Difference between JavaScript vs Ruby
JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language that allows you to create dynamic HTML pages with interactive effects within a webpage. JavaScript allows you to process and maintain data within the browser. It runs on web-browser only and it is an interpreted programming language. Ruby is an open-source programming language, object-oriented language with a focus on simplicity, portability, extensibility, and productivity. As it is open-source, we can free to modify, edit according to our needs and use.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript was available in the browser until Google chrome released its JavaScript engine as “node.js”. We are able to use JavaScript across full-stack development with help of node.js which helps frontend developers to handle backend logic and application programming interface without learning a new programming language. JavaScript was created by Brendan Eich at Netscape which came into existence in 1995.
What is Ruby?
It was developed mostly on Linux and works across all platforms like UNIX, Windows, DOS, and Mac OS, etc. Due to its simple syntax, it makes it easy to read and write if we are familiar with other programming languages like python. Ruby was created by Yukihiro Matsumoto and first released in 1995. Ruby is similar to Smalltalk and Perl as it is object-oriented like Smalltalk and convenient as Perl which makes it programs to easier to maintain.
Head to Head Comparisons Between JavaScript and Ruby (Infographics)
Below are the top 7 comparisons between JavaScript and Ruby:
Key Differences between JavaScript and Ruby
Some key differences are explained below between JavaScript and Ruby:
- JavaScript and Ruby are object-oriented, dynamic and general purpose scripting language which is interpreted rather than compile during runtime.
- JavaScript can be used as front-end and back-end language using the same language whereas Ruby is used as a back-end programming language.
- JavaScript is more scalable than Ruby as it is 20 times faster than Ruby in some cases.
- Ruby is better for high CPU intensive application development which involves graphics, image processing etc. whereas Node.JS is not suitable for high CPU application development.
- JavaScript can be integrated with many applications such as Auth0, Parcel, Yarn, Buttercup, cell and Apache Open whisk etc. Whereas Ruby can be integrated with many applications such as Rails, Bitrise, Auth0, Sinatra, Pow, Lita, Carrier Wave etc.
- JavaScript is used by many companies some of them are Instagram, eBay, Codecademy, Firebase, Groove shark, Square, sentry etc. Whereas Ruby is used by many companies some of them are Intuit, Rap Genius, Instacart, Task Rabbit, Fab, Scribd etc.
- JavaScript has no ability to monitor memory utilization whereas Ruby has the ability.
- JavaScript applications are easy to develop whereas for Ruby application development good programmers are required with high pay.
- Ruby has support through the online community which is most active among open source frameworks whereas JavaScript also has documentation but lack of documentation for few modules in npm.
- Ruby applications are difficult to debug as it has multiple layers of abstraction due to which it will take more time to fix errors whereas JavaScript applications are easy to debug compared to Ruby.
- JavaScript can be used for Full stack development due to its node.JS framework whereas Ruby can’t be used as a Full Stack.
- JavaScript has disadvantages such as not efficient for CPU intensive tasks, inconsistent, can’t able to monitor memory utilization whereas Ruby has disadvantages such as Performance, Memory hog, code readability.
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JavaScript and Ruby Comparison Table
Following is the comparison table between JavaScript and Ruby
| Basis of comparison | JavaScript | Ruby |
| OOPS | JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language, dynamic languages which are interpreted rather than compile during runtime. We can create elements called objects and manipulate objects data by programmers. | Ruby is an object-oriented, dynamic, general scripting language which is interpreted rather than compile during runtime which will support the creation of objects and user can modify multiple data at a time using objects by programmers. |
| Syntactic Difference | In JavaScript, variable declaration and assignment is a little bit longer compared to Ruby as follows var var_name= value and Hashes are defined as objects and access its value as hash_name.key->value |
In Ruby, variable declaration and assignment are easy compared to JavaScript as follows: var_name=value and Hashes are defined as hash_name={key:value,key1:value1} and access key’s value as hash_name[:key]->value |
| Programming Language | JavaScript is a front-end programming language, mainly used for client-side application, server-side, browser level interaction and changes. | Ruby is a back-end programming language by which we can generate JavaScript and HTML pages which run on server side and can interact with the database. |
| Learning Curve | JavaScript has extensive documentation, online sources, online forums and communities by which one can learn easily as we can see its execution in the browser immediately. If we want to make websites or web applications we can learn JavaScript. | Ruby also has various resources for learning from online sources, online forums and communities by which we can learn by self. Mostly used by top websites, applications. |
| Performance | JavaScript is more than 20 times faster than Ruby in certain cases due to its highly optimized engine. | Ruby is very slow in the performance which is a bottleneck for it. Sometimes debugging Ruby application is time consuming and difficult process due to its abstract nature. |
| Scalability | JavaScript is more scalable than Ruby due to Node.JS as it provides better performance with less number of servers. | Ruby is not scalable as JavaScript and so many companies migrated from Ruby to JavaScript due to scalability such as the New York Times, LinkedIn, Uber, PayPal etc. |
| When to Use | JavaScript can be used if your application needs to develop in less time, performance and scalability. | Ruby can be used if we develop applications which are CPU heavy applications, Rapid application development with few lines of code. |
Conclusion
Finally, it’s an overview of the comparison between JavaScript vs Ruby. I hope you will have a good understanding of both JavaScript and Ruby languages. It is good to learn both JavaScript and Ruby as both have their own advantages and disadvantages. We can choose JavaScript and Ruby based on project requirement. In my view, JavaScript has more useful than Ruby by considering its features such as scalability, performance, front-end, back-end, flexible file structure even though ruby also has advantages like database migration, quick to develop, a great community which is most active, simplicity, meta-programming and we can write powerful one-liners. So If we want to develop applications which need to scalable, high performance than consider JavaScript whereas for CPU intensive application, rapid application development we can use Ruby.
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