Bare bones, no auth, json rest server in rails.

rest_api.sh

#!/bin/bash -x

rvm install 1.9.3-head
rvm use 1.9.3-head
rvm gemset create rails31
rvm use 1.9.3-head@rails31

gem install bundler rails

rails new rest_api
cd rest_api

git init .
git add .
git commit -a -m'vanilla rails'

echo rvm use 1.9.3-head@rails31 > .rvmrc
rvm rvmrc trust .

rails generate model Reservation id:integer name:string date:datetime
rake db:create
rake db:migrate
git add .
git commit -a -m'reservation model'

rails generate controller Reservations
git add .
git commit -a -m'vanilla reservations controller'

echo "gem 'inherited_resources'" >> Gemfile
echo "gem 'responders' >> Gemfile"
bundle install
echo "class ReservationsController < InheritedResources::Base
  respond_to :html, :xml, :json
end" > app/controllers/reservations_controller.rb
echo "RestApi::Application.routes.draw do
  resource :reservations
end" > config/routes.rb
git commit -a -m'wire up the inherited_resources and routes'

rails server 2>&1 1>/dev/null &

echo "wait for server"
sleep 10

curl -d "{id: 1, name:'Dinner', date:'Tue Nov 29 2011 23:55:16 GMT-0500 (EST)'}" http://localhost:3000/reservations.json
# {"created_at":"2011-11-30T04:56:36Z","date":null,"id":1,"name":null,"updated_at":"2011-11-30T04:56:36Z"}

curl "http://localhost:3000/reservations.json?id=1"
# {"created_at":"2011-11-30T04:56:36Z","date":null,"id":1,"name":null,"updated_at":"2011-11-30T04:56:36Z"}