Here's a nice little addon to the Prototype Ajax library that adds the ability to trim text, etc. with Prototype.

First add this to one of your .js include files,

String.prototype.trim = function() {
    return this.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g,"");
}
String.prototype.ltrim = function() {
    return this.replace(/^\s+/,"");
}
String.prototype.rtrim = function() {
    return this.replace(/\s+$/,"");
}

now with protoype loaded you can trim your text simply and effectivly,

$('myfield').value.trim() == '';

this will simply get the value from the textbox 'myfield', trim it for whitespace and then compare it to see if it's empty.

Sweet!

Thanks goes to SOMACON.COM for this one.

More really decent Firefox Addons...

• ColorZilla
  ...provides an eyedropper, like photoshop

• ThrashMail.net
  ...dummy email address generator

• FFmyIp
  ...displays your machine's ip address

• LoremIpsum Content Generator
  ...generates lorem ipsum text for your web designs

• FireFtp
  ...ftp file manager addon for firefox

• FireBug
  ...the best web debugger in history

• Web Developer Toolbar
  ...very competent web design addon

• Delicious Toolbar
  ...add your del.ici.ous links to firefox

• YSlow
  ...addon to FireBug, ranks your sites performance and offers solutuions to speed it up

• FireCookie
  ...addon to FireBug, gives you total control of cookies

• Tails
  ...Microformats statusbar extension, lights up when it sees microformat code in a webpage

• PicLens
  ...instantly transforms your browser into a full-screen 3D experience for viewing images across the web

All tested to work with the latest Firefox 2.0.0.11 build.

Unit Testing

• Selenium IDE - Firefox Plugin

After a while of development with Ruby on Rails, you build up a few notes on what you should always have, or recommended setups. So to complement all my other notes, here's a little collection of Ruby Gems that I'd recommend you add to your collection, and some command lines to help you.

Startup + Deployment

Basics

ruby -v
// returns ruby version

rails [app]
// creates new app in current directory

script/generate
// generates templates, models, views, etc.

rake db:migrate
// runs pending database migration plans

script/server
// starts mongrel or webrick web server

script/server -p 3030 -e production
// starts mongrel in production mode at port 3030

script/server -d
// starts mongrel in development mode silently
// terminte it with these two:

ps aux | grep mongrel
// shows active processes named 'mongrel'

kill 31290
// terminate process 31290

Adding + Removing Gems

sudo gem install [gem]
// installs gem [gem]

sudo gem uninstall [gem]
// uninstalls gem [gem]

Required Gems

sudo gem install rails --include-dependencies
// the web framework ruby sits on

sudo gem install mongrel --include-dependencies
// mongrel is RoR's webserver

sudo gem install mongrel_cluster
// cluster-based mongrels

gem install capistrano -v 1.4.1
// makes it easy to deploy your RoR app

sudo gem install deprec -v 1.2.3 -y
// adds deprec deployment recipies

Capifying your App

To make your app ready for deployment to your remote server, do:

cap --apply-to .
// creates the capify .caprc file

deprec --apply-to . --name myapp --domain myapp.com
// generate your apps deploy.rb file

cap show_tasks
// show available capistrano tasks

Getting Cutting-Edge Builds

Freezing your Rails to the Edge

When building your app, you may want to make sure it will only ever use the Ruby version you've got now; rather than the one you might have in the future (if you upgrade ruby later). You know, if certain commands get depreciated later on, or if the command you use now doesn't work in the next version of ruby, but you need to upgrade your server's Ruby build for the other apps.

...to freeze rails, navigate to your apps dir, then run;

rake rails:freeze:edge
rake rails:update

...un-freeze it with;

rake rails:unfreeze

...to check what versions your running, try;

script/about

Gem Maintenance

Updating Ruby on Rails

gem update
// updates all installed gems

gem update --system
// updates 'gem' -> latest version

gem cleanup
// deletes any previous unneeded gem files

rake rails::update
// updates your app to latest rails release

Extra Gems

sudo gem install termios --include-dependencies
// wrapper for the UNIX termios command
// prevents passwords you enter in
// Capistrano from being displayed in 
// your Terminal for all to see

sudo gem install tzinfo --remote
// timezone library, provides
// daylight-saving awareness and 
// different time zones

sudo gem install redcloth
// adds support for Textile formatting

sudo gem install feed-normalizer
// ruby RSS/ATOM feed reader + dependencies

sudo gem install mysql
// builds in better mysql performance