We are
Ruby-Experts

Ruby on Rails, often referred to as Rails, is an open-source framework written in the programming language Ruby. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural principle and enables developers to create web applications quickly and efficiently by abstracting and automating common tasks such as database interactions, web service integration and application logic.

Ruby on Rails was first published in 2004 by David Heinemeier Hansson. An important component of Rails are the Gems: plugins written in Ruby that can be used by developers to extend the functionality of their applications.

An open source framework is a framework where the source code is openly available. This means that it is not distributed by a commercial provider. Instead, it is further developed by a community of developers on a voluntary basis. On the one hand, these are employees at large companies who use the respective framework and therefore have an interest in continuous development, and on the other hand, private individuals who contribute out of passion. First and foremost, this means that the framework can be used free of charge without license fees. At the same time, there is also no risk of a technology being taken off the market and having to look for another solution. 

Working with Rails offers many advantages. Rails enables rapid development thanks to a large number of integrated tools and libraries. The "convention over configuration" principle relieves developers of a lot of work and makes the code clearer. A large and active community provides numerous gems and resources. Rails applications are easily scalable to meet growing requirements. Rails also promotes test-driven development (TDD), which leads to more robust and reliable applications. The clear and concise code in Ruby and Rails facilitates the maintenance and further development of projects. Finally, Rails offers many built-in security features that help to avoid common security vulnerabilities.

We at makandra attach great importance to test-driven development and maintainable code and have therefore relied on Ruby on Rails since the company was founded. Since all employees work with Rails on a daily basis, they are experts in this field. Our employees are never confronted with an unfamiliar programming language in projects. If a team member is absent due to vacation or illness, the customer will not notice, as someone from the team can easily step in. The uniform use of the same programming language and the same framework also promotes knowledge transfer.

The maturity level of a web framework can often be determined by how long it has been in use. If a framework such as Ruby on Rails has been used extensively and by a strong community for more than 20 years, many challenges have usually already been solved with it. Rails therefore offers a stable and high-quality solution. Many new and supposedly innovative web frameworks have not yet reached this level of maturity and therefore pose a greater risk in terms of susceptibility to errors and longevity. 

Ruby on Rails is behind some well-known web applications. Among others, GitHub, Airbnb, Shopify, Basecamp, Hulu or Twitch are developed with Ruby on Rails.

Tests play a central role in Ruby on Rails, as the framework relies heavily on test-driven development (TDD). Tests help to ensure the functionality and reliability of applications, detect and correct errors at an early stage and keep the code maintainable and expandable in the long term. Rails offers integrated tools and libraries such as RSpec and Minitest, which facilitate and promote the writing and execution of tests.