Why Ruby On Rails Is Still the Top Choice For Web Development in 2022
Natalie Kaminski
Co-founder/CEO @JetRockets - Ruby on Rails Expert | Helping Non-Tech Founders Build Custom Software | Speaker | Hampton Member | Marathoner
When Ruby on Rails (RoR) was first introduced in 2004, Youtube didn’t exist, and Facebook lived in a dorm room. Yet nearly two decades later, it remains one of the most popular choices for web development. Companies like AirBnB, Fiverr, and Shopify use Ruby on Rails for their web platforms.
What makes Rails such a popular choice? It has several advantages, because it offers:
In 2022, over 400,000 websites use Ruby on Rails, making up about 6% of all websites worldwide. Clearly, Rails is doing something right.
Happiness-First Design
Happiness is a core feature of Ruby on Rail’s design philosophy. It is built on Ruby, a programming language designed specifically for happiness. Ruby’s founder, Yukihiro Matsumoto, stated that "I hope to see Ruby help every programmer in the world to be productive, and to enjoy programming, and to be happy. That is the primary purpose of the Ruby language."
To this end, Rails is simple, streamlined, and developer-friendly. Development prioritizes humans before machines.
Simple, developer-friendly frameworks like Rails help software development in many ways. They can make it easier to:
And above all, using RoR is simply enjoyable.
Flexible Options
Ruby on Rails operates on the “No one paradigm” principle. While other frameworks may revolve around a single central idea, Rails is more like a patchwork quilt of programming concepts. These include:
Additionally, Ruby runs on “duck” typing. If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it is a duck. Duck typing is similar: if it looks like an int, and acts like an int, then it is an int. Duck typing helps provide another layer of flexibility. Instead of having to declare an exact type up front, developers have a little leg room.
Flexibility means you can address novel problems with novel solutions. Instead of sticking to one overused paradigm in inappropriate use cases, Rails allows you to experiment and find elegant solutions.
Integrated Testing
It’s great when your code compiles, but you have to make sure it actually works, too. Developers who take the time to write quality, careful tests can make sure that their work is free from glitches.
With most other frameworks, developers have to use a third-party testing program, or build one from scratch. Ruby on Rails solves this problem by making software tests an integrated component of the language. It starts by producing skeleton code of tests while you create models and controllers.
Integrated testing helps software development in several ways. It can:
领英推荐
An example of such a tool is RSpec. While it is not a part of Ruby/Rails, RSpec is the most widely used testing framework.
A Full Stack Framework
Ruby on Rails contains all the tools you need for both front-end and back-end web development. It fully conforms to REST API standards, making it compatible with standard web technology, like HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Rails comes built with state-of-the-art security.
Because Rails is a full, integrated framework, you can use it to design whole systems to solve entire problems. With other frameworks, you may have to mix and match pieces in order to get the desired result. This creates confusion and slows down the development process.
Large Development Community
Every development project runs into unexpected challenges. You may need to take a deep look at some library documentation, or untangle an unusual error. Thankfully, Ruby on Rails has been around for almost two decades, and has always been 100% open-source. It is backed by a large, worldwide community of developers who you can turn to for help.
Having a large development community helps in other ways too:
Easy to Maintain
Ruby on Rails is a stable and predictable language. Part of its human-centered design philosophy entails that it remains useful year after year. This means that changes are incremental, and aim to be intuitive and straightforward.
Yet too little change can lead to ossification. Other decades-old languages have grown stale and outdated. Ruby on Rails values progress over stability in its core doctrine. This is to help future iterations of the framework handle the challenges of the future.
Fast Development Time
Because of everything mentioned above, Rails applications can have a fast, streamlined development process. Ruby’s simple design means that one line of its code might be worth five or six in another language. Rail’s full-stack integration means you don’t have to cobble together a hundred different frameworks to create your application. And integrated testing saves you loads of time in writing and executing tests.
Additionally, developers may have to face few extra decisions up front, thanks to pre-configured files and ready-made modules. In some cases, a Rails developer might be able to deliver a MVP in a few hours.
Having a fast development time is a crucial feature for any software framework. Startups who can get their product to market faster often outcompete those that don’t.
Why Ruby On Rails Is So Popular
Ruby on Rails makes people happy. It cuts out unnecessary decision-making and lets programmers get to work. It provides a full-stack web framework for creating secure web applications. And its large development community provides expertise and iterative updates.
Small wonder, then, that software development firms like JetRockets use Rails to build web applications of all kinds. Some of our Rails projects include Safari Portal, LuxLock, and Opear. Ruby on Rails helps us keep our projects organized and streamlined, allowing us to align our goals with yours.
Devtool friend from another world
2 年Love that and agree 100%
Co-Founder @DigitalPatron: Next Gen Ai Marketing Platform ??
2 年Natalie, ++