captured sparks

So, I’ve now posted my two-part video tutorial on building a todo list application with Rails 3 (Part 1 and Part 2). What have I learned?

Firstly, increase the text size in everything – TextMate, Terminal and the browser. Whilst easily legible on my screen, it is not so good when encoded and compressed at a smaller resolution. Thankfully, the code is still legible (just) but I don’t want my viewers to be squinting.

Secondly, Snapz Pro X, the MacBook’s built in microphone and iMovie are fine for recording video tutorials. I don’t think it’s necessary to invest in a separate microphone at the moment.

Finally, have a rough idea of what you will say, when you will say it and how much time you will need to say it. On a couple of occasions, I found myself needing more time to explain something and on other occasions, having too much time. Whilst a complete script might not be necessary, you might want to consider what particular areas need a detailed level of exposition and ensure you leave enough time to do so.

EDIT: The source code is now on Github.

Welcome to Part 2 of the video tutorial on building a todo list with Rails 3. Part One of the video tutorial is here.

Please leave comments and your suggestions for future topics to cover.

• Active Record Query Interface
• The new routing in Rails 3

EDIT: The source code is now on Github.

In this video tutorial, we’ll be building a todo list application in Rails 3 that allows the user to have multiple todo lists with multiple tasks. Part 1 will cover setting up the lists and part 2 will deal with adding tasks to those lists and completing tasks.

This is my first video tutorial so please leave constructive comments. If there is anything you’d like to see me cover, let me know. Further reading material is after the video.

• Upgrading to Rails 3
• script/* replaced by script/rails
• Cleaner controllers with respond_with
• New validations

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