Just came upon (via David) this article: “Evaluation: moving from Java to Ruby on Rails for the CenterNet rewrite”. Very interesting read, carefully detailing all the pros (many) and cons (few) of moving a web application development project from Java to Ruby.
Now, if only the books on Ruby and Rails I ordered would finally arrive, I could seriously dedicate some of my copious free time to the rewrite of a certain project.
I find it strange how people always evaluate the worst possible Java scenario with the best possible RoR scenario. What framework is he using in Java? Most of his points are completely moot with several modern Java frameworks.
Too much interesting! My only big doubts are about scalability and about convincing the customers to adopt it as solutions instead of the “classic” Java solution
bye, Lvc@
Luca, I don’t have big doubts about scalability. What you say about customers might be true, but in the case of the project I was referring to, I am the “customer”.
Scalability? Yeah, important to consider, but consider also how many sites get by just fine on stuff like PHP. How many sites are really going to be the next amazon.com?
Selling to customers? If the productivity numbers are true, basically you are going to say “look, I can do this either way, and as the client, you’re the boss, but this way is going to take longer and cost more.” Well, you are going to have to put it more flowery words, but… that’s the gist of things.
Seems to be more of a sales pitch from an evangelist than an unbiased and objective comparison.
A true open source language and framework provides an ultimate escape from both vendor lock-in and unpatched software defects: simply read the code and change things yourself.
Like if you did not have an application to code first.
My customers will be so glad if I deliver them a Ruby app. that only a handful of people around will be able to maintain and extend.
Isn’t it IT lock-in vs vendor lock-in ?
Yes,
but sometimes you cannot start from database to model your domain…
Let’s watch the Java world in the next months… I’m sure that RoR has open a new way to make thinghs more easly. I’m sure that Java framework will move in this direction