Why Should You Use Ruby on Rails for Your Next Software Project?

The Ruby programming language has a lengthy history, and there are a number of misconceptions and myths about it that have developed over time and do not match to reality. There is even a saying that “Ruby is dead,” although it is only used by individuals who are unfamiliar with the language and are unaware of what Ruby and its most popular framework, Ruby on Rails, are, as well as its key features and benefits.

A number of technical aspects of the language at the period of its emergence and popularisation resulted in the formation of two major myths:

· The first misconception is that Ruby is a sluggish language.

· Scaling Ruby projects is difficult.

However, this problem has been virtually resolved in newer versions. A slow-running Ruby application is now more of a concern of application architecture and a developer’s level of experience, on whose understanding the quality of work is dependent. We go over all of the benefits of Ruby On Rails.

What is Ruby on Rails?

Ruby is an object-oriented programming language that is general-purpose, dynamic, and interpreted. It is so human-like and similar to English that even someone who does not know how to code can understand Ruby code to some level. Creating new software with solely Ruby, on the other hand, is a time-consuming task. As a result, a unique tool called Rails was designed to streamline the development process.

Rails is a Ruby-based web development framework that was introduced 9 years after Ruby’s initial release. It was intended to make web app programming easier and to assist in the creation of websites of any complexity. It also signalled the beginning of Ruby’s tremendous popularity, as well as the introduction of Ruby on Rails firms, including ourselves.

What is the purpose of Ruby on Rails, and why is it so popular?

Why do you want to use Ruby on Rails? Ruby’s major purpose is to make it simple to construct new high-performance web projects. However, because Ruby, like any general-purpose programming language, is suited for a wide range of programming jobs, there is no definitive answer as to what Ruby is used for. No web development company would treat coding as something separate from the project’s commercial objectives. Each programming language and technology stack is created to address a specific issue. RoR may or may not be the best solution for your online project, depending on the aim (but rather yes than no).

Ruby on Rails is ideal for the following types of projects:

E-commerce refers to internet stores with advanced features. The advantages of employing Ruby on Rails developers for your next e-commerce project are covered in a separate post.

· Portals that provide information.

· Platforms for stock exchanges.

· Websites for dating and ad platforms.

· Social media sites

· Complex initiatives that aren’t typical

· SaaS-solutions

In response to the issue of why Ruby on Rails is so popular, even though Node.js (an open-source cross-platform JavaScript environment) has recently grown in popularity, Ruby on Rails remains a popular framework. Rails is employed by startups, non-profit enterprises, and large corporations alike because to its ease of prototyping. Ruby is now the 11th most popular programming language in the TIOBE index (which measures how popular a programming language is based on SERP results), up several spots from last year. Ruby is the 14th most popular programming language in the world, according to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021, with 7.1 percent of respondents being Ruby on Rails developers.

The number of live Ruby on Rails websites is approaching 900,000 (with roughly 4 million having existed at one point), and this number is growing.

Ruby on Rails is used by a number of businesses.

Ruby on Rails is a popular choice among startups, but it has also attracted several Fortune 500 companies. Basecamp, Airbnb, Shopify, Goodreads, Kickstarter, Hulu, and others are among the companies that use Ruby on Rails. To put it another way, Rails is “enterprise-ready.”

So, why Ruby on Rails, and why did these companies choose RoR for their web development projects? The solution can be found in the following list of Ruby on Rails benefits and drawbacks.

From a commercial standpoint, Ruby on Rails has a lot of advantages.

Speed

Ruby is straightforward, concise, logical, and has a lean codebase (allowing for fewer lines of redundant code), all of which contribute to faster development. When you add Rails to the mix, you’ll see how it allows RoR engineers to spend less time coding and more time creating better solutions. Simply because less code means less time spent writing it while maintaining the same functionality.

Cost-effectiveness

As previously stated, the customer’s money is spent on development time. The longer it takes to develop anything, the more it costs. Because Rails websites can be constructed and adjusted quickly, less money is spent on their creation and maintenance. Considering that an application is appropriately developed and its development process is properly structured in a certain firm that provides Ruby on Rails development services.

