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When you first run the debugger is builds a database of gems - unfortunately you need the DevKit installed which is not something all Ruby installations have. Here I hit a snag at first that did make it more difficult than it needed to be. Of course when it comes to finding problems the debugger is the star of the show. If you don't want to use them then you can ignore them. If tests are your preferred approach then you can select RSpec, Cucumber, Shoulda, Test::Unit and Test/Spec frameworks.
RUBYMINE RSPEC CODE
To help you improve your code there are a number of automatic refactoring tools. This is the sort of feature that is usually an add-on in other IDEs. A code inspection command will scan through your code and tell you if you have any bad practices lurking. There are also a lot of facilities to help with testing and debugging. As you use RubyMine you accumulate more and more ways of working with code This makes it very easy to check that they are correct. Another example is the way closing brace/brackets are highlighted as you place your cursor on the opening brace or bracket. This makes finding out how code works a lot easier. For example, when you want to find a the definition of a class - easy put your cursor on the class name in the code, press Ctrl+B and you jump to the declaration. There are lots and lots of other small features that you can overlook when you first start using RubyMine. Give it a few minutes and you soon change to relying on it. It has to be admitted that when you first start using an IDE with autocomplete it can seem irritating - for example if you have already typed end on auto-pilot while not looking at the screen so duplicating the one generated by the autocomplete. That is, you type def and it supplies end. It also automatically generates obvious closing keywords.
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This would be enough of an advantage to make it worth using RubyMine, but you also get code completion which offers you a selection of possible completions as you type. Syntax highlighting helps you see that what your code means and that it is correct. When you get to typing in Ruby code you'll quickly find you become more productive.
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If you want to change the project's structure then you can do this using a Project Structure page to work with the files and configuration. For example, you can start a project and a project template will configure everything for you. The reason that RubyMine makes you more productive is that it lets you see many things that you have to remember or guess at when working at the command line. So not free, but if you are serious about Ruby programming not excessive.
RUBYMINE RSPEC UPGRADE
If you want to upgrade after the first year you have to pay a smaller amount. You also get one year's worth of updates and a licence to use the version you have for ever. For educational use and open source projects the product is free. After the 30 days you have to register and this costs 89 euros for a personal license, 26 euros for a student license or 179 euros for a commercial licence.
RUBYMINE RSPEC TRIAL
You can get a 30-day free trial from the JetBrain's website. RubyMine from JetBrains is the obvious choice as it is currently being rapidly developed. Since then I have been looking for a replacement IDE with as good support and as important a future. Until recently you could use NetBeans to develop Ruby projects but Ruby support was discontinued in Version 7. The main reason for this is that Ruby doesn't have a standard development environment. Many Ruby programmers swear by this or that editor, I'm not going to name names for either programmer or editor. If you have never used an IDE to program, you may not know what you are missing.
RUBYMINE RSPEC FULL
RubyMine is a full Ruby IDE that makes it easy to create and develop complex projects. If you are still using EMACs or some other text editor to build Ruby applications, you need to consider that there are better ways to work.
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