SD Ruby Monthly Meeting

FEATURED TALK FOR FEBRUARY:
Jon Tara - "Creating Hybrid Mobile iOS and Android Apps using Ruby and HTML/CSS/JS" Ruby is most often employed to create back-end systems, such as middleware for websites or (typically REST APIs, usually using an MVC framework such as Rails, or a light-weight framework such as Sinatra. This is a well-trodden and proven path, and is supported by a robust ecosystem of open-source libraries and tools.
Most Rubyists would be surprised, however, to know that Ruby can be employed in a central role in the creation of hybrid native applications for iOS, Android, and other mobile operating systems.

The little-known open-source Rhodes framework and Rhomobile development platform implements a Rails-like MVC "back end" within a native mobile app. (No native coding required, though!) A WebView is used to create a "front end" Using HTML/CSS/JS) that can make requests of the MVC. Remote communication (e.g. to a "real" back end") is typically done using Ruby code.

Developers with Ruby/Rails experience are easily able to leverage their experience and create real native mobile apps without having to face a mountain of documentation and having to learn or hone unfamiliar languages. You can deploy of multiple platforms from a single codebase, and the platform provides coverage for nearly all device capabilities (e.g. GPS, camera, sensors, etc. etc.) and an escape hatch that allows incorporation of native code for the rare cases where it is needed.

Rhodes is a great way to create POCs, prototypes, MVPs, etc. but has been successfully used to create a wide variety of types of apps for both public App Store and Enterprise deployment.

This talk will give an introduction to Rhodes, and explain some of the fascinating details of it's internals and how it works, including how it's possible that an interpretive language such as Ruby can possibly be approved for App Store deployment.
The speaker will share the source code of a simple application that does QR code capture that can be downloaded from GitHub, as an example of how easy it is to create an app that sounds scary-complicated in very minimal time.

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We meet the first Thursday of each month.

We'll start with networking over pizza and soda at 6:00.

Around 7:00, we'll jump in with a featured talk or two, and throw in some lightning talks and giveaways.

By about 8:30, we'll go out for beers and more networking.

Come for any or all of the fun!

All Ruby experience levels welcome!

Follow us on @sdruby (http://twitter.com/sdruby) on Twitter for meeting reminders and other updates.

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SPONSOR OR SPEAK AT THE NEXT MEETING

Wanna talk at our next meeting? Have a topic you want someone else to talk about? Interested in sponsoring? Email me at krista.k.morrison@gmail.com, and we'll get you on the books.