Not sure if this will be useful to anyone else, but as my own personal memory proxy, here are the steps I like to take when starting a new rails project:

First, setup the project

• generate directory structure
  #> rails [projectname]

Second, setup the database and initial tables

1. create databases
   mysql> create database [projectname]_development
mysql> create database [projectname]_test
2. create database user
   mysql> grant all privileges on [projectname]_development.* to ‘[username]’@’localhost’ identified by ‘[password]’
mysql> grant all privileges on [projectname]_test.* to ‘[username]’@’localhost’ identified by ‘[password]’
3. update config/database.yml with proper usernames and passwords. Don’t forget to update the path of the mysql.sock file. On debian/ubuntu, add this to the dev & test database configs:
   socket: /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
4. create migration
   #> ./script/generate migration initial_tables
5. define the schema in the migration file (db/migrate/001_initial_tables.rb) , remembering “proper” rails naming conventions
6. run the migration
   #> rake db:migrate

Third, get the basic CRUD app running

1. generate trestle
   #> script/generate trestle [modelname]
2. edit config/routes.rb to add a default route
   map.connect '', :controller => '[defaultcontroller]', :action => '[defaultaction]'
3. delete default html page
   #> rm public/index.html
4. start the webserver in daemon mode
   #> mongrel_rails start -d
5. connect to the app on port 3000

Now comes all the real fun…

Steve Job’s on design:

“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like,” Jobs told the Times. “That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

(via Straight Dope on the iPod’s Birth)