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In the presentation titled "Quick and Dirty Apps with Sinatra, DataMapper, RestClient & Heroku" by John Britton, attendees at Ruby on Ales 2011 learn about developing quick applications using a combination of four main tools: Sinatra, DataMapper, RestClient, and Heroku. John Britton shares his experience working at Twilio and emphasizes that developing simple applications can be achieved in a matter of hours rather than days.

**Key Points Discussed:**
- **Introduction to the Tools:**  
  - **Sinatra:** A lightweight framework ideal for specifying URLs and executing Ruby code.  
  - **DataMapper:** Simplifies the process of setting up persistent objects, making it easy to manage small app databases.  
  - **RestClient:** A REST client that streamlines API requests using HTTP methods.
  - **Heroku:** A cloud platform that allows developers to deploy apps without the hassle of server management.

- **Example Applications:**  
  - **It's in Your Gmail:** A simple app that helps users retrieve previously emailed information by creating a redirect based on a URL pattern, allowing them to find important details easily. The app is quick to set up with minimal code through Sinatra.
  - **Call Congress:** A more complex app that provides a phone number for users to reach their local congress representatives. It utilizes the Sunlight Labs API to fetch the correct representatives based on the caller's area code, guiding users through a dial menu.
  - **Phone Lottery:** An interactive app that allows users to enter a lottery by calling a specific number, capturing their phone number, and selecting a random winner. It highlights how DataMapper can effectively manage entrants' data without requiring complex database setups.

- **Tools for Development:**  
  - John discusses the use of **HTTP Console**, which aids in simplifying API interaction, offering a user-friendly way to send requests and view responses in real time. It integrates smoothly with Heroku for easier data management.

**Conclusions:**  
- Building quick apps does not require advanced skills but rather an understanding and willingness to use available tools effectively. The takeaway message is that experimenting with simple frameworks allows for rapid development and deployment, fostering creativity and innovation in application development.

The presentation encourages attendees to leverage these tools to create functional applications in a time-efficient manner, ultimately enhancing their coding experience and productivity.

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