Difference Between Node JS and Ruby on Rails
Node JS is a runtime library and environment which is cross-platform and used for creating running JavaScript applications outside the browser. It is free and open-source and utilized for creating server-side JS applications. Node JS allows developers to execute their code on the server-side. Ruby on Rails (Rails), is a server-side web application framework written in Ruby language. Rails help with the rapid application development approach, assisting the developer with a lot of built-in features so that developers can solely focus on application business logic. An open-source Rails framework is ideal for developing a database-backed web application.
Node JS
- Node JS provides a faster way to write scripts that are scalable and light. Developers can write real-time applications, and at the same time, it provides scope for mobile application development. One can easily utilize Node JS for the front end as well as for back-end development as it allows the use of the same JavaScript.
- Server-side capabilities are provided extensively in Node JS, a developer can listen to and reply to an HTTP request on the computer, listen to the traffic network and at the same time can access the database from a computer directly.
- Node JS uses an event-based model to address scalability, and allow rich JavaScript libraries for JavaScript modules which helps in simplify the coding.
- There are plenty of frameworks based on Node JS such as Express JS, Partial JS, etc. When it comes to building a fast and scalable server-side application, Node JS is a clear-cut winner. Basically, Node JS gives JavaScript the ability to interact with I/O (input/output) devices through its APIs, and connect with other external libraries written in various other languages.
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.
- Rails that emerge in the 2000s greatly impact web development, through lots of innovative features like seamless database table creations, migrations to enable rapid application development. Its influence on other frameworks is pretty apparent.
- Rails also include tools that make common development tasks easier like scaffolding which can automatically construct some of the models and views required for a website. Another tool is WEBrick, which is a Ruby web server that is distributed with Ruby. Together with Rails, these tools provide a basic development environment. Rails have extensive support for JavaScript libraries as well. Initially, it utilizes lightweight SOAP for web services but later replaced by REST web services.
Head To Head Comparison Between Node JS and Ruby on Rails
Below is the top 8 difference between Node JS vs Ruby on Rails
Key Difference Between Node JS and Ruby on Rails
Both Node JS vs Ruby on Rails are popular choices in the market
- Node JS is ideal for developing small size projects whereas Rails is a web application framework, well suited for database-backed web application in MVC pattern, released in 2008.
- NodeJS is written with JavaScript whereas Rails is written in Ruby which is easy to learn, with understanding syntax, released under an MIT license.
- NodeJS is best suited for I/O non-blocking, event-based application whereas Rails is better suited for metaprogramming and database-backed modern web programming.
- NodeJS is derived from event-driven model architecture whereas Rails follows a model-view-controller pattern, the model represents the data that is handled in an Active Record.
- NodeJS provides capabilities to create own web servers which will handle HTTP request asynchronously whereas Rails uses WEBrick, Apache, NGINX, Cherokee.
- NodeJS has a decent size community with lots of projects available with Github whereas Rails has a huge and strong community of developers along with a huge repository of Github.
- Well versed JavaScript programmer can learn NodeJS concept efficiently whereas Rails has a steep learning curve, recommended for seasoned programmers.
- NodeJS has an event-driven model based on the asynchronous call, whereas philosophy for Rails revolves around convention over configuration principle.
- NodeJS is easier to install with some archive files that need to be installed on the system whereas the Rails installation process is longer than NodeJS.
- NodeJS has an interpreter that is used to interpret and execute JavaScript code whereas Rails has a built-in static compilation that uses CoffeeScript by default.
Node JS vs Ruby on Rails Comparison Table
Below is the topmost Comparison
| The Basis Of Comparison | NodeJS | Rails |
| Language | A framework is written in C, C++, JavaScript | Ruby-based framework |
| Application | Fast and scalable server-side application | Database backed web application, meta-programming |
| Usage | Highly useful when a scalable and faster application is required | Best suited for large-scale applications |
| Scope | Developers can utilize it on client and server side | Server-side framework |
| Installation | Need to install archive file on a system | Require a precompiled version of Ruby via RubyInstaller /RailsInstaller |
| Scalability | Highly scalable | Less scalable as compare to NodeJS |
| Performance | Page load is faster across a site | Slower as compare to NodeJS |
| Market | Huge market demand | Not as popular as NodeJS in a current market scenario |
Conclusion
Rails is a very popular framework and loved by many developers across the globe but there are two major advantages to NodeJS. First being that it is based on JavaScript which is known by a majority of developers across the world, and second that it is based on an event-driven architecture that makes it a wonderful fit for mobile applications, chatting applications or any application which uses rest service as a backend.
At the same time, NodeJS can be a little inconsistent, the reason being its APIs keeps on changing at frequent intervals. Any Express application structure is highly flexible and free, which can be a loose side for any application. Rails are very strict, so it’s hard to write bad code, developers that are not used to asynchronous programming have a problem with lots of callbacks in NodeJS, which is purely event-driven model-based.
these have their own set of pros and cons, but both are wonderful technologies. Thus, every aspect regarding the project should be evaluated on a case by case basis rather than believing in one is better than the rest of all situations. It is the developer’s ease of usage and skills, which would pave the way for project development in a timely manner.
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