ROR 101: Your All-Inclusive Guide to the Gem of Frameworks

 Introduction to Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is software code built on top of Ruby. Technically, it is defined as a package library called RubyGem, installed through the operating system's command line interface.

With this in mind, it is an open-source web app development framework that provides Ruby developers with a time-saving alternative to code development. By the same token, it supports ready-made solutions for repetitive tasks such as developing forms or menus on a website.

Diving deep into history, Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto created Ruby in the mid-1990, which is now known as one of the most popular programming languages. Like C or Java, Ruby is a general-purpose language, but it has majorly capitalized on its strengths in web programming.

Rails, on the other hand, is a software library that extends the Ruby language. Consequently, David Heinemeier developed this library and called it "Ruby on Rails", often called "Rails".

One of the main reasons why programmers are eager to learn Ruby is that it has taken over the programming world by storm. Its place has been ingrained in the IT walk of fame and remains unchallenged.

Also, your development team can layer complex and modern web applications with ease, using Ruby on Rails. It does so by providing pre-built development structures while encapsulating all the tools you need to create web projects.

 

Getting Started With Ruby Gems

The software package for running Ruby applications is commonly known as a ‘Gem’. With the help of RubyGems software, developers can download, install and use ruby software packages or libraries to build various applications. Gems can be used to modify, transform and extend the functionalities in various Ruby applications.

Ruby on Rails is particularly valued for its extensive range of ready-made solutions for facilitating the rapid development of software and web applications. This fast speed is primarily acquired via Ruby on Rails gems — a set of libraries with well-defined functionalities that allow developers to customize and configure the Rails application. 

In addition, the Ruby Gems are used for all kinds of purposes ranging from authentication to testing and from authorization to payment processing, etc. 

Why Must You Choose Ruby on Rails?

Wondering again why you should opt for Ruby on Rails programming language? Rails is the best choice for applications that need to handle a lot of data, such as enterprise core system applications or cutting-edge public websites.

Both types of apps need to handle complex business rules and logic, but they may have different user interfaces (single-page JavaScript applications versus more generic UIs). It has the advantage of being versatile, competing with both the slim and the strong.

 

 

Why choose Ruby on Rails? The main goal of Ruby is to create new high-performance web platforms rapidly. However, there is no clear answer as to what Ruby is for because, like any general-purpose programming language, it is suitable for a wide variety of programming tasks. No web or software development company treats code as something outside of the project's business goals.

Every programming language and every technology stack is designed to solve some problems. So, RoR may or may not be the right choice for your web project, depending on the purpose.

Ruby on Rails is the leading technology choice for startups and many top companies. The list of companies using Ruby on Rails includes but is not limited to:

• Basecamp
• Airbnb
• Shopify
• Goodreads
• Kickstarter
• Hulu 

In other words, Rails can certainly be described as "enterprise-ready". 

 

How Does RoR Work?

 

Ruby on Rails (RoR) is a server-side application development framework written in Ruby and licensed under MIT. Rails is built on an MVC (model-view-controller) framework that offers default arrangements for a web service and database.  

It reassures and simplifies the usage of web standards, such as XML or JSON for data transfer and CSS, JavaScript, and HTML for user interfacing.

Rails also accelerate the deployment of various other famous software engineering designs and models in addition to the MVC architecture. Ruby on Rails encourages the fact that there’s a better way to do things and is very opinionated in identifying the right and wrong techniques in software development.

As a developer, If you continue to implement old patterns from other languages to your Rails project and aim to incorporate the designs you have completed somewhere else, you may get fewer satisfying experiences.

Therefore it is always recommended to develop websites with the help of experienced developers.

The concept of RoR consists of three important principles that embody its design and implementation.

• Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY)
• Convention over Configuration (CoC)
• REST (Representational State Transfer)

Note: REST (Representational State Transfer) is considered to be the best pattern for building and organizing several web applications around resources. Standard HTTP requests allow the developers to create quick frameworks.

 

Recommended: 8 Benefits of Using Ruby on Rails For Your Startup

 

What Are the Gems of Ruby on Rails?

 

Gems of Ruby on Rails are third-party modules that are ready to be downloaded and used for your project. Many gems support popular frontend frameworks, such as Angular, Vue.js, React.js, and CSS tools. It’s safe to say that there is a gem for everything, and they save developers tons of time.

