The Rails framework can be one of the best solutions for developing high quality, fast web applications. Ruby on Rails is often considered as one of the fastest coding solutions you can choose, and the resourceful, practical and stable framework has been commended by countless experienced developers.
The question on every beginning developer’s mind, however, is what type of hosting should you consider using in order to get the most out of the framework and programming language’s capabilities with regards to the applications you want to build?
Typical Hosting Solutions
If you want to create production quality Ruby on Rails applications, one of the first things you need to do is make sure you avoid Windows platforms and choose either a Linux or BSD distribution.
In case you absolutely have to use Windows, you will likely need to handle all the installation and configuration tasks yourself, since no hosting plan currently exists that would support the use of Ruby on Rails with Windows installations.
You will usually have to think hard about how much time or effort you want to invest. Managing a server with Ruby on Rails support doesn’t have to cost much as long as you do everything yourself, however, it does require significant knowledge and expertise.
VPS vs. Shared Hosting
If you don’t know how to host your own server or you’re just getting started with Ruby on Rails, the best solution is to choose a paid hosting plan that offers support for Rails applications. Two of the most notable types of hosting you can consider are shared hosting solutions and VPS hosting.
There are several things you should consider before choosing shared hosting:
- In a lot of the cases, you will probably need to use the outdated Rails framework and Ruby Interpreter versions that the hosting provider has installed.
- Restricted RAM memory usage can be a big problem, as Ruby on Rails web apps generally require an extended amount of memory to run properly.
- You may have trouble configuring the server, as you will not be provided with shell access.
One of the best alternatives that will help you avoid the issues associated with shared hosting is the use of a VPS (Virtual Private Server) that runs on your preferred version of Linux and can provide you with convenient superuser-level access for adequately configuring Ruby on Rails according to your requirements.
The Advantage of Using a Superior MVC-Based Framework such as Rails
A significant number of modern programming languages and development frameworks have been created based on Model-View-Controller patterns geared to separate the part of a web application that deals with the internal management and representation of information from the methods used to present or retrieve user information
One such framework is Rails, based on Ruby – a language similar to PHP and Java which provides three well-defined layers to make full use of the MVC ideology.
The Concept of MVC
Before diving head on into understanding the Rails framework, the first thing you have to do is learn about the concept of MVC. Having a clear picture in your mind of what this idea represents and how it can be used in a practical way in web development is the key to learning Ruby on Rails and achieving the remarkable success that other programmers have experienced with the framework.
So let’s take a closer look at what the “model�, “view� and “controller� are and how they fit into the practical use of MVC patterns:
- The Model, first of all, is the part of the application that deals with calculations and data conversions. It will usually consist of functions and variables working together to supply the results that the web application was meant to provide.
- The View part deals with visual representations, displaying pertinent information that the user needs to gain access to. A few examples of this would include a chart, table or diagram.
- Finally, the Controller is the part of the code that comes into effect after you push the “Submit� button on a form or introduce a set of values for the application to convert, calculate or store.
MVC Patterns Used in the Rails Framework
In Rails, MVC patterns work precisely as described, dividing any application into the aforementioned three sections – called layers in Ruby – which are managed together by the Action Pack.
The View layer generally consists of HTML code that builds visual representations and templates for your applications to use when communicating with the user and displaying pertinent information. At the same time, the controller layer has the role of receiving HTTP requests and providing a suitable response, as well as deploying the necessary values to the Model part for calculations, and logical functions.
The Model layer generally has the role of encapsulating your business logic, keeping track of product and user databases and using various functions to update and calculate important values.
Four Reasons Why the Rails Framework Is the Best Choice for Web Development
There have been countless sources talking about the benefits of Ruby on Rails when compared to similar languages currently used for high-productivity web application development. Backed up by a growing community of talented developers, the framework has much to offer in terms of a superior programming experience.
