From Months to Days: A Significant Time Reduction
Ruby’s rapid application development and server-side scripting capabilities have been utilized by prominent companies such as Twitter and Airbnb.
According to Tim O’Reilly, founder of the technology media company O’Reilly Media, the development of powerful online applications that would have previously taken weeks or even months, can now be completed within merely a few days. Thanks to its ease of use and comparatively low learning curve, many major IT companies have readily adopted this programming language.
The wide adoption of Ruby among major software companies can be attributed to its user-friendliness and ease of understanding. As a result, there has been a surge in demand for proficient Ruby programmers, which has consequently given rise to the establishment of numerous development companies to meet this requirement.
For project managers, this article can offer valuable guidance on selecting the most appropriate Ruby framework that suits their specific requirements. Although Ruby on Rails remains the most widely used framework, there are other newer alternatives that may be just as effective.
This article will delve into the most popular Ruby frameworks and the benefits they offer in building new applications.
The “Ruby on Rails” Framework
Undoubtedly, the development community extensively employs the Ruby on Rails framework over any other. This framework has broad usage and excellent support, leading to frequent public release of new libraries.
Ruby language proves to be highly advantageous due to its effective coding capabilities. The plethora of plugins and modules accessible to Ruby programmers enables them to evade composing their own code for standard functions, thereby considerably reducing the time required for coding.
Several studies have indicated that development teams who implement Ruby on Rails for coding may achieve significantly higher productivity levels than those who use other programming languages. This productivity surge can even reach up to 30-40%.
Thanks to Ruby’s established file storage and coding conventions, developers can save a considerable amount of time on organization. Additionally, Ruby on Rails integrates important aspects of the Secure Development Lifecycle, providing every program with a fundamental security feature set.
In 2009, and later in 2023 when upgrading to Rails 5, the acclaimed crowdfunding company Kickstarter made exceptional use of Ruby on Rails in developing its online application. According to the company’s Site Reliability Engineer, Ruby on Rails was employed to guarantee the website’s security and speed.
Hanami
Despite being a relatively new framework, Hanami has already outperformed many of its competitors in the Ruby development industry.
The introduction of a lightweight Ruby framework in 2023 transformed the web development industry by giving developers the ability to escape HTML, a simple database API, and a Content-Security-Policy. This framework was beneficial as it allowed developers to acquire the required functionalities without having to download unnecessary components, providing the framework with the flexibility appreciated by both emerging businesses and experienced Ruby studios worldwide. This made it an indispensable tool for developing websites.
According to the Hanami team, compared to feature-rich Ruby frameworks like Rails, Hanami uses 60% less RAM. This is a remarkable improvement over Ruby on Rails, which is widely used but can be quite unwieldy.
Additionally, Hanami’s repository design offers enhanced separation between the application and the developer’s database, resulting in improved architectural efficiency. Programmers can use this feature to debug database query issues in the viewing mode.
Creditas, a leading Brazilian fintech company determined to transform the financial services sector, provides a noteworthy example of the capabilities of Hanami. Hanami was utilized in developing the company’s latest online application, which enables individuals to use their assets such as vehicles and houses as collateral for loans.
Sinatra
Sinatra, a Domain Specific Language (DSL), has gained widespread popularity for building dynamic web applications. Upon initial release in 2007, it was created as an alternative to Ruby on Rails, offering a more adaptable and flexible framework.
The microframework boasts an exceptional development speed, with only 2000 lines of code – a mere fraction of Ruby on Rails’ 100,000 line codebase. As a result, it is an ideal choice for developing lightweight web applications that do not require the features of a full-stack framework, saving valuable time and resources.
Frank Sinatra is even more impressive due to its requirement of only a single file to construct a functional web application. The framework does not assume anything about the view model by default, allowing developers complete autonomy in design decisions. This provides a blank canvas for developers to produce something truly original.
The recently developed Kapow Comics app is built using Sinatra, making it a nimble and user-friendly program for comic book enthusiasts to upload their entire collections to a centralised profile. This offers a simple and effective way for users to track the values of their comic books, enabling them to determine appropriate resale prices and maximize their potential earnings.
Padrino
Padrino is a widely popular open-source Ruby framework favoured by experienced developers seeking autonomy and customization options. This domain-specific language provides a straightforward means to develop web applications with minimal effort.
When compared to other commonly used full-stack frameworks, Padrino, built on the Sinatra Foundation, is noticeably faster. Developers have frequently observed that Padrino has lower memory usage, greater stability, and can handle more requests every second than any other popular Ruby framework.
Padrino offers developers a high degree of flexibility, which is extremely advantageous. This framework allows developers to choose specific components – either independently or combined- to accelerate the development process of simple applications for businesses. As a result, it provides businesses with an efficient means of rapidly launching their app.
Padrino played a vital role in the development of Matia’s travel website application, providing a robust foundation from which the team of experienced photographers, writers, journalists, and travellers could share their captivating photojournalistic accounts of lesser-known regions around the world. Thanks to the efficiency of Padrino, the original developers constructed a dependable and fast backend to support the site efficiently.
Cuba
Cuba is a superb Ruby microframework for web development that offers users an easy and fast method for creating websites. Initially inspired by the Rum framework, Cuba is now widely used for developing basic web applications with minimal requirements.
The tagline for this minimalist microframework is “This isn’t a framework”, translating to “Ceci n’est pas un cadre” in French. This is because Cuba solely provides the essential features necessary for developers to create applications. This improves CPU performance and speeds up the development process.
Cuba was selected for the development of the web software powering Chef’sFeed, a renowned website offering dining and drinking recommendations for every major city in the US. This programming language was chosen due to its remarkable versatility, and the ability of a committed and small development team to deliver results efficiently.
Ruby is Destined to Remain at the Top with Little Competition
Ruby remains a popular programming language due to its simplicity and the degree of freedom it offers developers. The language is relatively easy to learn, and its syntax offers significant flexibility, enabling the creation of complex web applications with ease and efficiency.
In addition, the open-source community is continually developing remarkable frameworks that enhance the capabilities of the language. Though Ruby on Rails remains the most popular and influential framework, alternatives such as Sinatra and Hanami are rising in popularity.
Before selecting a Ruby framework for an upcoming project, it is recommended for managers to assess their specific requirements. Additionally, a Ruby development firm can assist inexperienced project managers and executives who are considering delegating certain aspects of the development process, helping them to launch their projects successfully.
