The best thing about Ruby on Rails (RoR) is its ability to significantly accelerate the development process while maintaining high standards of code quality and maintainability. Here are some key aspects that make Ruby on Rails stand out:
1. Rapid Development
Ruby on Rails is designed for rapid application development. Its convention-over-configuration approach and the availability of numerous ready-to-use libraries and plugins (gems) allow developers to build applications quickly and efficiently. This can lead to a 30-40% faster development time compared to other frameworks[2][5][6].
2. Cost-Effectiveness
As an open-source framework, Ruby on Rails is free to use, which makes it a cost-effective option for startups and businesses. It also runs on free operating systems and works with most free databases and web servers, further reducing costs[1][5][10].
3. Strong Community and Ecosystem
Ruby on Rails has a robust and active community that continuously contributes to its development. This community support ensures that developers have access to a wealth of resources, including gems, documentation, and forums for troubleshooting and advice[6][9][10].
4. High Code Quality and Maintainability
The framework emphasizes clean, readable, and maintainable code. Principles like "Don't Repeat Yourself" (DRY) and "Convention over Configuration" help in writing concise and standardized code, making it easier for new developers to pick up existing projects and for teams to maintain and scale applications[2][4][12].
5. Built-in Testing and Security
Ruby on Rails comes with built-in testing frameworks and security features. It supports test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD), which help in catching bugs early and ensuring robust code. Security features protect against common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS)[1][4][8].
6. Scalability
Despite some criticisms regarding performance, Ruby on Rails is capable of scaling to handle high traffic and complex applications. Successful examples include platforms like Shopify and GitHub, which have scaled effectively using RoR[2][4][8].