Many of the programming languages do not cover both backend and frontend frameworks. These include:

• HTML
• JavaScript
• SQL 
• CSS

Ruby on Rails programming language enables the creation of custom Rails apps as well as full-stack web application development. This has made Ruby on Rails one of the most popular web app development frameworks, as it has completely revolutionized the web development ecosystem with its practical and sustainable methods.

Rails make it convenient for developers to organize their code. You'll never have to search through a million files for the functions you need.

 

Why is ROR Important in Development?

Ruby on Rails allows legal copying while ensuring free development, expansion, and analysis of the software by the developers.

 

 

Here are the top 8 reasons why ROR is essential for building scalable applications and software.

 

Quick Processes

 

In addition to being a widely used framework, it also streamlines many recurrent programming elements. As a result, this speeds up the entire process and ensures high cost-effectiveness.

Ideal for MVP Development

A competent team of Ruby on Rails experts is a perfect solution when it comes to introducing a new product, adding improvements to the current one, or evaluating a company website.

Because of its many advantages, RoR offers ideal conditions for MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development, which can be used as a testable version of your newly created product.

Cost-Effective Results

A very common issue faced by SMEs or startups is managing the deadlines of their projects within the defined budget slabs. As they plan to finish off the projects on time while saving on the additional costs, that’s where Ruby on Rails web application development comes in handy. It works perfectly on all operating systems including Linux and is completely free as well.

Easy Maintenance

This majestic framework comes with the value bundle of effective coding and reliability. The components tagged along with ROR allow the developers to enhance and improve their overall coding styles, test codes, and bug removal on very short notice. With these added benefits, RoR is considered a very easy-to-maintain framework for building viable applications.

High-End Productivity

RoR is concise and expressive simultaneously. Hence, InvoZone’s skilled ROR developers regard it t pretty scalable and productive in building great features when combined with various third-party libraries.

Automated Testing Processes

You definitely do not want to jump right into the testing processes after development. All you want to do is to complete the project and get it over with as soon as you can. 

If this is what you truly desire, then RoR should be your topmost choice.

It assists your team with its test automation process. Thereupon, executing the testing process becomes a piece of cake. The best part is that you don’t need a third-party testing tool as the RoR development companies test the entire code before implementing it.

Enhanced Security

When it comes to setting up an online business, cybersecurity is a major concern. But with RoR, security and safety measures are already well-established as it comes with multiple built-in security tools. Not just this, RoR supports both behavior-driven and test-driven development processes, thus making it super secure and safe.

Constantly Evolving Ecosystem

Ruby on Rails is a mature application-building framework, showing no signs of aging so far. Rather, over the years, RoR keeps getting better with various enhanced features and a vast ecosystem. 

Although competitors may have found best practices to follow, RoR stayed ahead of the competition by adding a lot of new features and flawless workflow. Its scalable features, better stability, and a huge community of expert developers have made it a top choice for building efficient frameworks across the world.

Over the years, the experienced community of developers has created an abundance of what is commonly known as Ruby Gems that simplify and speed up the overall development processes. These Ruby Gems are free packages that handle the basic tasks in Rails apps, for instance, integrations, monitoring, parsing, encryption, and much more. 

These gems are added almost every day and have grown into tens and thousands to make the entire development process as smooth as a breeze.

RECOMMENDED: How to Calculate the Cost of Software Development

 

What Can be Built with RoR Framework?

The reason Ruby on Rails has become so much popular, especially among emerging businesses and startups is its high-end speed and scalability. The time-to-market factor is crucial when it comes to building an MVP (Minimum viable product) and that’s what RoR is all about.

The top 5 industries that have made the most out of the applications built on Ruby API frameworks include:

• Fintech
• Ecommerce 
• Healthcare
• Travel and Tourism
• Telecommunications

And the list continues! Ruby on Rails has gradually and conveniently taken over almost all the big sectors or industries across the globe.

 

Key Takeaways 

Ruby on Rails is an evergreen, robust and stable programming language, contributing greatly towards the continuous development of scalable applications and frameworks.

Moreover, tech companies or RoR developers using this collection of frameworks for building applications admit the positive influence of RoR on other platforms, for instance, Java, PHP, Node.js, Python, and more. 

Looking to build perfect apps and want to stand out amongst your competitors? Just make sure to optimize and streamline your tools of the web and mobile app development and choose the right software development company.

 

Read our well-structured Programming Language articles to gain valuable insights to kickstart your project.