Fernando Meyer

Starting with ruby and rails

Tuesday, August 16th, 2005 | Java, Programming, Ruby, Work | No Comments

Like a Java developer for 4 years, I’ve seen programmers trying to complicate the things in a way such that even though they does not have “no idea” of that this for backwards of a functionality of the system. It isn’t a generalization, but, a peculiar characteristic of Java programmers. The majority always tries to use a lot of APIs and Frameworks to make a simple CRUD (acronym for Create Retrieve Update and Delete), I’ve seen cases where a simple system of email’s sender had 23 class that they dealt with since the sending until the writing in the database one log of sending, and an excessive amount of XML to configure frameworks. Just for a simple use-case¹

The people had lost motivation in deciding a problem with a simple and elegant solution. The best system is most complex and fuller of added documents, is these things that had been pushed at people’s mind today, and are a culture that the new professionals lead currently for the work market.

Working a bit with “ruby on rails”. I could see how simple can be developed a web application. Without alot of configuration( java code/XML/scripts) methods and without my usual 5 frameworks. Rails is an excellent tool that interlook perfectly in the agile development environment.

Trying:

I come studying rails after a “warning” of a colleague who spoke to me: “Where cave that you lived that never heard to speak of rails” (question that I’ve answered with the name of my born location: Foz do iguaçu-Br). I started to look for in web about ruby and I’ve discovered a cool programming language with some characteristically interesting, Simple, robust and object oriented. Soon already it had introduced 50% of the concept, readily I started to search about rails, I’ve found a web site http://www.rubyonrails.com . I attended 30 times the video of rail’s demonstration and I didn’t believe on it. He developed a web application in 15 minutes without many delays, without configurations.(except of database.yml). My curiosity only increased, I’ve downloaded rails and as 99% of the people who worked with rails, making the same steps of the video to have certainty that functioned exactly. I’ve a Blog, made with ruby on rails was there after one 25 minutes. Soon I got passionate myself!

I was in search of more material about rails and I’ve found the book Agile Web Development with Rails, Dave Thomas , and started to read, In the first pages, he say about 10 reasons to like rails.

• It brings agility to web development.
• I can create web pages with neat effects, just like the cool kids do.
• It lets me focus on creating the application, not feeding the framework.
• My applications stay maintainable as they grow.
• I get to say “Yes” to clients more often.
• Testing is built-in (and easy), so it gets used.
• Instant feedback: edit the code, hit Refresh, and the change is in my browser.
• Metaprogramming means I can program at a really high level.
• Code generators let me get started quickly.
• No XML, Scripting or code configuration

Another cool things, like don’t need map a controller for URL standards with a configuration (like web.xml), separation of templates, and Activate Record(some times sql are half disordered, but it does not arrive the extremities as hibernate, and this is easy to correct), makes any person who works with development web to go heaven with rails.

A cons that I had not thought but that I read in a web log: to carry an application in production state to a new framework can be a little stress and difficult, DBAs that likes names of simple tables and fields id to refer the primary keys, they’re rare.

Before it thought that rails would be only another nerd’s toolkit to make little things in the Internet. But with passing of time I’ve already seen that people like Martin Fowler, had placed the hand in the rails and liked. Now recently Harding Piers wrote an article for sap to developer networks called SAP on Rails, and not on the skids where he shows as to integrate sap and rails to develop a application (you’re right that the connector has sufficiently code with bad smell and not beautifully code) but already is another reason to people turns the eyes for rails.

Still can’t say that I’ll stop work with java and start with Rails, but rails is once of the best frameworks. And I would use it, at future not distant

Fernando Meyer fmcamargo at gmail.com

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1 “Still those exist that would above create 30 types of different documents for email sender’s use case ;)”