Top IDEs for Ruby on Rails

Importance of IDE for ROR: Ruby on rails is a modern web language-framework combo to develop enterprise standard web applications on the fly. In past two years we have seen there is a stupendous popularity gain of Ruby on Rails due to its simple syntax and easy to learn approach. Web developers love the way they are developing web solutions in a much faster way than before using Ruby on Rail framework. Experts have already indicated about a bright future for Ruby on Rails in coming period. Any framework is incomplete without an IDE because, IDE provides lots of assistances to the web developer or ROR developer while developing quick websites. IDE can remember all the function names, variables, classes etc and it will assist the developer while writing the code with auto complete feature. It also helps in writing readable and maintainable codes with proper indentation. The best part is it notifies basic mistakes on the web developer’s code on the UI. Hence a web developer or Ruby developer can’t ignore the importance of IDE in rails framework. Let us have a quick look over few featured IDE for Ruby on Rail developers.

Testing Frameworks for Ruby on Rails

As an open source and full stack framework, Ruby on Rails (RoR) is used widely by developers to rapidly create a variety of web applications. RoR supports some of the widely used software engineering patterns and principles. So it becomes easier to easily accomplish several tasks. The web application development framework is further designed with integrated testing support.

The developers can easily write test by using the skeleton test code produced by RoR. Along with ensuring that the code adheres to the predefined functionality after major modifications, Rails also allow developers to test the application’s response by simulating browser requests. However, the developers can still use testing frameworks for Ruby on Rails to effectuate application testing.

5 Widely Used Testing Frameworks for Ruby on Rails

1) Cucumber
Despite being written in Ruby, Cucumber can be used effectively to test web applications written in several programming languages like C#, Java, Ruby, Python. So the testing framework can be used by QA engineers without knowing Ruby programming in detail. Cucumber is designed with features that execute plain-text functional descriptions as automated tests. Along with being an efficient testing tool, Cucumber also supports behavior-driven development (BDD). Thus, it becomes easier for both technical and non-technical stakeholders to verify the test code written before the original testing starts. You can use the testing framework after installing and activating the Cucumber gem inside your project.

2) RSpec
Like Cucumber, RSpec is also a testing tool that supports behavior-driven development. So the domain experts and business analyst can analyze the test code according to the features and use of the application. The testing framework for Ruby also comes with a set of features to make test driven development more productive. While testing a Ruby application using RSpec, the testing professional can avail rich command line program, flexible and customizable reporting, extensible expectation language, textual descriptions of examples and groups along with built-in mocking/stubbing framework.

3) Test::Unit
You can always use Test::Unit to test web applications by implementing the xUnit testing framework for Ruby. Once you started writing Ruby code, you will surely come across Test::Unit. Despite being bundled with Ruby, the unit testing framework is not a static part of RoR. The professionals writing new test code are further recommended to use MiniTest instead of Test::Unit.

4) Shoulda
Shoulda was originally designed as a unit testing tool. But it can be used to test Ruby applications by attaching the shoulda gem to the project. Thus, the Shoulda tests need to be added on to the Test::Unit framework. The shoulda gem is a meta gem with two dependencies, i.e., shoulda-context and shoulda-matchers. While testing Ruby applications, testing professionals can use these distinct dependencies to write test cases according to the requirements of the project.

5) Spork
Spork is used widely as a testing server to evaluate the Ruby applications. Each time you run a test, a copy of the server is forked. Thus, you can use RoR to reload your files without uploading them constantly. Further, Spork runs in a solid way, without being corrupted over time. Also, the testing server is compatible with several Ruby testing frameworks including Cucumber, RSpec and Test::Unit. Likewise, it also supports a number of application development frameworks. So it becomes easier for you to test different modules and meta programming.

On the whole, programmers have option to choose from a variety of testing frameworks for Ruby on Rails. Most of these frameworks are designed with features to facilitate a certain type of testing. So the developers must decide the Ruby on Rails testing framework according to the needs and objectives of the project.

You can hire developers from top ROR development companies in India who can help you build Ruby applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide Rails development services. If you would like to hire certified Rails developers from our team, please get in touch with us.

ROR for Developing Websites – What would Businesses Look at?

