at least i have some experience with the Java area so if problems arise i can handle it.

Ruby on Rails to develop a web based application but do i want to develop another web based application and where do i begin to learn Ruby on Rails, is it difficult etc.


Currently I am leaning towards Ruby on Rails but If anyone has any advice on either language or could suggest other possible development environments i could use it would be greatly appreciated.

Something that I could learn over the summer that would allow me to get straight into a possible project in September

What are your project ideas?

You can make a web application using Java too if you want to keep to Java.

Check out the Swing framework for Java.

cyberwit

I am thinking along the lines of a business application, I developed a HR Information System this year using ASP but i had limited experience with ASP (mainly Add, Update and Delete) and so that limited that resulting system I developed.

I had ideas this year about involving SAP but that did not work out so if i could incorporate SAP for next’s years project that would be perfect.

I was also thinking of a mobile based business app
Or something Ruby Based that would use SAP

I was also thinking of improving on my HR System this year and develop are more sophisticated one using J2ME or Ruby on Rails.

I know Swing but at the end of the day the project will demonstrated to business persons and you get more credit if you use a new technology that is not already taught to you.

I know I am think of the project backwards I should have an idea before picking the technology but I would like both before September the course will probably be hard enough without me having to learn a new technology there and then on my own, at least if I learn the new technology and have some kind of idea now I have time (3 months ) to learn the technology which I might not have in September.


jessy are you learning ruby on rails on your own or are you being taught it

Mad_Max

cyberwit wrote: »

I know Swing but at the end of the day the project will demonstrated to business persons and you get more credit if you use a new technology that is not already taught to you.

I will be demonstrating mine soon, and have demonstrated a few other projects to business people and they couldn't give a fiddlers what technologies are used.

If you're demonstrating to lecturers or the like then I'd say try something not being taught. Out of curiosity are you being taught Spring?

cyberwit

I agree that business persons may not care but they won't be the ones giving me the marks the lecturers.

No i wont be taught Ruby on Rails in the spring next year i will be taught JavaServer Pages (JSP). I could use that i suppose but by the time i am taught enough of that next year to be comfortable then half the year will be gone. Besides i am more interested in doing the project next year using a technology that i have not been taught in my degree, its will also be handy to put it on a CV that i am experienced in other technologies besides thoses directly taught in my degree.

Is Ruby on Rails difficult. can one learn it on their own. What technologies would a person need to now before trying to learn Ruby on Rails.

I have also heard of JRuby which i believe is a Java Implementation of Ruby whats that like.

Also what about Ajax i taught about that a couple of months ago but decided not beacuse of the fact it combines a number of different technologies.

Skud

cyberwit wrote: »

I agree that business persons may not care but they won't be the ones giving me the marks the lecturers.

No i wont be taught Ruby on Rails in the spring next year i will be taught JavaServer Pages (JSP). I could use that i suppose but by the time i am taught enough of that next year to be comfortable then half the year will be gone. Besides i am more interested in doing the project next year using a technology that i have not been taught in my degree, its will also be handy to put it on a CV that i am experienced in other technologies besides thoses directly taught in my degree.

Is Ruby on Rails difficult. can one learn it on their own. What technologies would a person need to now before trying to learn Ruby on Rails.

I have also heard of JRuby which i believe is a Java Implementation of Ruby whats that like.

Also what about Ajax i taught about that a couple of months ago but decided not beacuse of the fact it combines a number of different technologies.

If you have a java background then google ruby for java developers... I saw a set of slides last summer that introduced ruby/ror (cant remember which exactly) nicely for java developers.

Since you have or will have some exposure of j2ee check out coreservlets.com. Will give you a good idea what's going on. Ajax is javascript and xml. Seeing as what you said about it, dont think you have much experience with it. On coreservlets check out the GWT & AJAX section. If you are going with these seems you are veering towards a web application. Rich Internet Apps are big atm, particularly AJAX ones. Companies are starting or have been on the java/xml bandwagon at the currently.

Google uses a lot of AJAX based stuff, providing nice APIs in which you can expand. You could do something nice with Google maps or something.

The technologies you use are usually secondary though. I did a J2EE project this year, which got me a job recently. Adobe Flex and AIR are something to look at too. Prototype is a nice AJAX/javascript library. But again, your idea is the most important thing. Look at the projects of this year from your college, and other colleges around the country. Might get some ideas. If you dont the lecturers might provide some ideas to you next year. Or email the ones that share similar research areas that your interested in. Ask around if you're doing a work placement. Good luck with it. Your project is gonna be there all year, if you do something you like it's half the battle. Just don't rush into things.

Mad_Max

cyberwit wrote: »

I agree that business persons may not care but they won't be the ones giving me the marks the lecturers.

No i wont be taught Ruby on Rails in the spring next year i will be taught JavaServer Pages (JSP). I could use that i suppose but by the time i am taught enough of that next year to be comfortable then half the year will be gone. Besides i am more interested in doing the project next year using a technology that i have not been taught in my degree, its will also be handy to put it on a CV that i am experienced in other technologies besides thoses directly taught in my degree.

Is Ruby on Rails difficult. can one learn it on their own. What technologies would a person need to now before trying to learn Ruby on Rails.

I have also heard of JRuby which i believe is a Java Implementation of Ruby whats that like.

Also what about Ajax i taught about that a couple of months ago but decided not beacuse of the fact it combines a number of different technologies.

I found Ajax alright to get to grips with, I've always disliked Javascript so that was my only problem, other than that its really fine.

If I may give a piece of simple advice toward projects, its a final year one is it?, start on time/early. I left mine about a month later than I should have and it only results in long-nighters. If you want to use a new technology you really gotta plan properly for it. When you can show your lecturers that you've undertaken a steep learning curve but properly planned it you will score mega.
Rather than going for a big learning curve and just falling over the line.

cyberwit

Thanks alot for the valuable advice, Especially regarding picking my idea and planning for learning a the technology

jessy

cyberwit wrote: »

jessy are you learning ruby on rails on your own or are you being taught it

Nope Learning it on my own, there’s quite a few basic tutorials out there but its enough to get you started

cyberwit

If decide on Ruby on Rails will i have to study the Ruby language in order to use Ruby on Rails

Adam

cyberwit wrote: »

If decide on Ruby on Rails will i have to study the Ruby language in order to use Ruby on Rails

To become a proficient user of RoR, yes.