Is Ruby On Rails Still Worth Learning In 2022?

Ruby on Rails is a web application framework written in Ruby under the MIT license. Rails works on MVC, (Model View Controller) structure, bestowing default structure for a database and web pages.

The initial release of Ruby on rails was on 13 December 2005 and in its initial years, it greatly affected the web app development through new features that comprise Seamless database table creation, and a scaffolding of views to allow rapid application development.

ROR or Ruby on Rails is older and more mature technology to use but in the last couple of years, it has been facing a difficult time as many new technologies came over by taking over this sector. Some people say Rails is dead and it isn’t worth it but here we are going to see why it’s worth learning in 2020.

Where Has ROR Been The Best?

Rails have been the talk of the town and it is quite an old language. There are a few reasons that make Rails the best and really tough to compete. So, we would be looking for those reasons.

1. Simpler business logic Execution

ROR has a simple and fast process of implementation for difficult business logic. For example, you need API for your application at the earliest so you can ask the developer. Rails developers can develop it really fast. You have to put the front-end framework like React and Vue and you are done.

2. Huge Collection of Gems

Ruby has a huge collection of gems created by its developers. They act as a bridge to fill in the gap left in web apps and their services. And the best thing about them is that they are free for commercial use. And the minor things that might be left by the development team can be cleared with the help of these.

Ruby's collection has made it really easier for developers to use it. It is like a readymade gem for developers when they get stuck at developing some features but they have it sorted with gems.

There are various companies that use Ruby on Rails in their products and apps that we would be discussing later.

3. Rapid development Process

Rails or ROR is known for its fast development process. Developers use Ruby on Rails to develop a project of its quick nature and creating a project with Rails is quite easy.

There is a difference of 40 to 45% in terms of speed in creating a project with ROR instead of Stacks. In layman's terms, if a developer uses Stacks for developing a project then it will take 40% extra time than Rails.

Various types of apps developed using Ruby on Rails

We would be mentioning 6 well-known apps that are developed with ROR. These are widely known and you might be using these on a daily basis.

1. Basecamp

It is a type of business organizer curated by David Hansson who is the creator of Ruby on Rails and his team members. We use Slack and other apps like Asana which are tough competitors of Basecamp. Recently, Basecamp has 2.5 million users and is a good alternative app developed through ROR.

2. Shopify

Shopify is an E-commerce platform that gives potential entrepreneurs a platform to start a business. And with this, it enables you to use the payment integration method, manage content, domain name generator, and everything that you need to start an online business. Half a Million plus merchants are using the Shopify platform and it is able to generate $40 billion in GMV. Shopify was developed and launched after 2 months through Ruby on Rails. For potential entrepreneurs, Shopify is a great source to launch a business as it provides everything you need for a business.

3. Airbnb

Airbnb, Inc. is an online marketplace for arranging or offering lodging, primarily homestays, or tourism experiences. The number of people who use Airbnb for their travel stays is increasing rapidly. It has a total of 150 million+ users out of which 500k people use it to stay at night. Airbnb was also created by ruby on rails and is one of the best and most popular services that use this framework.

4. Fiverr

Almost every freelancer knows this website but only a few people know that it was also created on ruby on rails. You can get a service or hire someone or you can also give a service starting from $5 and going up to $200. You can get every type of service from graphics to logo to webpage designing. It covers almost everything. It is also one of the popular services that use this framework. If you are a remote developer you can also register on our website.

5. Github

GitHub is a popular service used by almost 26 million people. It is an app created on ruby on rails and it is used for bug tracking, task management, and other features for developers.

5. Bloomberg

It is developed on ruby on rails and it specializes in data analysis, trading services, and news. These services are the vital revenue-generating services of Bloomberg. And like others, it is also a popular service that uses this framework.

Consider Ruby On Rails For These Projects

As we have discussed before, there are various apps you can develop with Ruby on Rails and now we will discuss some projects that are good to go with Ruby on Rails.

1. Fast prototyping

Ruby on Rails allowed companies to build in no time a small application or an MVP. The fast development process allows the early acquisition of more customers, resulting in quicker and more efficient device monetization. Developing an MVP will show you what are the needs of your customer and what is your focus. Features and some usability can be created really quickly with ROR.

2. E-commerce

E-commerce is trending and people use e-commerce to expand their businesses. E-commerce provides them with all the necessary things and the best example is Shopify. Ruby on Rails has gems for every problem which enhances the business and tries to bridge the gap. Spree commerce is an alternative to ROR e-commerce.

3. Data solutions

Ruby on rails has a tremendous framework for new and advanced startup models. The software has an outstanding Object Relational Mapping, called ActiveRecord, allowing developers to navigate databases quickly without using SQL. In addition, Ruby on Rails can easily integrate such as PostgreSQL with Database Management Systems.

4. Fluctuating concept

Ruby on rails believes in the concept of going with the flow which means that you need not plan everything beforehand. As the process goes, everything will go accordingly and ROR is famous for this thing that you never know what it has for you. You can add on the things while moving ahead. That’s why it is known as a fluctuating concept which means it has nothing fixed or planned.

5. Content Services

There are so many goods and SEO-friendly tools for developing and maintaining content in the Ruby on Rails ecosystem. Perhaps a website based on content would be, right up your alley? If so, make sure Jekyll gets a shot.

The question that arises is whether there is any chance that learning ROR would be worth it. why this question arises so I would like to mention some drawbacks where ROR lacks its importance over the years.

Few Shortcomings of Ruby on Rails

1. Operational speed

It must be noted-Rails are not on edge in speed. If you need fast processing speed and low resource usage on the server, then Ruby on Rails is definitely not the way to go. Keep in mind, of course, that this is an edge case, and you don’t really need that much pace in most projects, particularly if you’re developing a startup or MVP. If you don’t expect hundreds of millions.

2. Ruby language

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is the hottest technology these days. Many modern apps offer some sort of ML integration to help users with tedious tasks or even automate some jobs by literally substituting software for jobs and staff.

It’s a shame that the language of Ruby is bad at this, to put it simply. Python is the best technology, not to mention that it is one of the world’s most popular programming languages and is much faster than Ruby. Even Java is considered to be one of the job’s best technologies. Unfortunately, machine learning is another major trend not followed by our beloved language, mainly due to the lack of libraries needed.

3. Less creativity left for the developers

If you’re familiar with the design of Ruby on Rails then you probably know it’s known to be a very thought-out one. It only allows you to create your app the way Rails “wants” you to. While this function has a lot to do with it, the creation of an unusual application may be a pain. There is a lot of default modules that may not leave sufficient room for the development of developers.

Wrapping up

Ruby on Rails has the latest version 6.0.1 that is released on 5 November 2019 and ROR has been working on its advancements since the early 2000s. And being a mature technology, there is a lot more left to learn about this technology and many startups are using this ROR. Ruby on Rails ‘ recent and upcoming releases sound very promising. Many of the concerns from users have been addressed, each new version adds new exciting features.

Hopefully in the near future, both Ruby and Rails will rise again.  So we can not say that it is obsolete and ROR is dead. If you make full use of the potential of Ruby on Rails, you will be able to develop sophisticated applications in no time. And one should not forget that ROR has massive gems which many new technologies don’t have. So, in my opinion, it is still worth it to learn RUBY ON RAILS in 2020. There are many scopes that are still left to utilize. And if we talk about paychecks according to the data from indeed.com, ruby on rails developer in the USA gets the highest salary. And after that python developer, javascript developer, Clojure developer, java developer, Nodejs developer in that order. Keep reading Codersera to stay up-to-date with the trends.

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