Each business evaluates the pros and cons of several web application development frameworks, and chooses the option that facilitates website development on time and on budget. A business also has option to choose from a number of widely used web programming languages including Java, PHP, ASP.NET, Perl, Python and ColdFusion. But many reports have highlighted that an increasing number of businesses are opting for Ruby on Rails (ROR) to make it easier for developers to create complex and dynamic web applications within a shorter span of time. If your business is planning to switch to the open source web application development framework that runs through the Ruby programming language, it is time to have a look at some of its prominent features and benefits.

What Makes Modern Business Opt for Ruby on Rails for Website Development?

Flexibility
Nowadays, websites need to be updated frequently to deliver richer user experience. So businesses often opt for a programming language that allows developers to modify and update websites without putting any extra time and effort. The flexibility nature of ROR makes it easier for programmers to modify websites, and enhance their performance by including nee features. As ROR used Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, the code can be managed effectively between different developers. Further, while writing the code, the programmers can maintain consistency in structure and methodology.

Rapid Development
Each business has to explore ways to beat competition by developing websites rapidly. Along with adopting Agile development principles, ROR also emphasizes on convention over configuration. So the developers can use the web application development framework to conceptualize, plan and develop a variety of web application within a shorter span of time. Further, the enterprises have option to break down the larger projects into smaller parts, and complete the development in a distributed environment.

Adopt Agile Methodology
The term Agile is being used frequently be enterprisers in website development context. In addition to facilitating constant collaboration between the development team and the client, the Agile methodology further offers benefits like transparency, predictable delivery, predictable cost, focus on business values, and option to include changes smoothly. ROR is designed with features to support Agile technology. So the businesses can avail the advantages of Agile methodology to keep the development cycles short and adopt Test Driven Development.

Curtail Development Cost
Like other open source technology, ROR is also effective in reducing the overall cost of developing websites. Despite being free, ROR still comes with the features provided by other commercial web application development frameworks. Thus, it becomes easier for enterprises to optimize the speed, performance and security of their websites without investing any additional funds. At the same time, the reduced development time further helps businesses in beating competition.

Thriving Community of Ruby Developers
As open source software, ROR also allows business to avail the assistance of a large and active community of Ruby developers. Many developers even develop and share code to make it easier for other users to make their web applications interact with other APIs. Some developers even create and share innovative toolkits that help others in creating robust web applications without writing lengthy and complex code. The extensions, enhancements and new documentation shared by the community of developers further make ROR more powerful and futuristic.

Along with making it easier for developers to build complex web application within a stipulated timeframe, ROR further helps businesses in saving development cost. The efficiency of ROR can also be determined from the fact that the web application development framework is used for building many hugely popular and high-traffic websites like Twitter, BaseCamp, Scribd, Github, Shopify and Hulu.

You can hire developers from top ruby on rails development company in India who can help you build Ruby applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide rails development services. If you would like to hire certified rails developers from our team, please get in touch with us.

3 Things Programmers Should Definitely Know About ROR?

Ruby on Rails is fast gaining a lot of popularity both amongst the startup companies as well as those which have been doing business for years and are seasoned campaigners. However, ROR and its acceptability have gone far beyond this early phase of mere acceptability. At present, big players in the online shopping fraternity are extensively using ROR also, for the majority of their newer as well as upcoming projects, and when we speak of acceptability, it is not only these online shopping companies which are accepting ROR. The major IT companies from all around the globe are more and more using Ruby on Rail for the majority of their enterprise projects. Hence, there is no prize in guessing that programmers need to know a lot of things about ROR if they are looking forward to do something really ‘big’ in their programming careers.

Technically speaking, ROR is basically made up of two distinctive parts – language and the framework. It is a general programming language that has not got anything to do with any specific web application. In fact, it is this generalized character that makes this open source application framework so very adorable nowadays. Ruby can be used without using the rails and can be used as a stand-alone application program, for scripting various server administration tasks even for those applications that do not use Rails.

Now let us get into the three most important aspects of ROR that programmers must need to be familiar with.

New Query Engine
ROR comes up with an amazing state of the art query engine that provides the users the option of easily retrieving back the data that is needed. It also offers a seamless flexibility to the controller code. These changes show up their efficacy as well as importance in a number of places, though the most important privilege that it offers is evident when it comes to fetching the data in the controller. This ‘find method’ is used in version 2 for retrieving the data and for passing in the arguments to specify various conditions, limits, grouping, and for other query information.

