Joe McGlynn is Director of Product Management at CodeGear. He is responsible for the development and delivery of the company's 3rdRail RoR IDE, JGear and JBuilder Java development tools and C++Builder product line. Joe can be contacted at blogs.codegear.com/joemcglynn/.
In the three years since its first release to the public, Ruby on Rails has proven to be the mouse that RoR'd. Web application developers increasingly are turning to Ruby on Rails for the simple reason that it focuses on simplicity. RoR, which is based on the Ruby dynamic scripting language, has emerged as a major rival to Java.
We think about RoR a lot around here, so I thought I'd share a Top Ten List that wouldn't make David Letterman's show but might be interesting to the growing number of developers hopping onto Ruby on Rails.
Here goes:
1. Many line-of-business applications do not require over-architected, complex and costly software systems to operate. Over-engineering applications increases costs, wastes time and dilutes competitive advantage. Rapidly-constructed software applications that deliver essential functionality with good scalability and low maintenance costs are easily achievable using Ruby and the RoR framework.
2. RoR provides a compelling alternative to proprietary and costly application frameworks for web development. RoR succeeds by providing less software, providing a completely open solution framework and a rich ecosystem of extensions and community support.
3. RoR is a different approach to software development, while at the same time being firmly rooted in standard approaches and patterns. RoR espouses a few key philosophies and presents them in familiar development pattern. Arguing against bloated complexity for the sake of maximum adaptability RoR proposes fewer choices through the principle of "convention over configuration". RoR presents a definite opinion about how an application should be structured, if you choose to agree with RoR's opinion it will -- without exaggeration -- perform feats of magic for the developer and in turn the business.
4. A common approach to providing efficiencies to developers is to deliver a visual development environment where applications are constructed by positioning widgets on a canvas and setting properties and relationships between them. This obfuscates the intention of the application and the developer's time is spent on configuring application elements instead of delivering against core business requirements. RoR provides the same benefits as a Graphical RAD development tool more simply. It is a "code-centric RAD" tool.
5. RoR allows applications to be rapidly developed and incrementally extended with new features. It is designed specifically to begin delivering features to support the business without architectural planning and without extensive up-front design. Its unique approach allows applications to be constructed and modified, structures changed and features adjusted to meet the changing needs of the business.
6. Version 2 of the Ruby on Rails framework is now in final release testing, and it brings several solid improvements in usability, performance and simplicity. As an antidote to the XML-centric SOA bloat, RoR provides RESTful development. REST, or REpresentational State Transfer, was the brainchild of Internet architect and guru Roy T. Fielding. RoR's implementation of REST allows applications to be kept simple and modular, providing separation between actions and entities.
7. Rails 2 allows applications to be rapidly and easily constructed that support multiple interface methods; in addition to HTML/AJAX interfaces, Rails 2 applications will easily sprout XML interfaces and feeds for popular protocols like RSS and ATOM.
8. RoR's best features go to the heart of web development complexity, and in particular to the absurd complexity of JEE web applications. Zero configuration, automatic object-relational mapping, clear separation of responsibilities and simple AJAX support provide a suite of svelte tools for the savvy application developer.
9. Unlike most over-hyped technologies, RoR has earned its mantle and is already the"secret weapon" of scores of professional web consultants. Departmental applications, IT infrastructures and Web 2.0 companies are moving rapidly to RoR as it represents a pragmatic and rational approach to web application development.
10. While no tool is correct for every business need, RoR is ideally suited to many classes of business applications and commercial software services. RoR is already successful and well-proven in many business environments. RoR need to be in every serious IT practitioner's toolkit.
