Resources
3 min read
Last updated:
One of the most popular questions about the Ruby programming language is what are the leading ways Ruby can be used? In this guide we’ve surveyed a number of programmers, developers and tech-savvy business leaders to ask them, what do they use Ruby for?
Contents
The Leading Use Cases For Ruby:
- Web Applications
For our first expert insight Zach Hendrix Co-Founder at GreenPal, detailed why Ruby is so helpful for web application development from his experience of using this programming language over the last eight years, “The Ruby language is most widely used for web applications, specifically with its Rails framework. Being a general-purpose language it can be used for a wide range of applications. Airbnb, and Shopify are both built on Ruby.”
“Ruby is generally a favourite among beginners because it is relatively easy to learn and reads as close to English as just about any other programming language. Inherently, Ruby removes or handles much of the complexity for you.”
“Because of this, startups and/or proof of concepts often choose Ruby because it's generally faster to build an initial product than many other languages. The Ruby community is also rather large and proven so finding help and documentation is a simple google search away.”
“It is worth pointing out that Ruby is slower compared to other languages like Python. But JRuby is a faster alternative to standard Ruby.”
Tony Kelly, Founder & CEO at CameraGroove kindly contributed the next two projects that Ruby is well suited for:
- Solutions for Custom Databases
“Ruby on Rails will come to the rescue when you need a solution to create a custom database. This is because this system makes use of ActiveRecord, a database management framework that doesn't require SQL. It also interacts with other Database Management Systems, allowing you to handle large databases with ease.”
- Creating Prototypes
“Until working on a full-fledged framework, Ruby is ideal for creating test versions. Since it's so easy to use, you can quickly build a basic framework to see if your idea is feasible. It also helps you to work on a rough sketch that you can show the rest of the team to get an idea of how you want the final software to look.”
- Frontend & Backend Projects
Our next specialist, Mario Uher has over ten years of experience with using Ruby for both frontend and backend projects, he explains more on how he uses Ruby; “Ruby allows you to quickly hack stuff, build prototypes and really powerful tools without too much-required setup/boilerplate.”
“Not only this, but it allows you also to build fast scaling apps serving millions of customers. In terms of what fields it is most suitable for, it would be hard to say, from web apps, eCommerce to social media, and in general communications.”
- A General-Purpose Programming Language
Outside of its use for web applications, Ruby is also popular in a variety of additional use cases as outlined by our next contributor, Bruno Mircevski from HostAdvice.com, “ When it comes to Ruby, you will find that it is typically used by developers to build web applications, however, it is a general-purpose language, similar to Python, for example, so you can expect it to have a lot more applications as well.”
“You can use it for data analysis, prototyping, and proof of concepts to name a few. You have probably heard of Ruby on Rails web, which is one of its most popular implementations, and this one serves the role of a development framework”
“Some of the coolest Rails projects that you have probably seen include Hulu, Github, 500px, MyFitnessPal, and even Kickstarter. Fiverr, the most popular freelance service on-demand platform is also built through it.”
“These are just a few examples of what kind of power Ruby has, and how developers have been taking advantage of it.”
“The main appeal of Ruby is the fact that it offers a small, elegant as well as powerful code to build from. Ruby is an open-source language as well, which means that it is free to copy, use, modify and distribute.”
“Given the fact that Ruby is available to be used in other projects as well, programmers will typically take advantage of it and make changes without feeling restricted in any way.”
“Ruby on Rails, which is the framework used in many online websites, follows certain design principles that can promote simplicity when it comes to building systems that are actually complex.”
“First, you have the model-view-controller architecture, which has three interconnected layers. Then you have conventions over configurations paradigm, and you have DRY or don’t repeat yourself, which reduces the repetition of information within a system. This leads to simplicity as well as faster development, while also keeping costs low, and maintenance and updates easy.”
We hoped that you enjoyed this blog on what Ruby is most often used for, if you enjoyed this article then why not check out another one of our on GitLab vs. GitHub or check out our guide to the best Grafana dashboard examples?