The day I first ran Rails, I changed from someone who wrote code to 'someone who creates the web'
When learning programming, there is a thought that lingers in your head.
"Someday...
Will I be able to create a real webpage?"
The moment something created by my code appears on the screen.
Someone accesses my URL,
and the feeling that someone, somewhere in the world, sees what I created.
This is not just a simple technology,
it is an experience that is almost existential shock.
And Rails is a tool that makes that first experience
the fastest, the most dramatic, and the most thrilling.
The world opened by the Rails new command
When you turn on Rails for the first time,
you enter this one line.
rails new myfirstapp
The moment you press Enter,
a huge amount of files are generated in the terminal.
Folders, routers, models, controllers, views...
It was just one command,
but suddenly, a small universe is created inside your computer.
Just a few seconds ago, there was nothing,
but now, the seed of a web service is born.
At that moment, you understand.
Ah... So this is how the foundation of a web service is created.
rails server - The web comes to life
The next step is always this simple.
rails server
Then open your browser and go to the following address.
http://localhost:3000
There, your
first webpage that you created is there.
It has no design,
no functionality, but the screen that says "Connected"
tells you.
"You have become someone who can create the web now."
Among those who see this for the first time,
there is no one whose heart does not race.
The Ruby you have learned so far becomes the 'language of the web' in Rails
You learned methods, classes, loops, conditions, and modules in Ruby.
At first, you might have felt lost, wondering, "Where do I use this?"
But in Rails, all of this
creates a single organism called a web service.
URL → Controller
Controller → Action (Method)
Action → Model call (Class)
Model → DB data
View → Output results in HTML
A web page
is precisely structured with the concepts you have learned so far.
So Rails says.
"Everything you've learned so far
is just being extended to the web."
At that moment, the reader realizes.
"Ah... Making stars, nested loops, creating classes
wasn't just for fun.
This is how it becomes a real web."
Scaffold: The magic of seeing the world you created right before your eyes
One of the special reasons Rails provides
the experience of creating a large feature in just a few seconds.
For example, let's say you want to create a feature to manage blog posts.
Then in Rails, you simply say this.
rails generate scaffold Post title:string body:text
rails db:migrate
Then go back to your browser and visit this address:
http://localhost:3000/posts
And you will be shocked.
List of posts
Post creation form
Post view page
Post edit page
Post delete function
DB table creation
Routing settings
Entire MVC structure
All of this
is completed in just 30 seconds.
At that moment, you stop and think.
"Wait... Did I just create a blog service?"
Yes.
That's right.
You really created it.
With just 4 lines of commands.
And from then on,
you are no longer "someone learning development,"
but "someone who can create the web."
Rails teaches the web like teaching 'driving a car'
When you first learn to drive,
you don't need to know the internal structure of the engine.
Turn the steering wheel
Press the brakes
Step on the accelerator
The car moves in the direction you want.
Rails is the same.
Handling URL requests
DB storage
Screen output
CRUD functions
Once you learn these basics,
the web service starts to move.
And when needed later,
you can delve into the engine, understand the deep structure, and tune the performance.
But at the beginner's stage,
experiencing the movement is much more important.
Rails provides this sense faster than anyone else.
Tasting Rails right now means
an experience where the entire world of the web unfolds at your fingertips
What is the biggest motivation for someone learning to code?
It's very simple.
"What I made appears on the screen."
There is no experience that transforms a person like this moment.
A person learning simple syntax
becomes someone who has created 'something' they can show with their own hands.
The emotion is almost similar to artistic creation.
The moment you learn Rails, you are not just a simple developer.
You are someone who creates the web.
Rails quickly takes you
to the center of the world called the web.
URL
Data
Screen
User input
Storage
Modification
Deletion
Flow control
Design
All of these things
begin to look like a connected structure.
Someone who knew nothing
starts creating their own web service
by typing rails new, rails server, scaffold commands.
It's not just about learning technology,
it's the moment you start creating a world.
And you have
just taken the first step in that creative process.