This book is for anyone who wants to learn how to develop Web applications using the Ruby on Rails Web framework. Starting with a thorough introduction to the Rails 3 landscape, we'll walk you through creating a couple of working applications, from installation to deployment, and everything in between.<BR><BR>Rails 3 is modular for a reason: software is easier to write and maintain when it's divided according to areas of concern. Each chapter in this book is designed around a specific component of the framework. From modeling database relationships with Active Record, to sending mail using Action Mailer, we show you how each of the components work together and where the lines of responsibility are drawn. The result is that your knowledge will be focused, and you'll know precisely how the pieces fit together.<BR><BR>Rails 3 is optimized for what most people need to do, most of the time, and this book is no different. We've focused on the techniques that we, as Rails developers, use on a daily basis. With the help of online tools, such as Github, it's easy to follow along and use the code in the book. After building a blog application throughout the book, we've created an e-commerce Web site in the last chapter, using a faster pace, and demonstrating the thought process that we use when building applications for real clients.<BR><BR>In this book you'll find advice, and practical solutions to common problems. We'll show you what we think are the best tools and techniques to use when working with Rails, and what we've found to be best practices. We hope you'll find it useful, informative, and even entertaining.