# Development
Ruby on Rails in 2024 – Comprehensive Overview
Red Rocket teamSep 13, 20246 min read
In This Article
Is Ruby on Rails Still Relevant in 2024? Advantages of Ruby on Rails Disadvantages of Ruby on Rails Applications Built on Ruby Ruby, Python, and JavaScript Comparison Future of Ruby FAQWhen you start thinking and planning for the development of websites, apps, and other software, you first find out what resources and tools you will need to do so. Experienced developers know very well how important it is to pay enough attention to choosing a technology stack. It is very important to pick the right frameworks and tools to create what you really want.
However, due to the rapid technological advancement in the world, there are many solutions that programmers use today to create different digital products. This makes it difficult to choose a technology stack, especially for beginners for whom this will be the first project. When we talk about back-end development, you may have immediately thought of solutions such as Python, Java, and PHP. Experienced experts recommend not limiting yourself to these items. You may have heard about another option that is popular among developers all over the world - Ruby on Rails. Choosing a single option between all the listed frameworks will be easier if you know the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each of them. In this article, we will focus your attention on the Ruby on Rails language.
Is Ruby on Rails Still Relevant in 2024?
Today on forums dedicated to web development you can find quite a few opinions of people that RoR framework is no longer a relevant solution. Is Ruby dead or does it still deserve your attention? Before we move on to a detailed consideration of this question, we suggest defining the term Ruby on Rails.
Ruby on Rails (short for RoR) is an open-source object-oriented framework. It is popular among programmers all over the world and is used to create web applications. The framework is based on the model-view-controller (MVC) principle. The framework is based on the connection of models with the database and their interaction with application objects. The process of working with Ruby on Rails is simplified by using a standardized naming convention for files and directories.
David Hansson, the founder of the first version of Ruby on Rails, launched the framework in 2004 to organize the work of his team. Subsequently, he decided to make the framework public by distributing it open source. This happened in 2005, and in 2007, it appeared in Apple's OS X Leopard. David Hansson developed eight principles on which Ruby on Rails should be built. They were called the doctrine and included the following points.
- Optimization for comfortable programming. Ruby on Rails can become programmer-friendly if a programmer needs it.
- Agreements replace configuration. Programmers can work faster with the framework if they choose to standardize at all stages of interaction.
- Menus. The framework developers have chosen the best methods and tools for their invention, allowing everyone to enjoy the experience.
- The paradigm does not belong to anyone. Ruby on Rails is ready to offer flexible solutions for all cases.
- Beautiful code, above all else. Ruby on Rails makes the bottom line simple and beautiful at the same time.
- Integrated systems come with a high price tag. All the tools needed to build an application are integrated and encapsulate maximum information.
- Striving for progress instead of stability. The platform is willing to take risks to make the necessary improvements and changes.
- A large community is welcome. New contributors and their ideas are always highly regarded.
Programming languages and frameworks, like people, are born and die sooner or later. And, as in the case of people, information about the death of some of them is exaggerated. Ruby is a vivid example. Questions about its death arise so often that enthusiasts have even created a site isrubydead, where you can find an answer to the corresponding question. However, is Ruby on Rails still relevant? The fact that there are no developers working in the RoR development environment today is a myth. Of course, there are fewer people who choose Ruby on Rails than those who prefer PHP. However, it is still a relevant framework that is used to implement digital projects of varying complexity and scale.
Advantages of Ruby on Rails
Despite the rantings of some developers, the Ruby on Rails framework is still alive and in demand in 2024. You may ask us why this is the case. This framework remains popular because of the benefits it provides to developers. We have gathered the most popular and important benefits of Ruby on Rails that every developer should know about today.
Convention over configuration
The principle of Convention over configuration is relevant to Ruby on Rails. What does it mean? At the heart of everything is standardization on the structure, naming and development of the project as a whole, accepted at the level of the whole community. And therefore, even if one Ruby developer leaves the project, another can easily immerse himself in it and continue to support and develop it. Not every framework can boast of this.
Easy to control and make changes
Today, most web development teams prefer to use the Agile approach instead of Waterfall, which allows for change and flexibility. This approach usually has a positive impact on the development of the final product. The framework is very convenient for teams that work according to Agile. It allows you to easily control the process of making changes both at the code and database level.
Resource savings
Since this framework is often used for the technical implementation of startups, resources and funds are mostly limited. Customers cannot spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire a huge team of specialists. Unlike many other languages, a single programmer is enough to realize a project in Ruby on Rails, which covers many tasks besides writing code. Other processes can cover application deployment, working with the database, and so on. It is not hard to guess that all this significantly reduces the customer's costs.
