Ruby is a programming language created in the year 1995 by Yukihiro Matsumoto. In the early 2000’s David Heinemeier Hansson, while working on a project management tool called Basecamp, made some improvements to Ruby and created the framework known today as Ruby on Rails.

Ruby is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language supporting multiple programming patterns. It functions as glue code that helps software development services to create customized scripts for basic things like common gate interfaces, command-line interfaces, application wrappers, and shell commands. Designed with an emphasis on programming productivity and simplicity, its popularity increased with the introduction of Ruby on Rails. 

Insights on Ruby on Rails

• Ruby boasts 45,000+ GitHub stars to its name
• Around 4,000 coders contribute to the progress of Ruby on Rails
• As per claims on codica.com, the average hourly rate of a senior Ruby on Rails developer in North America is $121-140

Choosing a programming language is like choosing a new car. There are different types of cars for all kinds of people. The same is true for application development. To make a decision, factors such as learning curve, cost, scalability, etc., need to be taken into consideration. No language is perfect, but there is just one right language.   

Before you decide to hire ruby on rails developers, let’s have a look at the pros and cons of the language. The article covers the major advantages and disadvantages of Ruby in Rails.

Read More:- What makes Ruby on Rails perfect for eCommerce Products

Pros of Ruby

• Development Speed:

• • Ruby when combined with Rails, programming even complex applications becomes faster and easier. Ruby on rails software development is much more agile and faster as compared with other languages.
  • The agile methodology and few lines of code increase the speed of development. 

• Budget-Friendly: 
  • Since Ruby has a great development speed, it reduces the production time and lowers the production charge. Additionally, Ruby has a great community of developers who continuously contribute to the GitHub library.
  • Moreover, there are many experienced ruby on rails development services in the market. Therefore, the companies can hire services at a competitive cost.

• Tools and Libraries: 
  • Ruby on Rails has several in-built libraries termed as GEMS. The GEMS are open source and free libraries which can be used by the developers for meeting specific ruby on rails application development. 
  • The large Ruby community continuously shares on platforms such as GitHub. More than 3000 GEMS are available on GitHub, which makes it the part of the top 10 contributor languages on GitHub repositories.
  • The tools help improve the software design experience and also help in debugging and optimisation of the code. 

• Compatibility with Front-end Frameworks: 
  • The popularity of front-end frameworks such as Angular, Vue, etc., is quite evident. Ruby on Rails has great integration capabilities with such front-end frameworks. 
  • A programmer can choose any framework, RoR is ready to work with it effortlessly and quickly. 
• Adherence to Standards: 
  • Ruby in Rails has strong web standards for every part of an application, from the user interface to data transfer. 
  • Applications built over Ruby on Rails follow established software design paradigms, such as “coding by convention,” “don’t repeat yourself,” and “active record pattern.”  

Cons of Ruby

• Lack of Flexibility:
  • Ruby has a big dependency between components and modules, and, therefore, it is only ideal for the development of web applications. Development of applications with specific and unique functionality is challenging with Ruby on Rails.
  • Routing, database migrations, and other essentials make the process of creating a product lengthier. Thereby a choice has to be made between the originality and the development time.

• Slow Performance: 
  • Ruby is one of the fastest languages when it comes to ruby on rails app development speed. However, in terms of application performance pace, Ruby on Rails is not so fast on the track.
  • Most commonly, the performance pace is affected by database connections, and it depends on developers’ skills and the quality of the code.

• Poor Documentation: 
  • The documentation is not up to date for Ruby GEMS which are heavily utilized by ruby on rails web development company for app development. While documentation is available for well-known libraries, trying lesser-known libraries and gems can be risky.
  • The ruby on rails consulting firms suffer in this case, as they have to repeatedly check for the required functionality and take a hit to the production speed.
• Reducing Popularity: 
  • Despite its wide usage, there has been a decline in the popularity of Ruby. Even though there is an increase in the number of developers and communities, the technology is not that widely utilized in app development. 
  • The main reason is that the framework requires a steep learning curve. Developers who master Ruby on Rails are usually already an expert in other languages.

• Cost of Error: 
  • A wrong architecture mistake or any other judgment error, in the beginning, can slow down the progress of the ruby on rails web development services. This can lead to costs more than any other framework. In the cover of easy and swift prototyping, an inexperienced Ruby developer might commit some unobvious errors that might impact the performance of the application. 
  • Since Ruby on Rails is an open framework, where all components are tightly coupled and depend on each other, such structural deficiencies will be hard to fix.

Read More: The 7 Best Ruby Frameworks for Web Development in 2022

Conclusion: The Verdict on Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is one of the finest web development frameworks. It is a good choice if your project has tight deadlines and budget requirements. 

The huge developer community, a number of in-built libraries known as GEMS, and the maintainability of Ruby applications made it the preferred choice for such projects such as Airbnb, GitHub, Bloomberg, etc.

Like any web framework, Ruby on Rails also has many drawbacks. The lack of flexibility and slow performance as compared to other frameworks are just a few cons of Rails. 

The selection of any platform depends upon the requirement and budget allocation. Weigh in both the pros and cons of Ruby and map it with your end goal before you choose the framework for your product.