Rails is structured as a set of interlocking libraries and plugins. You know how to use all of Rails to create a web app. But how familiar are you with decoupling Rails and taking advantage of it for your other projects? In this talk we'll leave the beaten path of Web 2.0 and look at using Rails components in other domains.

• Use Rails plugins in other Ruby frameworks such as Camping and Nitro, or even write your own mini-framework based on Mongrel/ActiveRecord. Run a stripped-down Rails parallel to Django, a Python framework, and get an interoperable best of both worlds.
• Examine a scientific data-mining suite based on ActiveRecord and see how the rapid development potential of Rails can be hijacked for use in more classical, non-web applications--not just for spikes, but for the final product, too. See Rails resources exposed via DRb as well as REST.
• Chop it up and build on it! We will study the construction of Rails itself, and learn in context. Use Rails' open source nature to your advantage.

Some familiarity with the internals of Rails is recommended, but not an absolute necessity.