RubyGorge

It’s just a bit too much maintenance to update the email list and this blog-based site for every meeting, so I’m going to stop posting upcoming meeting notes here. I’ll send reminders and notes for the meetings only to the email list and to Twitter, and leave this page as more of a placeholder so people can find us.

Subscribe to the email list: http://groups.google.com/group/rubygorge?hl=en
Follow our Twitter Stream: @rubygorge

Following our last two meetings, where we started building the new Gorge Tech Alliance web app and added a series of successful tests to the code, our next meeting will be focused on RSpec and Test-Driven Development. We’ll be looking at how to write specifications, and what to write them for (and what to NOT write them for). Then we’ll get down to work on the GTA website, adding tests and some new features.

[update] If we have time and desire, I’m also thinking of putting together an introduction to the RubyMine Ruby IDE from the JetBrains team. Just a quick intro on its basic functions and features.

Join us at 6pm at the Indian Creek campus of the Columbia Gorge Community College, room #311.

Code Update

If you have the code already, there’ve been some changes that will necessitate installing some more libraries, mostly for testing, so run:

$ cd crgta
$ sudo rake gems:install
$ sudo gem install rspec rspec-rails rcov ci_reporter thoughtbot-shoulda faker

to install all the new testing infrastructure.

For those who haven’t grabbed the code, and need to get set up, I’ve written a Getting Started page to help you along.

We’ll be meeting at 6 pm on April 22nd in room #311 of the Indian Creek Campus of the Columbia Gorge Community College.

On tap for the first hour are tips and tricks in Ruby, including a possible intro into programming the Android device using Ruby.

For the rest of the time, we’ll be hacking on the Gorge Tech Alliance website. If you haven’t, you should head over to Github and fork the CRGTA repository so you can start committing changes. Check out Github’s help page if your a Git newbie. We can help you at the meeting as well.

Hope to see you there.

I’m pleased to announce that RubyGorge has found a home at the Columbia Gorge Community College Indian Creek Campus! Through spring and most likely the summer, the CGCC has graciously offered us space in a smart classroom (Room 311) for our RubyGorge meetings. The room contains internet, a projector and ample space for some great Ruby meetings and pair programming!

Our next meeting is Thursday, April 8th.

Meeting Agendas

I have an idea for regular meeting agendas that include ample time for both new Ruby programmers and the veterans to get something from RubyGorge:

• Ruby Basics (6-7 PM): Newbies can bring there laptops and we’ll work to get Ruby set-up on them if they don’t already have that. Once that’s done, we can have a bit of an introductory Ruby discussion. For this first Indian Creek meeting, we’ll be getting acquainted with the room, and with each other.
• Ruby Gorge (7-9 PM): The remainder of the evening will be more advanced discussions on Ruby, featuring topical sections that people may present, or full-on pair programming. For this first meeting, I’d like to discuss plans for RubyGorge to build a website from the ground up to help the Gorge Technology Alliance.

This is an open discussion on agenda, so feel free to bring up issues and ideas over on the Google Groups page.

As much as the übergeeks hate to admit it, email still makes the world go round (Or makes the world stop going round while we break our concentration to check our email). Because there are certain things that are best left to the asynchronous informational transfer style of email, RubyGorge now has a Google Group. Scheduling meetings, discussing topics, and planning RubyGorge Goodness will be much easier over email.

The list is also especially useful now that Open Source Bridge is coming to Portland, and the conference presenters have offered RubyGorge one free pass to raffle off to a lucky Gorge Rubyist. So head over to the Google Group, or use the handy subscribe form over there in the sidebar, and sign up to be a part of the email conversation.

Join us Thursday, February 11th at 6 pm for the RubyGorge “Block Party” a discussion of the beauty and power of Ruby blocks, Procs and lambdas. We’ll be meeting at 651 Floral Place in Hood River.

Unusual Location

RubyGorge is still looking for a permanent home, so in the absence of one, I (John Metta) am hosting the “block party” at my house. I’ve got a normal-sized house, it’ll be tight, but friendly. There’s a nice projector and screen all set up that we can use if needed, some development space for pair programming (kitchen table and counters) and even public restrooms (well, just regular bathrooms, really). I’ll have some soda, water and maybe beer and pizza if everyone wants it. There’s probably room for 10 people so give me a shout if you’re coming just so I can plan.

Tonight was the the inaugural meeting of the Gorge Ruby User’s Group and I don’t think it’s just the Scottish Ale talking when I say that this first meeting was a grand success!

Discussion topics included:

• The trials and tribulations (well, the hilarity) of what happens when someone new to Ruby accidentally builds a fully functional web application (Rails makes it so easy that it actually happened!). That lead to…
• The upcoming merge of Merb into Rails 3.0, including what that means for the Object Relational Mapping in the exciting new Rails version. That lead to…
• Databases and the technology behind non-relational database frameworks like CouchDB and Hadoop, concepts like Map-Reduce, and the integration possibilities of relational and non-relational databases. Followed by the normal segways into things like…
• How people have learned Ruby and what steps some of us have taken to do so.
• What are some specific language constructs that are interesting and/or different from other languages (Seth and yours truly learned a ton about the beauty of Ruby Blocks!)
• A discussion on JRuby and Ruby’s ability to run under a Java JVM, including discussion on Cold Fusion, Clojure, Scala, and similar alternatives to plain old Java.

We also had some discussion following the normal tangents and rabbit holes, including…

When and where to hold meetings!

Having determined that Thursday is a good day, and that we can at least hold the momentum of every two weeks for another week (at least, right?), the next RubyGorge meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, February 11th at 6 pm. We’re still working out a good location that will allow some good computer work and will announce that as soon as we find a location.

Thanks so much to the Ruby enthusiasts who energized this, both those who made it and those who couldn’t make it but who look forward to making the next ones!

The date is set! On Thursday, January 28, the inaugural gathering of the Columbia Gorge Ruby Users Group will be held at Horse Feathers Brew Pub in Hood River!

Come have a pint and hang out with other Ruby programmers for a couple hours.

One the agenda: Figuring out our meeting schedule and other logistical stuff necessary for a rockin’ great Users Group.

Alright, it’s time. There are a growing number of Ruby programmers in The Gorge (Growing, because I just started programming in Ruby , so it’s time to start having regular meetings of the RubyGorge. I propose that the first meeting be about “learning Ruby” and be a discussion about steps to take when learning Ruby, since I’m talking with the Hood River Community Education Department about teaching an “Introduction to programming” course. I used to teach it in Python, but I’m considering teaching Ruby. Let’s talk about the best ways to accomplish that!

I propose HorseFeathers, because they have both beer AND wifi. Whadda ya say, what’s a good day?