Trends shaping the future of Ruby on Rails development in 2024
Ruby on Rails is an almost 20 years old framework. It is great for making apps, it is easy to learn, and it has fast development. But what are the trends shaping the future of Ruby on Rails development in 2024?
RoR has many advantages but disadvantages as well. There is speculation that Ruby on Rails has aged. And some of them state that RoR is an old framework. And also that Ruby is an old programming language. But is that true? Let’s find out.
Ruby On Rails in 2024: A Skill Still Worth Investing In?
RoR framework is very much alive. Despite the fact that some people are saying that it is an old, dying framework. Why? Because RoR is very simple, scalable, and great for eCommerce. But for many other things as well.
RoR has a big community. There are many RoR developers that are willing to help fellow colleagues. Thus, the community is very much alive. It is constantly working on new things. They do constant updates and maintenance. Why? Because users are asking for.
Many companies use RoR as their weapon of choice. Such as:
- Airbnb
- Shopify
- Hulu
- Github
- Dribble
And many other popular companies. This is the main indicator that Ruby is not a dead language. Though it has some restrictions. But every language and framework has one as well.
What is the future of Ruby on Rails development?
The future of Ruby on Rails development lies in its power. Let’s see what it is.
Great community
RoR has a great community. This is because it is an open-source framework. And such technologies rely on community support. An engaged and active community implies that technology is alive.
The RoR community is also expanding each day. There are several RoR forums available online. Some of them are Reddit, Github, and StackOverflow. These platforms are perfect places for:
- Sharing knowledge
- Sharing your work
- Supporting new ideas
- Solving problems
- Finding help for difficult tasks
Technologies that are dying have no community support. Or they have a very small community.
RoR cases
It is simple to determine whether a framework is no longer useful. By investigating what many businesses are using. This is especially true for tech firms. They are the first to ditch outdated technologies.
And, RoR is not abandoned. Many companies are using RoR development. This is the best proof that Ruby on Rails is far from dead.
Constant updates and maintenance
RoR has constant updates and maintenance. It means that people are interested in that technology. People want to guarantee that it is up to date with innovations. When a technology no longer receives regular improvements, it is dying.
RoR has regular updates. It indicates it is still in demand. Ruby on Rails teams and developers contribute to the framework.
Perfect for eCommerce
eCommerce is the future. Thus, Ruby on Rails is the future. This is due to the fact that Rails is an excellent choice for eCommerce. This is because it allows developers to
- Create innovative pricing algorithms quickly
- Image resizing software
- Image editing software for product photographs and descriptions
RoR's approach to website development is ideal for creating an eCommerce website. You can also integrate Payment systems on your eCommerce website.
Trends shaping the future of Ruby on Rails development in 2024
Here are a couple of trends that are shaping the future of Ruby on Rails.
Cloud computing and Ruby on Rails
There are cloud computing services that you can use with RoR apps. One of them are:
- Amazon Web Services
- Google Cloud Platform
- Heroku
Use cloud computing services to deploy Ruby on Rails apps. By doing this, you can handle growing traffic. But also user demand by scaling up new instances or improving the server's resources. For example, developing Rails apps on Google Cloud provides scalability by using Google's infrastructure.
Cloud computing services enable us to pay for just the resources we use. This is a very cost-effective option for your company.
You can deploy Ruby on Rails apps on Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platforms. One of them is Amazon Web Services (AWS). Also, you can deploy it on Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) platforms like Heroku. They offer various services and tools to ease app deployment, maintenance, and scalability.
Using GraphQL in Ruby on Rails apps
GraphQL is a query language for API (Application Programming Interface). That’s why they created GraphQL to address difficulties with RESTful APIs. This includes under-fetching and over-fetching data to client-side requests.
We can incorporate GraphQL into RoR apps by using Ruby gems. The gem "GraphQL-ruby" allows developers to define GraphQL schema, types, and resolvers within the app.
Use Ruby on Rails for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
RoR might not be suitable for machine learning. Or even for artificial intelligence. But that's only at first sight. In fact, its versatility and flexibility make it a great option for ML and AI.
Various Ruby frameworks and gems are available for integrating ML into web apps. Some of them are
- TensorFlow
- Scikit-learn
- H2O
Other trends that are shaping RoR's future
Ruby on Rails developers are in high demand. Especially in businesses like web development. But also e-commerce and startups. It is a very lucrative career.
According to Stack Overflow, RoR is the fifth most paying technology in the world. Making this job title a great career opportunity. Here’s an example.
Top paying technologies: Programming, scripting, and markup languages. Source: Stack Overflow 2022
Also, the RoR ecosystem is always developing. They are adding new libraries, tools, and plugins. You can help and learn by creating and sharing your own libraries.
Minor disadvantages of Ruby on Rails
Performance issues. Ruby does run slower than other programming languages. For instance, when compared to C++. But you can cut these speed difficulties by using suitable RoR app optimization strategies.
Too complex. Some developers stated that RoR is a bit difficult to learn. But let’s be honest. No framework or programming language is that easy. Some of them are less difficult than others. So, if you study RoR with instruction, you will not have such problems. This is why you should study RoR on a platform where professionals and leading specialists design and teach courses.
Scalability issues. This is a typical complaint. But RoR can manage high loads and serve a large number of companies. This is manageable if the companies have teams to back it up with software development. You can achieve scalability by reducing code. Also, by employing modular methods for development and retaining app state on the client side.
In conclusion
Ruby on Rails is a great framework. Despite being old. It has the potential for using it in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Also, it is perfect for eCommerce. These are some of the trends shaping the future of Ruby on Rails development in 2024.
The biggest indicator of RoR being a great framework is the companies. Many of them have apps that are made with RoR. And are in need of constant updates and maintenance. This means that this language is not going anywhere. It is here to stay for a long period of time.
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