Ruby on Rails was created in 2003 by David Heinemeier Hansson when he was working at Basecamp. It was first released as an open-source framework in 2004 and has continuously grown since. Ruby on Rails, or Rails, is written on Ruby, a high-level programming language from Japan created in 1995. Today, this framework is one of the most popular in web development, building various websites and applications for businesses worldwide. Rails has three basic principles that it has followed since its creation: Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, Conventions over Configurations, and Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY).
Ruby on Rails is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby. It provides default structures for a database, web services, and web pages. This framework is best suited for building e-commerce applications with sophisticated browsing and purchasing options.
Here are some of the other ways that Ruby on Rails can be used by companies:
Web application development: Rails is primarily used for web application development, and it is a popular choice for companies building web applications, such as informational portals, stock exchange platforms, e-commerce websites, dating websites, social networks, non-standard complex projects, and SaaS solutions.
API development: Rails can also be used to build APIs, which are often used for mobile applications or to expose data to third-party services. Rails makes it easy to build RESTful APIs, and it has built-in support for JSON serialization and deserialization.
Rapid prototyping: Rails is a great choice for rapid prototyping, as it allows developers to quickly build and test new ideas. Rails has a wide range of third-party libraries and tools, which can further speed up development.
Content management systems: Rails can be used to build content management systems (CMS), which are used for managing websites and digital content. Rails has several CMS frameworks, such as Refinery CMS and Radiant CMS.
E-commerce: Rails can be used to build e-commerce platforms, such as online stores or marketplaces. Rails has several e-commerce platforms, such as Spree Commerce and Solidus.
With how popular and praised it is, you might be surprised to learn about this disadvantage. Rails’ runtime speed is slower than other languages and frameworks, but because of this developers have created an array of tips and tricks to increase its performance. But come on, doesn't every good thing come with a small trade-off? At Dirox, our developers are very fond of using this framework and can navigate well the issues and drawbacks that come with it.
The biggest myth around its scaling capabilities comes from when Twitter switched from Ruby on Rails to Scala. However, if you look at Kickstarter, Groupon, and Basecamp, all build with Ruby on Rails, no scaling issues are detected. In most cases, performance issues are not caused by the choice of platforms or programming language but by the choice of erroneous project architecture, data caching, or database optimization.
While it comes with so many benefits that seem attractive for your business, unfortunately, one size doesn’t fit all. There are many alternatives that can fit your project better. If you liked the MVC architecture but something else didn’t match, think of ReactJS or Lararel, both of which have a large support community. If you want to be on top of the technological trends, try Python and its framework Django with a rich ecosystem and simplified development. If you are unsure of any options, get in touch with us! Our expert consultants at Dirox are happy to help you find the perfect fit for your project.
The many famous global brands that use Ruby on Rails are Github, Airbnb, Zendesk, Groupon, Spotify, Hulu, Kickstarter, and more. Ruby on Rails has helped develop many more applications beyond the names mentioned. Other examples include Clarity, Goodreads, Crazy Egg, SlideShare, MyFitnessPal, Whitepages, and so on. If you’re considering incorporating Rails in your project, get in touch with our expert consultants to learn about how Ruby on Rails can benefit you.
