Need advice - one large application or many small ones?

rubyonrails-talk
1

I have about 20 relatively small applications running on the server. They mostly access the same database tables. Is it more efficient to combine them into a single application with lots of controllers or to keep them as separate applications.

ruby 1.9.2 rails 3.0.1 capistrano 2.9.0 passenger 3.0.4 apache 2.2.12

2

it depends a lot,. We can’t speak our mind if you don’t give us some key information. :slight_smile:

3

What additional information do you need? What are the tradeoffs?

4

just for me to get it… why did you separeted in mini apps in the first place? What motivaded you? What were the reasons that led you to do that?

5

It was easier to develop each app independent of the others. When I found that I was duplicating code in models, I created a gem that contains the common methods. I'm now wondering if it would be better to have a single large app. For one thing, it would make navigating between the apps easier.

6

It was easier to develop each app independent of the others. When I found that I was duplicating code in models, I created a gem that contains the common methods. I'm now wondering if it would be better to have a single large app. For one thing, it would make navigating between the apps easier.

It sounds like you have answered your own question.

Colin

7

If you are finding yourself having to switch between some of the applications just to get a simple task done then those applications, at least, would do well to be merged.

But beware at the other end we have some applications that have evolved over time to the extent that we are looking to break them apart as the application has become more like a swiss army knife. An anti pattern where lots of unrelated utilities become combined into a single package for no better reason than 'thats how its always been'

Best to examine your work flow, if you use a few of the applications together to do something (particularly if the applications have no real utility outside being used together) then you have a candidate for merging. Just avoid merging things just to cut down the number of applications.