I have been waiting for a tipping point to start using Ruby applications instead of PHP applications. My criteria include the availability of Ruby and RoR web hosts and Ruby equivalent applications readily available for PHP. I keep finding PHP applications to fill my needs but not Ruby applications or hosts offering Ruby support. For example, I use content management systems which are predominately written in PHP (Moodle, Drupal, CiviCRM, etc.). Unless you are developing applications from scratch, PHP seems to be the better choice for power users. Will I be waiting another 5 years before I see parity, or a tipping point?
johnw wrote:
I have been waiting for a tipping point to start using Ruby applications instead of PHP applications. My criteria include the availability of Ruby and RoR web hosts and Ruby equivalent applications readily available for PHP. I keep finding PHP applications to fill my needs but not Ruby applications or hosts offering Ruby support. For example, I use content management systems which are predominately written in PHP (Moodle, Drupal, CiviCRM, etc.). Unless you are developing applications from scratch, PHP seems to be the better choice for power users. Will I be waiting another 5 years before I see parity, or a tipping point?
I can't answer about the web hosts, but I know they are out there...
Rails uses both Test Driven Development and a built-in system for downloading light plugins.
Each plugin provides a technique or feature, not an entire module.
So TDD and the plugin system tip the balance of "Build or Buy". They making building - from ready components - easier and safer than buying, and getting stuck with someone else's design and limitations.
I suspect that PHP has grown into the Buy space, where you download and buy-into free modules that do complete things.
That is the tipping point, and it has long since passed.
New question: As Rails matures, will some plugins will grow until they are complete modules and applications? Will we be able to re-download and re-generate them, to smoothly upgrade your integrated application? Or do any Rails plugins do this now?
Thanks for the feedback. Typically, I need a framework that gets me started for a new application. For example, if I wanted to install a Learning Content Management System (LCMS) like Moodle, I would need an equivalent Ruby framework to bootstrap the process. If I switch from Moodle to a Ruby substitute, I leave behind a large community of developers who are working like bees to make it better.
Yes, there are web hosts that support Ruby, but there is usually a 100 to 300% premium for feature equivalence.
From a variety and business stand point, there are a lot of parity
issues that tip in favor of PHP. I see the many technical benefits of using Ruby and RoR, which is what keeps me interested. I am looking for others in my situation who made the plunge and what tipped the balance for them.
John
Phlip wrote:
Finding a reasonably priced Rails host is easy enough. Dreamhost, Bluehost, Planet Argon, Textdrive, the list goes on. You’ll pay a premium if you want dedicated hosting, but that’s really not that expensive if you have an app that’s making you money. RailsMachine and EngineYard may seem expensive now but once you’'re making money, it’s not a bad deal.
If your business depends on setting up clients with products like LCMS, etc, then you should sell on the PRODUCT, not on the framework in which it runs. I have nothing but love for technoweenie’s Mephisto software… it’s awesome… but I still install Wordpress for my clients if they want a blog.
If you have to develop a customized solution then you should definitely investigate Rails. It’s often faster to write it from scratch if it’s customized.