Default Settings
In ROR, a Mailer is actually a class that can have a number of methods. Each of these methods is specifically designed to generally configure as well as send emails. Previously, the user had to set all the required parameters for each of the emails separately in each of these methods. However, in version 3 things are more advanced and defaults can be specified and can optionally be overwritten in each of the methods.

Dependency Management
One of the mainstays of ROR framework is its wide range of gems that available to be used by the developers or programmers. Knowing about these gems will make the task of the developers significantly easier irrespective of the fact whether it is for authentication or for handling various transactions or managing file uploads or anything else. These gems will surely come to the aide while resolving various issues.

In fact, issues can obviously arise. However, a sound knowledge about these gems will enable the developers who are working in various environments will help design as well as develop ROR in a seamless way. Again, when it comes to solving various types of issues along with handling situations, Rail 3 has the bundle gem that helps in managing the discrepancies.

These are only some of the features of the ROR 3 that the developers need to know in order to be able to work on the application in a seamless way. A thorough knowledge about these three aspects will surely help the developers in a great way and that is the reason, knowledge about these three aspects is an absolute ‘must’.

You can hire developers from top ruby on rails development company in India who can help you build Ruby applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide rails development services. If you would like to hire certified rails developers from our team, please get in touch with us.

Scale up your small business with the help of Ruby on Rails (ROR)

For development of software, there are several options available in terms of technologies to be used. However, when selecting the technology to use you have to consider the actions of the application to be developed. In case of small businesses, it becomes all the more necessary to consider all pros and cons before making the selection since they need all the help that they can get to ensure its stability. In most cases, small businesses prefer Ruby on Rails or ROR in short as it is fondly known as. In case of major web applications, the required features as well as functionality for quick development is included in this framework.

The framework ROR helps in building of websites, making the entire process of creation as well as maintenance of sites quite easy and affordable. This web framework is written in Ruby which gives it the name. It consists of a collection of libraries, tools as well as additions to the languages, enabling quick creation of web-based software. Here is a brief background to explain the reasons for its immense popularity.

Development time becomes faster- The main concept during creation of ROR was convention over configuration. In case of most technologies, developers must spend quite some time to make decisions regarding the setting up of an application. In this approach the decisions already come as being made through conventional or sensible defaults which will work well in most applications. This effectively means that a large part of the time can be spent by the developers for working on unique aspects of some problem they need to solve. The focus is not at all on the mundane setting up factors. This leads to quicker launches.

Easy changes- Another concept embraced by Rails is DRY or don’t repeat yourself which insists that your code should not be duplicated. Instead it should be organized in a manner so that the code which is required in various places is written just once and then it is shared elsewhere. The “copy/paste coding” concept is avoided, making code maintenance and changing anything quite easy later on due to leaner code-bases.

Automated testing- Testing is something which the community is quite passionate about. It is a common thing to have complex features which have to be broken up in several different parts. While building each of the components, their smooth functionality is something which has to be ensured without breaking the already working things during the building of new functionality later on. Automated testing allows you this very thing; it writes codes to test the application. A single command is needed to run the test code and all the different cases will be tested quickly to ensure the smooth working of everything.

Modular design- The modular design of Rails is yet another advantage. Commonly major programming languages have libraries to help you add particular functionality to software; ROR is no exception. All kinds of functionality can be added to web applications through the libraries. Some of the most commonly used ones are for adding of features like creation of PDF files, user logout / login functionality, information display on Google Maps, integration with third-party services like text messaging, newsletter, email services, etc.

Building plug and play applications- Building plug and play functionality blocks is literally a piece of cake and is far more easier than any other technology. Effectively, elements from the current custom application can be taken to be used in some other future projects. There is no need to build the whole thing from scratch. The apps become multipurpose as well as expandable.

Multi platform support- Each and every operating system can make use of ROR. The programming language underlying has been ported to several platforms. JRuby enables us to run ROR apps on Java Containers, enabling us deployment of it in several enterprise environments.

The ROR framework is a must-needed one for small enterprises. In fact, it is not only popular amongst small businesses but among big players as well with Twitter, Hulu and Groupon making full use of it. It is great for membership sites, ecommerce, custom database solutions, content management, etc making it a multitasking platform.

You can hire developers from top rails web development companies in India who can help you build Ruby applications within allocated budgets and time schedules.

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