Using ActiveRecord with SQLite DB in a JRuby Desktop App

SQLite is the simplest relational database to use from JRuby desktop applications, it is built-in on all platforms (Mac, Windows, and Linux), and it can be utilized conveniently via ActiveRecord, the Rails object-relational mapping library following the Active Record Enterprise Application Architecture Pattern. In fact, I have used it a few years ago to build Are We There Yet?, a small project management app, using Glimmer DSL for SWT and bidirectional data-binding. In this blog post tutorial, I cover how to configure a SQLite database and connect to it using ActiveRecord from within a Ruby desktop application, data-binding the ActiveRecord Model to the GUI View bidirectionally.