Ruby on Rails is a web application framework written in Ruby, a dynamic and object-oriented programming language. It is intended to make web application programming simpler by assuming that all developers have the prerequisites for getting started. Rails is released under the MIT License and is maintained by David Heinemeier Hansson.
Rails is known for its convention over configuration approach, which means that it relies on a set of default conventions to simplify development. This can make development more rapid, as developers don’t need to spend time configuring every aspect of an application. Rails also includes built-in support for testing, which makes it easy to test applications as they are developed. This can help to ensure that applications are bug-free and ready for production.
Rails is known for its ease of use and for the way it helps developers build websites quickly. It’s also known for its “convention over configuration” approach, which means that it relies on a set of standards that make development easier and more streamlined.
Overall, Ruby on Rails is a powerful and popular web development framework that provides rapid development.
Advantages of Ruby on Rails
Speedy development process
If you want to create a start-up, then you should consider using Ruby on Rails. The reason is that it is very easy to create a prototype with this framework. This can be very helpful when you want to present your idea to potential investors. Additionally, Ruby on Rails is very popular among start-ups because the MVP (Minimal Viable Product) approach is connected with Ruby on Rails.
The plug-and-play web development framework
Ruby on Rails has everything needed to develop a database-backed web application with the model view controller architecture. This means that you do not have to write a lot of code from scratch. There are also a lot of libraries, which are called gems, that can be used in order to add new features to your web application. For example, if you want to add a blog to your website, then you can use the Ruby on Rails blog gem. This gem will provide you with all the necessary code in order to create a blog.
Continuously improved
Ruby on Rails is open source and continuously improved by the active community. This means that software engineers create new gems that add new features to Ruby on Rails.
Disadvantages of Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is not so fast
Since the Ruby on Rails framework is written in an object-oriented scripting language – Ruby, it cannot be as fast as other programming languages that are compiled, such as C programming language.
Ruby on Rails can be difficult to scale
Scaling a Ruby on Rails application can be difficult and costly. Ruby on Rails was not designed to be easily scalable and this can be a big problem for large applications. If you need to scale your Rails application, you will need to do a lot of extra work to make it happen.
Tech companies leveraging Ruby on Rails
Airbnb
Airbnb is a popular online platform for travelers who prefer to stay in a comfortable home instead of a hotel room. It connects travelers with hosts who are willing to rent out their space. This platform has grown immensely, with more than 191 countries and over 260 million people having used it, and the number of listings already exceeding 4 million.
Crunchbase
Crunchbase, previously powered by the popular tech news portal TechCrunch, is often referred to as the “Wikipedia for startups.” It is the go-to website for those seeking information on the people behind innovative companies or who wish to invest in certain projects. The platform was built with Ruby on Rails and utilizes Varnish for page caching, with additional updates and expansions over time.
GitHub
GitHub, the most popular software hosting service, has an extensive open-source library that is used by 1.8 million businesses, start-ups, and software development companies. This is due to its amazing community of approximately 40 million software developers who have contributed to over 100 million repositories. To keep up with such intense demand, GitHub relies on Ruby on Rails applications to quickly and efficiently process high volumes of requests. In August 2019, the Rails 6.0 version of GitHub was launched.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is an amazing platform which has created a worldwide community consisting of 15 million users participating in events in 200,000 cities. It is a safe, interesting way to find accommodation, as well as a source of knowledge about traveling. Behind this platform is a framework of Ruby on Rails, supported by Javascript, SCSS, MySQL, SOLR, Redis, and Thumbor.
