Choosing the right technology for your web application can seem challenging. The wrong choice can cost you an arm and a leg, while the right choice will give you a solid base for growth and expansion.
At reinteractive we specialise in Ruby on Rails. In this blog I cover what makes Ruby on Rails different from all the other frameworks and why some of the biggest brands rely on it for their agility and growth. Think AirBNB, Github, Crunchbase, Bloomberg, Yellow Pages, Zendesk and hundreds of thousands more!
What is Ruby on Rails?
Ruby on Rails (RoR) is a popular web application development framework built on the Ruby programming language. Ruby on rails is designed to help developers rapidly develop modern web based applications.
It does this by simplifying or automating routine tasks and thus allows developers to concentrate on the code that makes their application unique.
It is supported by a large community who contribute ‘ruby gems’ which add further functionality, further speeding and simplifying development, and again allowing developers to easily draw on solutions already published in the community, and letting them concentrate on only what makes their application unique.
For example, A modern web application needs to access a database to store information, it needs to handle users logging in or resetting their password and it needs to be able to handle complex web pages with dynamic updates and so on.
Ruby on Rails and its associated ruby gems provide the common functionalities so developers starting a project can focus on what is important and what differentiates their app - saving significant time not having to reinvent the wheel for each project.
So, Why Ruby on Rails?
The short answer is Profitability and Productivity.
If you are developing software for the web or transaction/ information based mobile applications, Ruby on Rails provides the most bang for buck assistance in getting you to market rapidly. There is nothing else out there that can develop a business web based app as cost effectively as Ruby on Rails.
Most clients dont dont care if their app is using the latest fad technology. What they care about is getting a working system in production generating the intended revenue or savings as rapidly as possible while maintaining a good level of quality and reliability.
Ruby on Rails delivers!
What can I do with Ruby on Rails?
If you can think of it, generally it can be built in RoR with a high degree of cost effectiveness: it’s cost effective in time, resources, hosting and maintenance.
Ruby on Rails App Development
Ruby on Rails was one of the first raid application development frameworks for web applications and remains at the forefront of this space. It is widely recognised as one of the fastest ways to develop your web and mobile applications; take a functional design, build it and get it launched.
The beauty of RoR is it allows you to create a Minimum Viable Product ( MVP) that you can launch and continue to refine and enhance as you deploy additional features. In other words you are always moving forward, you don’t have to throw away money spent on the MVP, you just continue improving it.
Ruby on Rails will scale from your start-up with only a handful of users and grow with you. Sites like github.com host in excess of Matenia Rossides million users and run on the latest version of Ruby on Rails.
Ruby on Rails Automation
Ruby on Rails has a comprehensive, easy to use, automated test system built into the framework structure which means as developers build the features, they also write an automated test that runs the application in such a way to ensure that feature works now and into the future.
Well Supported
Ruby on Rails is incredibly well supported with access to a massive prebuilt open source library for integration to third party tools. This cuts significant development time and gets that new feature released fast, instead of having to build it from scratch every time.
Enjoyable to Use
Ruby is the underlying programming language Ruby on Rails is built on. Ruby’s creator Yukihiro (Matz) Matsumoto’s goal when creating Ruby was to make developers happy while writing and using it. He has often said he is ‘trying to make Ruby natural, not simple,’ in a way that mirrors life. Building on this, he adds: ‘Ruby is simple in appearance, but is very complex inside, just like our human body.’
Happy teams are productive teams. Our developers get to program in a language they enjoy, gives them the expected outcomes and provides them with a framework they can produce code they are proud of!
Key Takeaways
Ruby on Rails provides you with a framework that has testing built in, is easy to build & maintain and is widely supported throughout the world with access to a massive prebuilt open source library for integration to third party tools. It is one of the quickest ways to get your web application to market and is cost effective all round.
For more information about Ruby on Rails download our free Why Ruby on Rails booklet here.
