I had a lot of fun working on this week's project. This was my second time working in a multi-language project, but the first time where one language called the other directly (e.g, JRuby). It was clear to me that having multi-languages in projects have its benefits, but can be cumbersome. However, by creating rake tasks and having a set of tests, I felt confident that any changes made to the code could be done easily and the tests will reveal any existing functionality that broke during the process or reveal any smells. I learned some new technologies along the way and put several design patterns to use. I remember reading Corey Haines' tweets about simple design and how design patterns might not be good for beginner developers like myself. However, I agree with Dave and others that design patterns help with communication. By throwing around design pattern keywords, it helps developers communicate with each other. I don't think design patterns should be something you should always try to follow, but use it to reveal a design that fits the context of the problem.
I'll be working with Colin and Justin starting today and pretty much all next week. I'm really excited to be working on this project and learning more about Rails and new technologies. More details to follow.