Plugins and modules
Another advantage that we want to tell you about in this article concerns additional plugins. There are many ready-made plugins and modules for Ruby on Rails, which are easy to integrate into your project and do not waste time writing your own code. Thus, the realization of a project on Ruby on Rails is fast.
Scalability
Another benefit of Rails is scalability, which is a significant factor when it comes to developing applications. Rails application can be easily scaled vertically and horizontally to accommodate more traffic and load. The integration of load balancing, caching, and database replication makes scaling very easy within Rails. A Rails app can be scaled out by adding more servers and resources with relatively minor configuration adjustments.
Security
One more significant benefit of using this system is security. Ruby has implemented security features that guard against some common weaknesses in any web application, such as SQL injections and XSS. Its ORM and template system reduce the risk of SQL injections to practically zero. Rails also sanitizes strings before rendering to mitigate XSS attacks. Due to these stringent measures, Rails developers do not need to spend much time guarding against these threats.
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Disadvantages of Ruby on Rails
Certainly, any framework has both advantages and disadvantages. Ruby on Rails is no exception, so developers face certain problems when choosing this option. You can find out if these disadvantages are significant by reading this article further.
Slow speed
A drawback of Ruby on Rails is that it is slower than other frameworks for data-centric applications. The framework is oriented to the programmer’s time rather than to raw speed, which is great for MVPs and prototypes. However, issues with performance might arise in production and lead to bottlenecks. It may also be useful to test the framework with a large set of parameters or data inputs and intricate computations to uncover its weaknesses. This can slow down the velocity of development in the long term.
Presence of strong competitors
Although Rails still has a very active community, many developers have shifted to new frameworks such as Node and Python. Advertisements for these technologies are already outpacing Ruby on Rails in some sections. In particular, the younger coders perceive Rails as outdated and are eager to develop their skills in currently popular stacks. New features and updates to the language may suffer due to the lack of talent, and the community that has formed around Ruby may also shrink.
Not supported by all web hosts
The costs of running Ruby on Rails applications are again higher than what is expected from other frameworks like PHP or Django. Therefore, there are few Rails hosting options to consider, particularly with low-cost shared hosting companies. The layered structure introduces additional complexities for deployments and operations. Again, it may be challenging for startups to host Ruby affordably during its initial stages of growth.
Applications Built on Ruby
Finally we come to one of the main topics of this article, which will answer the question of many beginners – «what is Ruby on Rails programming language used for»? Many of you don't even realize that many popular applications today are based on the RoR framework. We want to tell you more about what types of applications are created using this programming language and give you real examples.
1. E-commerce Platforms
A good example of a Ruby on Rails application is the development of strong and scalable online shopping websites. Some of the popular e-commerce firms that employ Rails include Shopify, an e-commerce platform offering an all-in-one solution for the creation of online stores. Other examples are Etsy for selling vintage items and handmade products on the internet, and CD Baby for selling music created by independent musicians on the internet. The architecture also allows for easy handling of complicated processes such as payments, stock control, and order processing, which are crucial for any online retail store.
2. Education and E-learning Apps
Basically, Ruby on Rails is ideal for the construction of online learning platforms due to strong performance in iteration and teamwork. For example, Treehouse employs Rails to help people learn coding, create websites and apps, and launch businesses. Rails enable such platforms to develop individual lessons, coding quizzes, student panels, and much more.
3. Social Media
The current leading social media sites are some of the most popular applications developed using Ruby on Rails. These are Twitter, the microblogging site, and Mastodon, an open–source microblogging platform that is currently an alternative to Twitter. Diaspora is also a distributed social network. The framework can be used to build features such as feeds, real-time updates, notifications, and user profiles, which are typical in social applications.
4. Booking Platforms
Another area where developers are actively using the Ruby on Rails framework is to create a web application to quickly book houses, tickets, and even cars. A standout example is Airbnb, a web-based platform for arranging short-term accommodation and tourism services. Due to the flexibility of Rails and the concept of rapid prototyping, Airbnb was able to develop and improve its service for connecting hosts and guests around the world. Other applications that rely on Rails include booking applications such as restaurant reservation websites, including OpenTable and event and ticket sites like Eventbrite. Real-time updates, availability, and pricing make the framework convenient for on-demand booking apps, and its capability to implement complex logic around these aspects is a bonus.
