In this section, we will guide you through the initial steps of setting up your final project in Ruby. This project will consolidate all the concepts you have learned throughout the course. By the end of this section, you will have a solid foundation to start implementing features and building your application.

• Understand the project requirements and goals.
• Set up the development environment.
• Initialize a new Ruby project.
• Configure necessary dependencies and tools.

Before diving into the setup, it's crucial to understand what the project entails. Here are the key points:

1. Project Overview: A brief description of what the project is about.
2. Features: A list of features that the project should have.
3. Technologies: The technologies and tools you will use.
4. Timeline: A rough timeline to complete the project.

• Overview: A simple task management application where users can create, update, delete, and view tasks.
• Features:
  • User authentication
  • CRUD operations for tasks
  • Task categorization
  • Due date reminders
• Technologies: Ruby, SQLite3, Rails (optional), RSpec for testing
• Timeline: 4 weeks

Ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

1. Ruby: Version 2.7 or later.
2. Bundler: For managing gem dependencies.
3. SQLite3: For the database.
4. Git: For version control.
5. Text Editor/IDE: Such as VSCode, Sublime Text, or RubyMine.

If you haven't installed Ruby and Bundler yet, follow these steps:

1. Create a Project Directory: Navigate to your desired location and create a new directory for your project.

2. Initialize a Git Repository: Initialize a new Git repository to track your project changes.

3. Create a Gemfile: This file will manage your project's dependencies.

4. Install Dependencies: Use Bundler to install the gems specified in your Gemfile.

1. Set Up RSpec for Testing: Initialize RSpec in your project.

This will create a .rspec file and a spec directory.

2. Database Configuration: Set up SQLite3 for your project.

Create a config directory and a database.yml file:

Create the db directory:

3. Create Initial Project Structure: Organize your project directories.

1. Run RSpec: Ensure RSpec is working correctly.

2. Create a Simple Ruby Script: Verify that your Ruby environment is set up correctly.

Run the script:

You should see the output:

You have successfully set up the initial structure for your final project. You now have a Git repository, a Gemfile for managing dependencies, RSpec for testing, and a basic project directory structure. In the next section, we will start implementing the features of your task management application.

By following these steps, you ensure that your project is well-organized and ready for development. Happy coding!