Convention over Configuration in Rails Code Standards

As Rails has evolved from a basic web development framework to an extensible, flexible software platform, it has remained true to its principle of “convention over configuration”.  This principle means that developers can focus on innovative solutions rather than setting up basics of the application which are handled by standard tasks.

One common application of this principle is that database tables are named logically after class names, while the basic configuration and libraries in Rails are standardized. For these reasons, rapid deployment of Rails applications are much easier, allowing users to implement innovative solutions within their apps to make the user experience better.

Deploying a rapid Rails stack means developers can work with an effective framework complete with a database, MVC structure and web server in less time. Having a standardized configuration means updates, cooperation and extensions of a software platform. While you can customize each instance of Rails based upon your needs, the common conventions mean bringing on additional developers and modules is much easier. To get a sense of how these principles apply in practice we look at two major aspects of Rails applications, databases and libraries.

Ruby on Rails Community Libraries

Libraries for Rails are known as Ruby Gems, which allow you to install common instances of major features in just a few command lines. Using a standard API, the feature is integrated in the common Rails stack, which means that common user contributed features is easier to access. To date there have been nearly 5 million Gem downloads from over 4,000 unique modules developed entirely by an open source community. You can find a wide variety of modules in the library, ranging from common components of Rails to specialized features.

Each Gem application has a name (rake) and version (number) and can be installed from the command line through an open API.  Designed for a standardized way to download, apply and publish new features for Ruby on Rails, Ruby Gems standardizes management and installation of new options within Rails. You can easily search for, update and contribute to the features for rails in a web interface so the global Rails community is working toward a common standard library. As a result, dependencies between different libraries are consolidated through the API, so each library works with the latest version of another library.

Ruby on Rails Database Structures and Conventions

You can use nearly any major database structure with Rails, including mySQL and OpenDB structure for your application. Since Rails is standards independent, you can integrate an existing database or customize how your Model interacts with data. In fact, most popular database software packages have custom modules designed for Rails so you can easily integrate the very latest standards and technology. For mySQL there is a common mySQL-Ruby packager which makes it easier to utilize the database within your installation. Using the common roots within C, the database command lines follow a standardized structure so you can easily query your database no matter what conventions you prefer, including commercial and open source standards.