Ruby on Rails is an open source web development framework that is written using the Ruby programming language. Ruby is an object oriented programming language similar to the Perl and Python programming languages. Ruby on Rails provides a framework enables applications to be developed in a faster and simpler manner. Applications developed using the Ruby on Rails framework can run on almost any web server that implements CGI or FastCGI. MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle etc are some of the databases support by Ruby on Rails. Some of the main features include the following:

MVC architecture:

Ruby on Rails is based on the MVC (Model View Controller) architecture that enables the data to be separated from presentation.

Database Access Library:

Ruby on Rails includes a database access library - Active Record ? that simplifies data handling in databases. Active Record automatically maps tables to classes and rows to objects.

Libraries for common tasks:

Ruby on Rails includes a host of libraries that simplify the coding of common programming tasks such as form validations, sessions management, etc.


AJAX Library:

An extensive library of AJAX functions is provided in the Rails framework. Ruby code can be used to generate AJAX code. The associated java scripting required for AJX gets generated automatically.

Convention over configuration:

Ruby on Rails does not have any XML configuration files. It includes simple programming conventions that can be used to specify the configuration parameters.

Customized URL:

Custom or Search Engine Friendly URLs can be developed using the Ruby on Rails framework.

Debugging:

Detailed error logs are provided, making it easier to debug applications.

Components:

Components can be used to store reusable code. Components can be included to modularize templates.