Can we develop a standalone application using Ruby on rails?

Can we develop a standalone application using Ruby on rails?

Ruby on rails can be used to develop a comprehensive database backed web-application. My requirement is, can we develop a database backed standalone application using Ruby on rails. If so, could you please share your knowledge on it.

What do you mean for 'standalone application'? A desktop application? If you are asking a desktop application the answer is no. Rails is a web framework.

It depends on what you mean by a standalone application. If you are talking about some s/w that runs on a PC (with no separate web server) and that you intend to distribute for general use then I think the answer is probably no. If, however, you want what might be described as a 'hobby' app for your own personal use where you can run the webserver and browser on your own PC then the answer is yes. I do exactly that for running my weather station and displaying data in a browser on the same PC. It has the advantage over a conventional standalone app that I can easily split the control and acquisition off onto a separate machine if I want to, and run just the browser on my display station, or I can even monitor the station across the internet should I feel the need.

Colin

What do you mean for 'standalone application'? A desktop application? If you are asking a desktop application the answer is no. Rails is a web framework.

Although there have been things in the past last joyent slingshot (although that looks to be quite dead)

Fred

Thanks all. i appreciate your help. Let me be clear with my spec. i've plans to develop this app, its kind of information management system for an organisation. i know that it can very well be done using Visual basic and Oracle. But, i just want to know if there is any other technology as robust as ROR. I was particulary impressed with its metaprogramming and scaffolding techniques.

If it is an IMS are you sure that the database is going be local on the PC rather than central? If it is central then a conventional rails app using the browser to access the data may well be appropriate. It can only run when the local machine can connect to the server of course.

Colin

You can develop an information management system with ROR with Oracle or many other DBMSs. The problem of VB is that any PC will need the application installed in a computer, that's way web applications are a normal choice. Scaffolding will help you in understanding how you can create a CRUD with Rails (and to get started) although experienced developers do not use it.

What is awesome of Rails is that it is written in Ruby and its community is really active and there is a lot of innovation going on.

You can develop a standalone application if you mean one that is hosted on the same system that the user interface is on but the user interface will be using a web browser and will be communicating to a web server on that system. It works.