Furthermore, Ruby on Rails is open-source, so there are no licensing fees.

Different developers are easily able to support RoR.

Ruby code is readable and self-documenting to a significant extent. Developers are relieved of the need to write more documentation than is absolutely necessary, allowing them to work on current projects practically immediately. Furthermore, Rails is used in over 90% of Ruby online apps. It signifies that RoR offers a wide range of integrations to satisfy the project’s needs.

Each project is well-structured, so a new developer may quickly learn the nuances of the project from the start. It means reduced downtime for the business if another Ruby on Rails developer is needed for an existing project or numerous new ones are needed to extend it. It’s also not a good idea if one team starts a project and the other finishes it.

Huge resources and a supportive community

There are many ready-made Ruby on Rails solutions available in the public domain, the most of which have previously been tested by someone else, reducing the need to start from scratch.

The big and welcoming Ruby on Rails community, where developers help one other, announce new projects, and discuss everything connected to the framework, is not only valuable to coders, but also to businesses. It assists you in determining the finest answers to your problems in the event of difficulty. The Ruby community is proud of the quantity of ready-to-use code packages known as “gems” created by the community. There are currently 166,327 gems available for any Ruby developer to use to construct their project better.

Scalability

Ruby on Rails has long been known for its scalability issues, and for good reason. For example, the speed of the same programmes written in Java and RoR can be drastically different, especially given Java’s great multi-threaded application efficiency. The majority of Rails scalability difficulties were handled in Rails 6, which was released last year. By default, Rails 6 is deemed scalable.

Some of the RoR apps we’ve been working on recently can run many instances of the same code (including on different servers) and still function properly. This pertains to horizontal scalability (when you scale by adding more machines into your pool of resources). When it comes to vertical scalability, things are a little different (when you scale by adding more power to an existing machine). However, that isn’t much of a problem because you shouldn’t get too carried away with it or it will end up being too expensive due to server costs.

Scalability is another factor that is largely determined by the architecture of the application rather than the framework.

High-level data security

Every other day, news of numerous resources being hacked is reported. Nintendo, for example, reported that a total of 300,000 user accounts have been hijacked to date. Both personally and professionally, we are concerned about cybersecurity on a regular basis.

The Rails framework’s developers put a lot of consideration into its data security capabilities. RoR has password and credit card data encryption, among other features. SQL injection and XSS attacks are guarded against with certain precautions.

High levels of dependability and upkeep

For any firm, the factor of stability is critical. TDD (test-driven development) is commonly used in Ruby on Rails development, and the toolkit enables comprehensive testing capabilities. It means that Ruby on Rails-based systems are reliable and easy to maintain. The framework is also covered by automated tests, making it trustworthy.

SMBs and startups

Cost-effectiveness, speed, scalability, access to the broadest knowledge base, and other aspects are all RoR advantages that give startups and small/medium businesses a competitive advantage. Ruby on Rails services are popular among startups and small enterprises because they enable them to compete with larger corporations. We couldn’t agree more as a Ruby on Rails development company that uses RoR for the majority of our web projects.

Ruby on Rails in the Future

Every year, it seems like new articles arise heralding Ruby on Rails’ extinction, to the point where it’s become something of a running joke in the developer community. Why are people talking about it in the first place? The Ruby programming language was introduced in 1995, and the Rails framework in 2004. In the realm of web development, things move at a breakneck pace, with new cutting-edge technology emerging on a regular basis. It’s sometimes owing to the need to solve some new problems. Sometimes it’s simply because something is popular. Developers, like everyone else, are prone to favouring new and intriguing trends from time to time. The crucial thing to remember is that, despite the fact that Ruby on Rails is over 15 years old, it is still being improved to meet the demands of the business. Rails 3.0 is the most recent stable version. It is 3x quicker than the previous one, with better memory utilisation, static analysis, and new features like Ractors and schedulers. These additional features allow it to stay current and competitive.