I just got it a few days ago and I'm about 30% into the first book. What I can say so far is that the author's approach resonates really well with me. Going through the book feels like sitting next to a colleague, who is introducing you to Phoenix and is really knowledgeable in the topic. The book is full of interesting tidbits and explanations about Phoenix internals without getting in the way. I also appreciate the TDD approach including both acceptance and unit testing. The most important thing for me though, is how Shankar condensed teaching Elixir into a single chapter. I have previously tried to study Elixir a few times with the intention of eventually getting into Phoenix but I always got overwhelmed by the OTP material. I didn't want to make the mistake of trying to learn Rails before being comfortable with Ruby again so I put off on learning Phoenix altogether. What Shankar has done is to dedicate one chapter to teach just enough Elixir for you to get started. This was perfect for what I needed and it was reassuring knowing exactly how much (or little) Elixir you need to know before diving into Phoenix.
If you have previous experience in another MVC framework and are interested in Phoenix I highly recommend this series (at least based on what I've read so far).
I should note that the current version of the book is targeting Phoenix v1.3.0-rc.2. Although Shankar has already made an announcement with the intention to update the book soon after the officially 1.3.0 release.
> If you have previous experience in another MVC framework and are interested in Phoenix I highly recommend this series (at least based on what I've read so far).
Do you need Elixir experiences too?
I've done MVC and have some functional experiences.
I've seen this book but wasn't sure if it was for me and decided to do exercism's elixir exercises before buying this book.
I think you should be fine, especially considering you have some functional experience. In the second chapter of the book, the author goes over Elixir from scratch. By the end of the chapter you should have a working knowledge of the language. Even beyond this chapter, the author takes time to dissect and explain the more complicated looking code. It really does feel quite approachable to anyone with a few years of programming experience.
From the web site: "Create a mini-Phoenix framework using Elixir and Cowboy. What can be the best way to understand Phoenix than to create it yourself."
Garuda, I'm sure after googling you found the Wikipedia entry for it. It is just a play on words since Garuda, like Phoenix, is a type of mythical bird.
Tomte, "Garuda" is not a random title. As you and others have guessed it, Garuda is a mythical bird in Indian mythology just like Phoenix being a mythical bird in Greek mythology. Since the book is about "Demystify Phoenix Internals & Rebuild Phoenix Clone", I have named it as Garuda.
I agree with you, I could have explained the book's content and its title a bit more clearer on my website. I will do it sometime soon.
I just got it a few days ago and I'm about 30% into the first book. What I can say so far is that the author's approach resonates really well with me. Going through the book feels like sitting next to a colleague, who is introducing you to Phoenix and is really knowledgeable in the topic. The book is full of interesting tidbits and explanations about Phoenix internals without getting in the way. I also appreciate the TDD approach including both acceptance and unit testing. The most important thing for me though, is how Shankar condensed teaching Elixir into a single chapter. I have previously tried to study Elixir a few times with the intention of eventually getting into Phoenix but I always got overwhelmed by the OTP material. I didn't want to make the mistake of trying to learn Rails before being comfortable with Ruby again so I put off on learning Phoenix altogether. What Shankar has done is to dedicate one chapter to teach just enough Elixir for you to get started. This was perfect for what I needed and it was reassuring knowing exactly how much (or little) Elixir you need to know before diving into Phoenix.
If you have previous experience in another MVC framework and are interested in Phoenix I highly recommend this series (at least based on what I've read so far).
I should note that the current version of the book is targeting Phoenix v1.3.0-rc.2. Although Shankar has already made an announcement with the intention to update the book soon after the officially 1.3.0 release.