Ruby on Rails - MVC

Ruby on Rails, also called Rails, is a web framework for server-side web applications that is implemented in Ruby. It was developed by David Heinemeier Hansson and launched in 2004. The philosophy is that application development should be easy, and it does so by making a set of guesses as to what every developer will need. It enables the evolution of applications within short periods of time according to conventions (CoC) or the well known principle of Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) to ensure clean source code.

What are the Primary Tasks of Ruby on Rails?

Ruby on Rails is designed to handle several key tasks that are essential for web development:

• Database Interaction: Rails simplifies database handling by allowing developers to work with the database using Ruby objects. This is accomplished through Active Record's’ object-relational mapping (ORM) system.
• Routing: Rails handles the routing of requests and maps URLs to specific code that handles the response. This is managed by the Action Controller, which is responsible for responding to user requests and rendering views.
• View Rendering: Rails facilitates the creation of dynamic views that can be easily modified and customized. Views in Rails are written in Embedded Ruby (ERB), which allows mixing of Ruby code with HTML.
• Handling HTTP Requests: Rails processes HTTP requests and responses, making it easier to develop RESTful applications.
• Security: Rails comes with built-in security features like protection against SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

Ruby on Rails MVC Framework

Rails implements the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture, which divides applications into three parts: Model, View, and Controller, organizing the application in a natural way. Use of MVC pattern is crucial if at all one is to come up with quality web applications that can easily be maintained.

Model

The Model corresponds to the data of the application.In Rails, models are Ruby classes that represent the data and contain the business logic of the application. In Rails, the Active Record library provides the model the capability to interact with the database and to fetch or store data.

The View

The View is responsible for displaying the data provided by the Model in a format suitable for the user. It translates the data that the model present or generate into a format that the users can comprehend. Pages are normally HTML pages that contain Ruby code written in the Embedded Ruby (ERB).

Controller

The Controller processes user inputs, interacts with the Model to update or retrieve data, and renders the appropriate View to display the results. It works between the model and the view and handles user’s request, retrieves information from the model and displays the correct view.

Pictorial Representation of MVC Framework

Here’s a pictorial representation of the MVC framework in Ruby on Rails:

Directory Representation of MVC Framework

The directory structure in a Rails application is in support of the MVC pattern. Below is a brief overview of the key directories:

• app/models/: Stores the model file that gives the representation of data and its interconnection.
• app/controllers/: This folder contains the controller files that facilitates the handling of the requests that come into the site and the processing of such requests accordingly.
• app/views/: This folder consists of the view files and it contains files that for forming the user interface of the site.

Example Directory Structure:

In this structure:

• user.rb and post.rb are model files that define data related to users and posts.
• users_controller.rb and posts_controller.rb are controller files that manage the logic for users and posts.
• index.html.erb and show.html.erb are view files that render the interface for users and posts.

Related Posts:

• Features of Ruby on Rails
• Ruby on Rails - Scaffolding
• MVC Framework Introduction
• How to create model in Ruby on Rails?
• How to Install Ruby on Rails on Windows and Linux?
• Ruby on Rails Filters
• 50+ Ruby on Rails Interview Questions and Answers (2024)

Conclusion

Ruby on Rails is a full stack web framework that has been designed with the MVC framework pattern and is very friendly to developers to enable them to come up with elegant and maintainable applications. Being based on best practices it is full of in-built tools and libraries to make coding easy for both newbies and advanced coders. It can be used for a simple application or for complex application, with Rails you have everything that you need to ensure that your ideas work effectively.