subject: Flexible Rails: The Best Technology Amalgamation For Interactive Ria Development [print this page] With the inception of Web 2.0, rich Internet application development came into limelight. Earlier, users simply consumed web pages on the internet gaining information from the page. In short, users could not perform any activity on the web page. The only option they had was to click and view text and a few images that conveyed the message to the user. However, Web 2.0 showed way to introduce interactivity in web applications. It was then, that the need for users engagement with the web applications was realized; and Rich Internet Application Development became a widely followed practice. From large enterprises to individual businesses, today each application relies on RIA development to add synergy and charm to their applications.
Rich internet applications are used to combine the maturity, stability and scalability to the web based platform. It enhances the presentation layer of the web application. It helps to build beautiful aesthetics and feel for applications. Today, RIAs are implemented in every business. They provide flexible and more productive applications that are vivid and desire visitor participation. RIA Development enlivens our website.
RIA typically makes use of the attractive technologies and frameworks such as Cappuccino, Silverlight, .Net Framework, Rich Ajax platform, Curlz, etc. Among all, Adobe Flex is the most popular RIA development technology as it allows creating rich user experience by combining the best features of many different platforms including Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), Flex SDK and Add-on Components, Adobe Flash Player Runtime, Flex Builder and Server Side Integration Service. One of the other reasons Adobe Flex became so famous is its versatility. Often, people tend to be confused among Adobe Flash and Flex technology. It is imperative to understand that Flex development takes place over a Flash platform. Flex development is a simple integration of a variety of components that encourages better presentation of business information through embedding graphics, multimedia and animated objects. Flex has a capability of doing extraordinary things. It allows building interfaces for a variety of users and creates interactive applications right from the scratch, quickly.
The popularity of Flex with Rails
The present day popular RIA development tools comprise of Flex and Ruby on Rails. The combination of these technologies is profoundly known as Flexible Rails. The combination became popular as Flex is the most effective way of building UI for web applications while Rails is the most productive way of rapidly building a database-backed sophisticated application. Thus, together they can build the next generation RIAs.
Ruby on Rails, just like Flex, is an elegant and simple framework. Rails use code generation and meta-programming. This makes it easy to integrate database without using SQL code. Besides, when you use Rails, you get to use the most powerful programming language, Ruby. This makes the technology an interesting way of delivering a piece of content. Although Flex is known for RIA, Rails + Flex can offer users more entertainment and leveraged business.
