If you are starting as a developer, knowing various programming languages is always a plus. Ruby is one such programming language you should learn. But what exactly is Ruby? Ruby is a dynamic, open-source programming language known for its simplicity, elegance, and productivity-enhancing features. The Ruby programming language was developed by Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto in Japan in 1995. Its syntax is intuitive and easy to understand.
Object-oriented, it allows easy data manipulation and offers robust built-in functionality. It is popular among web developers for building everything from simple scripts to complex web applications. Ruby on Rails is one of its most popular frameworks for building web applications. Here is a blog that explains what Ruby is.
What is Ruby
Ruby is an object-oriented, dynamic, open-source, and reflective programming language. The Ruby programming language is similar to Perl and Smalltalk. It runs on all types of platforms, such as Windows, Mac OS, and UNIX.
The language is fully object-oriented. Ruby treats everything as an object. Every code has its properties and actions. Variables are properties, and methods are actions. Ruby follows the principle of POLA (principle of least astonishment). For experienced users, it means that the language behaves in a way that minimizes confusion.
There are many benefits to Ruby
It is not difficult to come across mentions of Ruby on Rails or the Ruby programming language when researching computing programming. What exactly is it? The Ruby language is a careful balance between functional and imperative programming, according to the official Ruby project website. It was designed to be intuitive and natural, but not too simple. Ruby is considered to be a “beautiful, artful language” by its fans.
Ruby is a scripting language designed for front- and back-end web development, as well as similar applications. A robust, dynamically typed, object-oriented language with a high-level syntax, it’s almost like programming in English. Some people feel that they can practically comprehend Ruby code before learning how to program.
One of the most popular web development frameworks in any language is Ruby on Rails. Ruby is probably best known for its use in web development, but there are many other uses for it as well. These include automation, command-line tools, static site generation, DevOps, web scraping, and data processing.
Most importantly, Ruby is highly portable and versatile. You can use it on Windows, macOS, Linux, and even UNIX and DOS. If you want to program, there’s a good chance you can do it in Ruby.
Features of Ruby
- There is no fee to use Ruby on the Web, but it is subject to a license.
- The Ruby programming language is an interpreted, general-purpose language.
- The Ruby programming language is a true object-oriented language.
- The Ruby programming language is similar to both Python and Perl in that it is used on the server side.
- A Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script can be written in Ruby.
- HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) can embed Ruby code.
- A new developer can learn Ruby very quickly and easily because of its clean and easy syntax.
- The syntax of Ruby is similar to that of many other programming languages, such as C++ and Perl.
- The Ruby programming language is very scalable, and large programs written in Ruby are very easy to maintain.
- Ruby can be used for developing Internet and intranet applications.
What is Ruby used for?
Ruby developers love the language and have found many uses for it. Here are some examples of where Ruby is used.
Development of a website
Ruby on Rails is one of Ruby’s claims to fame for its web development framework. The first version of Ruby on Rails was released in 2005, and it revolutionized web development. In the past, developers had to spend a lot of time writing code to create a web application before frameworks like Ruby on Rails.
Ruby on Rails provides web developers with everything they need to build a web application.
Rails uses conventions to define the structure of Rails apps, so developers don’t have to spend time configuring them. Code generators generate parts of your application with a simple command, so developers write fewer lines of code.
The rapid development capabilities of Ruby on Rails also made it a popular choice for startups, since a small team of developers could build large applications quickly. Many sites are using Ruby on Rails that you may have heard of, such as Github, Shopify, Kickstarter, Twitch, Instacart, Zendesk, SoundCloud, Ask.fm, Hulu, and Square.
Automation and Testing
The readability and simplicity of Ruby make it a popular choice for automation scripts and testing. Capybara and RSpec are powerful frameworks for automating browser actions and conducting behavior-driven testing.
Web servers
Ruby can also be used to build web servers. Ruby web servers include Passenger, Unicorn, and Puma. Their job is to process raw HTTP requests, forward them to the appropriate backend web applications, and then handle the HTTP response they receive from those applications. Web development frameworks written in Ruby work hand-in-hand with Ruby web application servers.
Generation of Static site
A typical web page uses server-side code to generate HTML content that is served to your browser. There is no HTML file behind the URL you visit.
It is usually not the fastest way to serve web files to clients using HTML generation. A Ruby-based static website generator like Jekyll, one of the most popular static site generators, is more effective.
A static website generator generates all the web pages at once by using code. When you visit the site, you get a static HTML file containing those pages. This makes websites more efficient, secure, and easy to deploy. A static website generator is ideal for websites whose content doesn’t change that often.
What is the best way to get started with Ruby?
Here are some steps you can follow if you’re a Ruby beginner:
- Install Ruby: You must first install Ruby on your computer. From the official Ruby website (ruby-lang.org), you can download and install the latest version of Ruby. Multiple Ruby versions can also be managed using package managers, such as rbenv and rvm.
- Choose an Editor: Next, choose an editor or integrated development environment (IDE) for writing Ruby code. Popular choices include Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and RubyMine. With these editors, you can highlight syntax, complete code, and use other features to enhance your coding experience.
- Learn the Basics: It is a good idea to begin by learning the basics of Ruby, such as variables, data types, and control flow. Learn the fundamentals of the language using online resources such as tutorials, books, and interactive coding platforms.
- Practice and Explore: Practice writing code and work on small projects once you have a grasp of the basics. As a result, you will gain hands-on experience and reinforce your understanding of Ruby concepts.
Final Thoughts
It is an open-source programming language that has made tremendous strides in coding over the past three decades. Programmers still prefer Ruby because of its high-level syntax and straightforward nature. Ruby allows you to create your first cloud application in just a few hours, unlike many low-level languages that require hundreds of lines of code.
You now understand what Ruby is and how versatile and useful it is for your web development career. Ruby is a shining gem among the giants of modern programming languages. With its applications ranging far and wide, a simple scripting language that originated almost three decades ago is still going strong and stronger than ever.
