RUBY ON RAILS

'Ruby on Rails' is a free web application framework that aims to increase the speed and ease with which database-driven web sites can be created and offers skeleton code frameworks (scaffolding) from the outset. Often shortened to 'Rails', or 'RoR', Ruby on Rails is an open source project written in the Ruby programming language and applications using the Rails framework are developed using the Model-View-Controller design pattern.

Contents

Philosophy

History

Significance

Technical overview

Framework structure

Trademarks

Projects using Rails

See also

References

External links

Philosophy

The fundamental Ruby on Rails principles include ''Don't repeat yourself'' (DRY) and ''Convention over Configuration''.
"Don't repeat yourself" means that information is located in a single, unambiguous place. For example, using ActiveRecord, the developer does not need to specify column names in class definitions. Instead, Ruby can retrieve this information from the database.
"Convention over Configuration" means a developer only needs to specify unconventional aspects of his application. For example, if there's a class ''Sale'' in the model, the corresponding table in the database is called ''sales'' by default. It is only if someone deviates from this convention, such as calling the table "products_sold", that he needs to write code regarding these names.
Because of these strict defaults, Rails is often referred to as "opinionated software", which has been a point of contention for many critics of Rails.

History

Ruby on Rails was extracted by David Heinemeier Hansson from his work on Basecamp, a project-management tool by the web design (now web application) company 37signals.^[1] It was first released to the public in July 2004.
In August 2006, it was announced that Apple will ship Ruby on Rails with Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard",^[2] scheduled for release in October, 2007.

Significance

Ruby on Rails led the charge among next-generation web application frameworks, popularizing features that are now considered standard, such as scaffolding, object-relational mapping and simple installation. Other projects such as Django and TurboGears followed suit.

Technical overview

Like many contemporary web frameworks, Rails uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture for organizing applications.
Rails provides out-of-the-box scaffolding, which can quickly construct most of the logic and views needed for a basic website, the WEBrick web server and other helpful development tools.
Rails is also noteworthy for its extensive use of the JavaScript libraries Prototype and Script.aculo.us, for Ajax and visual effects.
For web services, Rails supported lightweight SOAP initially and later it was replaced by RESTful web services. The recommended REST-based programming structure changes drastically in version 1.2.

Framework structure

Ruby on Rails divides itself into various packages, namely Active Record, Action Pack, Active Support, Action Mailer and Action Web Service. Apart from standard packages, developers can make plugins to extend existing packages.

Trademarks

In March 2007 David Heinemeier Hansson filed three Rails related trademark applications to the USPTO. These applications regard the phrase "RUBY ON RAILS",^[3] the word "RAILS"^[4] and the official Rails logo.^[5] As a consequence, in the summer of 2007 David Heinemeier Hansson denied to Apress the permission to use the Rails logo on the cover of a new Rails book written by some authoritative community members. The episode gave rise to a polite protest in the Rails community.^[6][7]In response to this criticism, David Heinemeier Hansson made the following claims:^[8]
: ''I only grant promotional use [of the Rails logo] for products I'm directly involved with. Such as books that I've been part of the development process for or conferences where I have a say in the execution.''
: ''I would most definitely seek to enforce all the trademarks of Rails.''

Projects using Rails

★ Basecamp – online project management

★ BBC Programme Catalogue – video and audio archives from BBC television and radio

★ OpenCongress – Aggregated news and official data about the US Congress

★ ''Penny Arcade'' – gamer-humor webcomic

★ Revolution Health – a health portal

★ Twitter – micro-blogging service

★ Yellow Pages – US telephone directory

See also

★ Ruby (programming language)

★ JRuby

★ List of web application frameworks

★ Comparison of web application frameworks

References

1. Interview with David Heinemeier Hansson from Ruby on Rails
2. Ruby on Rails will ship with OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
3. "Ruby on Rails" Trademark Status
4. "Rails" Trademark Status
5. Rails Logo Trademark Status
6. Beginning Rails: From Novice to Professional
7. David Heinemeier Hansson says No to Use of Rails Logo
8. Beginning Rails: From Novice to Professional

External links

★ rubyonrails.org

★ Rails Projects

★ RailsLodge plugin directory

★ Ruby Forge

★ Full Ruby on Rails Tutorial

★ Instant Ruby on Rails : Open Source Rails runtime for Windows

★ BitRock Ruby Stack : Open Source Rails runtime for Linux, Mac OS X.

★ Locomotive : Open Source Rails runtime for Mac OS X

★ HappyCodr - Sites made with Rails

★ Working With Rails - Discover the Ruby on Rails community