WebApp Consulting » Technology

Ruby on Rails helps Java to build momentum again

ignat — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:36:31 +0000

As you probably know Java is not the best choice for small web applications. It has issues with deployment and hosting requirements. We can say that Java has lost its positions to PHP, Ruby, Python, and even .NET in this area. However Java remains the best solution for big enterprise projects.

Today I was watching RailsConf 2007 keynote and Sun clearly explained why it loves Ruby and Rails. Very simple, if you need scalability, power, integration with existing enterprise systems then you can build your application in jRuby on Rails and get access to J2EE. And if your project is small you can write it in Ruby on Rails and get easiness of deployment and simple hosting requirements. In both cases you use Rails. Both Java and Rails win!

So what technology are you going to use for your next project?

RailsConf 2007 is hot

ignat — Sun, 13 May 2007 18:09:23 +0000

On May 17-20 RailsConf 2007 conference will be held in Portland. I was shocked that all 1200 seats were sold out yet in February! Ruby on Rails gets enormously popular despite its young age. Interestingly that Sun Micrsosystems, the company behind Java server-side technologies is a Diamond sponsor of the conference. And I must say that many Java developers have much sympathy for the Rails. JRuby development and other Ruby implementations in Java are good proofs of that. I hope that Ruby ease and speed of development, its growth of popularity and innovative ideas will meet Java maturity to a joy of all web application developers and their customers.

Google acquires JotSpot

ignat — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:09:55 +0000

Google has acquired JotSpot, a privately held company pioneering do-it-yourself web application publishing. Such web applications where everyone can create, update, and uppend pages with new information without knowing HTML are called WIKIs. While you can find many free WIKIs in the Internet, JotSpot could offer very nice features that gone beyond traditional WIKI featureset. Apparently Google was working in the same direction with its Google Page Creator and Google Docs & Spreadsheets projects, so the acqusition was natural. The details of the new services that Google is going to offer are still unknown, but JotSpot says that paying customers will not be charged any more, while new customers cannot register yet.

Looking for ways to create web sites quickly or to boost projects collaboration business people start to pay attention to WIKIs. As Business Week explains WIKIs sometimes are more efficient than common collaboration tools such as e-mail.

Live reporting with Blogger.com

ignat — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 07:47:56 +0000

Using free blogger account, chess grand master Susan Polgar was reporting on World Chess Championship 2006, brining her notes and comments on the event LIVE! Ironically official servers couldn’t keep up with the overload when chess fans rushed for the coverage and Susan Polgar was the first to post player’s moves with comments as they happen, attracting thousands of people to her blog.

Internet Explorer on Linux

ignat — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 05:40:16 +0000

Those who want to test web site designs in different browsers and whose main work place runs Linux now can easily install Internet Explorer and Flash Player 9 using Wine, thanks to the IEs4Linux project.

I have installed it and found it quite useful. I use Internet Explorer mainly to check how styles designed for Firefox look there, to browse Flash 9 sites (Linux has only version 7 of the Flash Player), or those built for IE only. There is one issue though, Favorites don’t work, because of the way how IE bookmarks function in Windows (they are just link files with association).

Ruby on Rails is getting popular

ignat — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:46:45 +0000

With a number of hosting companies adding Ruby on Rails to their list of supported technologies, Ruby is getting wildly popular for small and medium size projects. Easiness of deployment, low resource consumption, friendliness to shared environments, compatibility with agile methods of development makes Ruby on Rails an interesting alternative to other web technologies.

That has not happened to Java. Being the most popular technology for large size, enterprise applications, Java couldn’t make its way to the masses. Java hosting is still quite expensive, troublesome in shared environments, harder to administrate. While PHP remains the most popular technology among web application developers, especially for small projects.