Shopify
Shopify is an incredibly successful e-commerce platform that utilizes Ruby on Rails (RoR) to accelerate the development of online stores. With over 600,000 retailers, they offer easily customizable e-commerce websites working within the same environment. Shopify’s Simon Eskildsen boasted of being able to address 80,000 requests per second. Retailers pay a monthly subscription of $29.99 with no commission applicable. Shopify utilizes the Liquid templating language for the front end and Turbograft, their hard fork of Turbolinks. Developers can use the Rails Engine and generators to build RoR applications with the Shopify API.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming platform, which is only available in the United States, has quickly gained traction and is releasing new and great shows every month. Despite its limited scope, it has 28 million active subscribers. Ruby on Rails has been used to construct Hulu from the start, and it is highly appreciated by the team.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud, a German-based startup, started out as a way for musicians to share their music, but has since evolved into a publishing platform. It boasts 80 million registered users and over 200 million tracks, making it an ideal place to find new music. Non-commercial, alternative, and niche artists are especially drawn to this platform due to its Ruby on Rails framework, which enables the platform to expand rapidly and maintain impeccable code. To keep up with its rapid growth, SoundCloud was later rewritten using JVM.
Fiverr
Fiverr is an online platform that makes it easy to purchase or provide freelance services. The cost of these services ranges from $5 and may include digital marketing, graphic design, UX/UI design, web development, and mobile development.
Basecamp
Without Ruby on Rails, there likely would not be Basecamp. Similarly, without the success of Basecamp, Ruby on Rails may not have become the popular framework it is today. The same person, David Heinemeier Hansson, is credited with the creation of both Ruby on Rails and Basecamp. The success of the project management tool has been attributed to the effectiveness of Ruby on Rails, leading Basecamp from having only 45 accounts in 2004 to over 2 million accounts in 2016. The development team at Basecamp is credited with scaling the platform quickly and efficiently.
Groupon
Groupon is a global online marketplace for connecting members to local retailers through activities, travel, products, and services in over 28 countries. It provides small, local businesses with marketing and services to target potential customers and expand their businesses. With over 500 cities and 53 million active users, Groupon has over 425,000 active deals around the world.
Heroku
Heroku is a highly-regarded cloud application platform among rails developers who find it user-friendly and simple to utilize for web applications development. Its success is evident in the over 7 million applications created with its support, as well as the over 23 billion requests it answers daily. Heroku was the first to offer Ruby on Rails on the Platform as a Service market and continues to back the Ruby huge community. Ruby on Rails is used to power the back-end of the website, providing an efficient system for managing web applications.
Over 45 million people have put their trust in Codecademy, a freemium online platform that provides free coding classes and is one of the most sought-after educational sites for the aspiring web and mobile app developers. It offers courses in a variety of programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript (jQuery, AngularJS, React.js), Ruby, HTML, and CSS. The Codecademy website is written in Ruby programming language, built on Ruby on Rails, and utilizes JavaScript and React.JS libraries.
Indiegogo
Indiegogo is a worldwide crowdfunding platform which assists imaginative innovators in finding sources to finance their plans. Business owners can commence a crowdfunding campaign and get linked to a vast community that can support them to raise money. Money can be gathered even after the campaign is finished without any goal or time frame restrictions. Additionally, it comes equipped with several invaluable tools and services such as manufacturing and logistics advice.
Creators have already obtained more than $1.6 billion in more than 800 thousand initiatives from over 11 million contributors – it works in over 230 countries and regions.
Cookpad
Cookpad is a renowned recipe-sharing website that has been around for many years, beginning in Japan. This country is currently the most popular market for Cookpad, with over 60 million monthly site visits. Cookpad’s global headquarters is located in Bristol, UK, leading to growth in other markets. The company has offices in Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, and other countries. The platform utilizes Ruby and Rails in its tech stack, as well as additional languages such as Python, Swift, and Cocoa.
Twitch
Twitch, a live video streaming platform and social media community for online gamers is likely a familiar concept to gamers. It has been the launch point for famous gaming influencers, such as PewDiePie and Markiplier, and has over 54 million users with 2.2 million people streaming monthly. Its backend is powered by Ruby on Rails and GO with an Nginx web server, while its front end is built with Ember JS.
Ruby on Rails is a powerful web development framework that is used by many companies to build their websites and applications. These companies are just a few examples of the rails companies that are using Ruby on Rails to power their online presence.