Differences Between Django vs Ruby On Rails
Django is an open-source web framework written in Python. It is maintained by Django Software Foundation (DFS), an independent non-profit organization. Django assists in creating and maintaining web applications, eliminate repetitive tasks making the development process easy and save a lot of time. Ruby on Rails (Rails), is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby language. Rails help with rapid application development approach, assisting the developer with a lot of built-in features so that developer can solely focus on application business logic. An open-source Rails framework is ideal for developing a database-backed web application.
Django
- The primary goal of Django is to ease the development process of complex, database-driven applications. All hassles of web development are taken care of by Django, so the developer can focus on writing application business logic. It focuses on DRY (Don’t repeat yourself) principle, enhances the reusability of components by writing less code with low coupling. Hence promote rapid application development. Python is utilized thoroughly and being used to write the Django framework. Installing Python is one of the pre-requisite to get Django up and running on a system.
- Django is created by keeping multiple design philosophies in mind. Every component of the stack is aimed toward making it independent and thus loosely coupled. The developer has to write less code thus promoting rapid application development. The development once done should not repeat itself, can be reused effectively at several junctions of application creation. Thus, Django promotes best development practices by maintaining a clean design throughout its own code and hence a hyper-fast development.
- Django is equipped with several benefits that follow the MVT (Model-View-Template) pattern. A key feature is that Django takes care of the controller part, leaving the developer with the template. The template is an HTML file mixed with Django Template Language (DTL). Django has excellent support for ORM (Object-relational mapping), provides a link between the data model and data engine and supports the large set of databases. Other benefits include multilingual support via its built-in internationalization system. Django has support for Ajax, RSS and caching.
Ruby On Rails
- Rails is an MVC (Model-View-Controller) based framework, providing structures for a database, web pages, and web services. Web standards such as JSON and XML for data transfer purposes are facilitated by Rails. There are certain other paradigms that are well promoted and supported by Rails such as CoC (Convention over Configuration), DRY (Don’t repeat yourself) and the active record pattern.
- Rails are packed with several features that make the developer more productive, like metaprogramming. Another framework utilizes extensive code generation from scratch but Rails uses Metaprogramming techniques. Rails also use code generation but depend on metaprogramming for heavy tasks. An active record would save an object into the database. Rails also do not require much of the configuration, prefer the conventional approach.
Head to Head Comparison Between Django and Ruby On Rails (Infographics)
Below is the top 8 comparison Between Django and Ruby On Rails:
Key Differences Between Django and Ruby On Rails
Below is the Some list of points that explained the key differences between Ruby On Rails and Django:
- Django is open source MVT based framework, released in 2005 whereas Rails is a web application framework, well suited for database-backed web application in MVC pattern, release in 2008.
- Django is written in Python, released under a BSD license whereas Rails is written in Ruby which is easy to learn, with understanding syntax, released under an MIT license.
- Django is a better choice for scientific programming, system administration, data manipulation whereas Rails is better suited for metaprogramming and database backed modern web programming.
- Django follows a model-view-template pattern, a model being a relational database which describes data-structure whereas Rails follows a model-view-controller pattern, the model represents the data which is handled in an Active Record.
- Common web servers used for Django are Apache, NGINX, Cherokee and Gunicorn whereas Rails uses WEBrick, Apache, NGINX, Cherokee.
- Django has a small community but has a bigger repository of Github whereas Rails has a huge and strong community of developers along with a huge repository of Github.
- Python is easiest to learn to make the learning curve for Django small, with plenty of online resources available whereas Rails has a steep learning curve, recommended for seasoned programmers.
- Django has a design philosophy which revolves around Explicit is better than implicit, whereas philosophy for Rails revolves around convention over configuration principle.
- Django is easier to install, will take a small amount of time whereas Rails installation process is longer than Django.
- Django serves static files as they are, third-party applications add compilation and compression capabilities whereas Rails has a built-in static compilation that uses CoffeeScript by default.
Django and Ruby On Rails Comparison Table
In this section, we shall do a comparison of Django and Ruby On Rails features.
| Basis Of Comparison Between Django vs Ruby On Rails | Django | Ruby On Rails |
| Language | Python-based framework | Ruby-based framework |
| Application | Instagram, bitbucket, Pinterest | Basecamp, GitHub, Fiverr, Airbnb |
| Usage | Complex database-driven websites | Database backed web application, meta-programming |
| Principle | Explicit is better than implicit | Convention over configuration |
| Architecture | Follows a model-view-template pattern | Follows a model-view-controller pattern |
| Web Server | Apache, NGINX using WSGI, Gunicorn | WEBrick, Apache, NGINX, Cherokee |
| Installation | Quicker to install, even less than a minute | Installation process is a bit longer as compare to Django |
| Learning | Curve is small due to the better readability of code | Curve is steep as lots of independent concepts to master |
Conclusion
Both of them are excellent frameworks for web development. They provide healthy support for clean code and help reduce time spent on common activities. Design principles at the core of both Django vs Ruby On Rails frameworks make them an ideal choice for rapid application development. Anyone familiar with the Python language tends to choose Django framework and same holds true for a Ruby person.
The decision for choosing the framework comes down to which language developer prefer or which principle needs to follow: convention over configuration or explicit is better than implicit. With CoC, one gets automatic imports, controller variables are passed to the view automatically and writing test becomes a breeze. With explicit is better than implicit, it is always known what the code is doing, even for those who are not familiar with it.
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There are plenty of people out there who loves Python’s explicitness and Rails magic equally. Both Ruby On Rails vs Django provide benefits stemming out of their core principles, assisting the developer to focus on business logic. Project requirements, the developer’s skill and efficiency within the chosen language are some of the key factors which would decide the framework. Anyone prefer to get the biggest details out of the way first, should go with Django. But when it comes to quick launch and worry about the details later, then Rails would do better. Automation and shortcut feature in Rails would assist to implement a complex feature.
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