5. Entertainment Web Applications
Ruby on Rails is also used to create interactive online entertainment solutions. For example, Netflix adopted Rails to build essential parts of its streaming service after moving from mailing movies in DVD format to online streaming. For Netflix, Rails provided the ability to rapidly scale the offering of new content and add new capabilities to deliver tailored recommendations to millions of customers. The same can be said for Twitch, a game streaming platform that also utilizes Rails within its infrastructure for managing video distribution and community content among the quickly expanding user base. This allows for a quick and efficient update of the application to enhance the streaming quality and introduce new community features.
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Ruby, Python, and JavaScript Comparison
The question of choosing a programming language is quite a complex issue for many customers as well as for developers who are just planning to start their career. Today, there are different options available, among which we can highlight Ruby, Python and JavaScript. Do you want to learn more about these programming languages to choose the best option?
1. General information about Ruby
Ruby is an open-source scripting language that is interpreted and is famous for its readability and productivity. Created in 1995 by Yukihiro «Matz» Matsumoto, Ruby focuses on developer ease with its clean syntax that almost looks like natural language.
Some of the fundamental aspects of the Ruby language include but not limited to dynamic typing, automatic garbage collection, support for metaprogramming through open classes as well as mixins and a rich set of libraries and frameworks including the Ruby on Rails framework for web applications. It is used in numerous ways, but what makes Ruby perfect for is the creation of backend services and web applications using the method of rapid prototyping.
2. General information about Python
Python is an interpreted, high-level programming language which was first released in 1991.The most notable and characteristic features of its syntax are its simple easy-to-read nature and the fact that it supports a number of paradigms which include object-oriented, imperative and functional. It also found with automatic memory management and dynamic type system.
Everyone knows that Python is used for scripting, data analysis, artificial intelligence/machine learning applications, system automation, back-end web services, scientific computing and many others, and that’s because of Python’s large standard library, third-party open-source modules and productivity features. Today’s leading technology giants such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify all incorporate Python in their tech suites.
3. General information about JavaScript
Not to be confused with Java, is a lightweight interpreted language with first-class functions and is most famous for being the native scripting language of web pages. However, JavaScript engines such as Google’s V8 have been enabled for such general usage.
JavaScript is another fundamental technology, along with HTML and CSS, that is used for developing web applications. This form of scripting language is well known for its short, active form of code writing and is usually embedded into HTML documents. Apart from browsers, JavaScript interpreters are included in various systems and devices that can be controlled with the help of scripting.
Future of Ruby
Surprisingly, 800 thousand projects have been created on the basis of this framework over the entire period of its existence. Probably, those applications and sites that you use every day were created thanks to this framework. Speaking about the future of Ruby on Rails, it is very difficult to predict any trends. Why is that so? Today, technology is developing at an incredible speed, and none of us can know what awaits us tomorrow, in a month and in a few years.
Now is not the best time for development in general: some experts even talk about stagnation. And the rapid development of AI can seriously change the market - albeit not tomorrow, but in a slightly more distant future. So it's hard to say with certainty what will happen in a decade or two. But in the shorter term, Ruby on Rails has a future.
Startups and small businesses always try to take an example from large companies. And if, of course, the economic situation allows this segment to develop, the demand for Ruby on Rails solutions will grow due to the speed of development and flexibility. And if there is demand, there will be vacancies. So Ruby on Rails is alive and will continue to live at least for some time.
Frequently asked questions
What is ruby on rails used for?
Ruby on Rails is a web application framework of choice due to its ease of use and adaptability and a large following. The primary areas where Ruby on Rails is implemented include online shops and auctions, social networking sites, project and to-do list managers, rental and training services. Due to its ability to support real-time features, the framework is ideal for developing social networks, enabling users to interact with them and share content. Other applications include project management systems that come equipped with features such as collaboration tools, file-sharing options, and use of dashboards, which are also developed using Ruby on Rails.
What are the main competitors of the RoR framework?
Ruby certainly has many competitors. The main ones are Django on Python and numerous frameworks on Node.js. The most popular of which are Express.js and Nest.js. Their positions are quite strong as in the world as a whole. To be honest, they are more popular than Ruby on Rails, which means there are more customers and more money to be made on them.
What is the working principle of Ruby on Rails?
Ruby on Rails is an MVC framework for web applications. It also means that the code is divided into three major parts that include the model, view, and controller which all do different things. Dividing responsibilities into MVC, Ruby on Rails assists in organizing code for developers. Modifications to one area do not impact on others and this makes applications less complex to manage. It controls the data and all the business logic. For example, a model can include code to implement authentication for users and their profiles. Hence, the view reveals the interface to the user. This could be HTML and CSS code to render forms and pages for login, registration, search, etc. The controller processes requests and returns responses. Therefore, it is a link between the model and the views.
