CS 132A
My preferred textbook for Ruby. Use the Pickaxe for a reference, and this to learn how Ruby works.
CS 130A
CS 130B
Reference
CS 132R
CS 132A -- Optional

Fall 2008 Schedule

CS 130A – PHP Programming Syllabus

PHP is the most popular web programming language. This class will introduce you to PHP and show how you can use it to build dynamic web sites that are hooked up to a MySQL database. By the time you finish the course you will have completed a resume-quality class project that employs the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design architecture.

Is this course right for you?
This course is not a beginning programming course. I expect that students have some programming experience and know about variables, functions, conditional statements. In addition, I expect that students know something about HTML.

If you feel that you are not prepared for this course, I highly recommend that you take some of CCSF's fine programming and web courses to prepare yourself for learning PHP. It's well worth itt.

CS 132A – Ruby Programming Syllabus

If you follow the TIOBE Index of Proramming Languages, you will see that Ruby is one of the most in-demand languages. Ruby's killer app, Ruby on Rails, has raised the bar for MVC web frameworks, and is the first choice of many start ups. In this course you will learn general Ruby programming, with the focus on eventually using Ruby for web programming. By the end of the course, you will know enough Ruby to begin developing web sites with Rails.

Is this course right for you?
This course is not an introduction to programming. I assume that students have some experience with programming with a real programming language such as Perl, C/C++, Javascript, Java, etc. HTML is a markup language, not a programming language, so it doesn't count.

Students should know about functions, array, and conditional statements—in other words, students should have at least basic programming skills.

CS 132R – Rails Workshop (Not schedule for Spring 2009)

CS 132R is a 1-unit CR/NC course, a two-day introduction to Ruby on Rails given on August 22 and 23 (Friday and Saturday). This course is designed to introduce Rails to the non-Ruby web community. Students complete assignments on their own computers. I encourage students to bring their laptops to class.

You will learn how to install Rails, use Rails to connect to databases, build simple Rails applications without Ruby, and how to deploy Rails on Linux. In addition, we will review important Rails features in detail: AJAX in Rails, Database Migrations and Versioning, Active Record class, XML capabilities, Unit Testing, and more.

Is this course right for you?
This course is suitable for programmers and non-programmers alike. There are no programming requirements for this course. You will need a computer to install Rails on. Plus, students need basic computer skills to download and install software, create files and directories. Students will have to install MySQL, Netbeans, and the full Java SDK (for Netbeans).