What Is Ruby On Rails | Introduction To Rubyonrails

Introduction

Ruby on Rails, or Rails, is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby under the MIT License. It is a model-view-controller (MVC) framework, providing default structures for a database, a web service, and web pages.

Key Points:

Ruby on Rails emphasizes the use of well-known software engineering patterns and principles, such as convention over configuration (CoC), don't repeat yourself (DRY), and the active record pattern.
Rails is known for its developer-friendly environment, allowing for rapid development with minimal configuration.
This guide covers an introduction to Ruby on Rails and its primary use cases.

Understanding Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails was created by David Heinemeier Hansson and first released in December 2005. It aims to simplify and streamline the process of web application development, promoting best practices and productivity through its robust framework.

MVC Architecture: Rails follows the MVC architecture, which separates the application logic, user interface, and database management into three interconnected components.
Convention Over Configuration: Rails adopts sensible defaults to minimize the need for extensive configuration, allowing developers to focus on writing code rather than boilerplate setup.
Rich Library of Gems: Rails has a vast collection of gems (libraries) that extend its functionality, ranging from authentication to payment processing.

Getting Started with Ruby on Rails

To start working with Ruby on Rails, follow these steps:

Installing Ruby

# Install Ruby using a version manager like RVM or rbenv
# Example using RVM:
\curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable --ruby
source ~/.rvm/scripts/rvm
rvm install 3.0.0
rvm use 3.0.0 --default

Installing Rails

# Install Rails
gem install rails

# Verify the installation
rails --version

Creating a New Rails Application

Create a new Rails application by running the following command:

# Create a new Rails application
rails new myapp

# Navigate into the application directory
cd myapp

# Start the Rails server
rails server

# Access the application in your browser at http://localhost:3000

Use Cases of Ruby on Rails

1. Rapid Application Development

Ruby on Rails is renowned for its ability to enable rapid application development. Its conventions and libraries allow developers to quickly build and deploy web applications.

2. Prototyping

Due to its efficiency and simplicity, Rails is a popular choice for prototyping new applications. Developers can quickly create prototypes to test ideas and iterate on features.

3. Scalable Web Applications

Rails is used to build scalable web applications that can handle high traffic and large datasets. Examples of successful applications built with Rails include GitHub, Basecamp, and Shopify.

Conclusion

Ruby on Rails is a powerful and developer-friendly framework that simplifies web application development. Its emphasis on convention over configuration, coupled with a rich ecosystem of gems, makes it an excellent choice for building robust and scalable web applications.

Ruby on Rails - What is Ruby on Rails?