Ayush Newatia, a developer and author of The Rails and Hotwire Codex, joins to discuss the revolutionary impact of Rails 7 and Hotwire on server-side applications. He shares his journey from mobile development and emphasizes the ease of using less JavaScript. The conversation explores exciting new features in Rails, including an authentication generator and Action Notifier for streamlined notifications. They also dive into concurrency in modern apps, highlighting the benefits of the Falcon web server and web sockets in Rails controllers.
Ayush Newatia emphasizes the transformative impact of Rails 7 and Hotwire in enabling greater app reactivity with minimal complexity and tooling.
He highlights the challenges and common pitfalls in Rails development, stressing the importance of adhering to established patterns and thoughtful database schema design.
Deep dives
Transitioning to Ruby on Rails
Ayush Nawatia discusses his transition from mobile development to Ruby on Rails, highlighting his frustrations with the limitations of mobile app environments. After working for five years in iOS and Android development, he found it difficult to create simple products due to platform restrictions. His background in Ruby, primarily through various tools like CocoaPods and Fastlane, piqued his interest in web development. Consequently, he seized the opportunity to switch to Rails in 2020, dedicating time to learning and eventually freelancing.
The Bridgestown Framework
Ayush shares his involvement with the Bridgestown framework, emphasizing its modern approach to building static sites. He appreciates the framework's ability to simplify the development process while allowing users to opt into advanced features without complicating the experience for those who prefer straightforward implementations. He recognizes the importance of keeping things simple and user-friendly, paralleling his experiences migrating from Jekyll to Bridgestown and integrating its components into his projects. His aspirations include fostering community engagement and promoting Bridgestown at conferences.
Common Rails Development Mistakes
In his experience as a freelancer, Ayush identifies common pitfalls in Rails development, particularly regarding deviations from established Rails patterns. He notes that many developers introduce unnecessary complexities, such as service objects or custom patterns, which can lead to maintainability issues and hinder the framework's strengths. Additionally, he stresses the importance of well-planned database schema, highlighting that mistakes here can have lasting impacts on a project. This challenge, combined with the adoption of new technologies like Hotwire, requires a solid understanding of both Rails conventions and best practices.
Rails 7 and Hotwire have completely revolutionized server side Rails apps. Developers can now get much more reactivity with way less javascript, less tooling, and simpler deployments. You’ve probably heard a lot about Rails 7.1 and Hotwire. Maybe you’re even using it in production? Ayush Newatia joins the show to talk about his new book, The Rails and Howtire Codex.