CLI Data Gem Portfolio Project
Last updated
Last updated
What to Expect from the Project Review
Project Requirements
Instructions
Practicing for Success on Learn
Resources
Congrats! It’s time to work on your first project. In this lesson you're going to build a that provides a Command Line Interface (CLI) to an external data source. The CLI will be composed of an Object Oriented Ruby application. You'll use all you've learned about Ruby and to complete this project.
Please note that while you will be writing code to or utilize an API from a public website, we are really looking for you to demonstrate your ability to write concise, easy-to-read Object-Oriented Ruby code (e.g. objects, not hashes; separation of concerns). The details of the regex's or the selectors you use to parse your scraped web pages are less important.
Project reviews are focused on preparing you for . Treat project reviews as if they were technical interviews, in both attitude and technical presentation.
During your project review, be prepared to:
Explain your code from execution point to exit point. You will also be asked questions that test your knowledge of Ruby fundamentals. Use the best technical vocabulary you can. We’ll help you with the words you can’t remember or those you find difficult to pronounce. 20-25 minutes
Refactor code. 10-20 minutes
If any requirements are missing or if significant gaps in understanding are found, be prepared to do one or all of the following:
Extend the application with a new feature, more data, a different domain etc.
Submit an improved version
Meet again for another Project Review
What won't happen:
You won't be yelled at, belittled, or scolded
You won't be put on the spot without support
There's nothing you can do to instantly fail or blow it
The data provided must go at least one level deep. A "level" is where a user can make a choice and then get detailed information about their choice. Some examples are below:
Movies opening soon - Enter your zip code and receive a list of movies and their details.
Libraries near you - Enter your zip code and receive a list of libraries and their details.
Programming meetups near you - Choose from an events list and receive details.
News reader - List articles and read an article of your choosing.
Use good OO design patterns. You should be creating a collection of objects, not hashes, to store your data. Pro Tip: Avoid scraping data more than once per web page - utilize objects you have already created. It will speed up your program!
Build your application. This is going to be different from labs you have done on Learn. Do not click Open IDE and create your application within the lesson files. Instead:
Do not close the Sandbox without completing the next step or your work will be lost.
Documentation
While you're working on it, record a 30-minute coding session with your favorite screen capture tool. During the session, either think out loud or not. It's up to you. You don't need to submit the video, but we may ask for it at a later time.
Submission
Write a blog post about the project and process.
On Learn, submit links to the GitHub repository for your app, your video demo (not your 30-minute coding session), and your blog post each to the corresponding textbox in the right rail, and hit "I'm done" to wrap it up.
If you make a mistake, correct yourself! We all make mistakes, I promise.
Think on your feet. Feel free to look things up while you're pairing with us. You'll be asked to expand on concepts you implemented and you will be pushed to the edge of your knowledge.
Explain the details. We're curious!
Don’t worry if your code isn’t perfect the first time - focus on getting something working, then refactoring to improve it.
You're going to learn a ton. We will give pointers and show you ways to improve your code. This isn't telling you that your code is wrong, it's simply us teaching. Whatever you don't quite understand will be explained.
Be proud of your project and your code, and show confidence in it.
Present yourself and your project in the best way possible.
Be open to feedback, both positive and constructive.
Remember, the interviewer is a person too. Be nice to them!
Trust yourself.
Trust us - our goal is to help you be successful in achieving your goals.
We understand that this process can be stressful. We’re here to help you through.
Use the best technical vocabulary you can. We’ll help you with the words you can’t remember, or if you’re unsure about how something is pronounced.
Ask questions! Curiosity and willingness to learn are hugely valued in our industry. If you haven’t heard of something, that’s okay - use this opportunity to learn about it!
Provide a
Your must provide access to data from a web page.
Your CLI application should not be too similiar to the Ruby final projects (Music Library CLI, Tic-Tac-Toe with AI, Student Scraper). Also, please refrain from using as that was used for the scraping 'code along'.
was built by a Learn student, is maintained by Flatiron School staff, meets these requirements, and is well coded. Take the time to clone, run, and look through the code in detail - it'll really help.
If you have time for an extra challenge, from your application. Want more? Try .
Watch this of building a basic CLI Gem called before you begin. Review the , which provides a good example of how scraping concerns can be separated into a distinct class.
Online Software Engineering: .
Full Stack Web Development V5: .
Full Stack Web Development V7 .
After your repo is pushed up to Github, make sure you have with a short description, install instructions, a contributors guide and a link to the license for your code (students usually use the ).
To continue working on your project, you'll need to delete extra project files in the Sandbox and clone your project down each time. includes instructions on how to clone down a repo.
Make sure to commit early and commit often. (clearly describe what you're doing in the commit) and accurate (there should be nothing in the commit that doesn't match the description in the commit message). Most of your commits should have under 15 lines of code and a 2 line commit is perfectly acceptable. Good rule of thumb is to commit every 3-7 mins of actual coding time.
as you complete your project and submit when you are done.
after confirming all requirements are met.
Prepare a video demo (narration helps!) describing how a user would interact with your working gem. Some common video recording tools used are , , and . After you create your demo, publish it on a service like or .
View on Learn.co and start learning to code for free.
View on Learn.co and start learning to code for free.