Development Speed and Flexibility
The first thing you need to know about the Rails framework is that, unlike other frameworks which are unable to provide scalable and flexible code to offer a timely response to the needs of customers looking for web development solutions, Ruby on Rails facilitates the quick modification of any application to suit these needs without the hassle of completely redesigning the app.
The whole design and structure of the Rails API and everything about the Ruby programming language – down to its simplest syntax details – were made to shorten development cycles and facilitate a more practical, agile and resourceful programming practices even when it comes to the most complex web applications.
Less Code and Less Repetition
The amount of code and repetitive blocks required by a programming language for specific applications is often what slows down the development process, making it bulkier and more complicated as a whole.
With Ruby on Rails, this is another problem that becomes eliminated because of the language’s well-organized MVC structure, responsive templates made with clean Ruby embedded HTML blocks, and the ability to quickly and easily generate HTML, JSON and mobile-specific views.
Moreover, the “convention over configuration� concept and the lack of a need for repetitive code – such as specifying database column names in class definitions – makes using the Rails framework an infinitely less tiresome task.
Community Support
The Ruby community is one of the most dedicated and passionate communities of coders on the internet.
Unlike other languages which are often used by less professional programmers and feature documentation resources that are not in all cases up to par with the best programming practices, Ruby on Rails provides you with support and assistance from professionals who take the testing, maintenance, modification and documentation of Ruby based web applications very seriously.
Improved Multi-Platform Support
Whether you’re running the latest version of Windows or an older Linux distribution on your computer, Ruby on Rails can easily be installed and used within the shortest amount of time possible. Also, the Ruby language has been ported to numerous different platforms, and the development of frameworks such as JRuby allows you to easily run Ruby applications on Java containers.
Ruby on Rails is considered to be one of the top programming languages used for web development today, and with its numerous features and benefits geared toward simplicity and advanced scalability, the language is also the preferred choice for many beginning developers.
Understanding the Rails Framework as an Advanced Part of Modern Web Programming
The Rails Framework, also known as Ruby on Rails, has become extremely popular in recent years, as web programmers seek new ways to make websites and web applications faster, easier to manage and more scalable.
Ruby on Rails offers a wider set of opportunities for creating applications that are not just for the web, while decreasing the amount of code needed for developing high quality apps that have generally fewer and less complicated maintenance and testing requirements.
What Is Ruby on Rails?
Developed more than 20 years ago by Yukihiro Matsumoto, ruby has constantly earned its place among the top ten most widespread and popular programming languages used in web development. A general-purpose programming language, Ruby is often mentioned alongside languages like C or Java, however, the central focal point of the language’s reputation is largely due to the popularity of Rails.
Designed to complete Ruby and make it more manageable and scalable Rails has been developed as a vast library of packages and resources installed using each operating system’s command line interface.
Far more than a simple library, however, Rails quickly grew into the Rails framework – as it is known today – a comprehensive set of conventions established in order to make collaboration and maintenance easier to handle in the development of web applications and websites. These conventions form what is known as the Rails API (application programming interface).
Basically, in order to learn Ruby on Rails, you have to develop a firm understanding of the Rails API as documented online and referred to in numerous books, as well as on online websites and blogs.
Rails’ Standing in Advanced Web Development
Based on the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern and combining HTML, CSS and Javascript to help create web applications that run on a server, Ruby on Rails is considered as a server-side web application development platform, similar to PHP and other similar programming solutions.
Unlike PHP, however, Rails seems to have a far better reputation among those interested in computer science discipline and “clean coding�.
By the simple virtue of the fact that a programmer knows Ruby on Rails, you can already expect cleaner, more concise coding habits and programming habits that carry a lot of weight in terms of reducing the need for debugging or rewriting large chunks of code.
the Rails framework was basically created to make web programming easier, cleaner and more solid, and with support from a large community of expert programmers and well-written documentation, getting started with this language can be a much better choice than any other MVC-based language out there.