The development front has always been filled with debates regarding the best platform for web application development. The motive of arriving at a conclusion is simple; the better platform leads to a fairly enriched environment for web application development, something that every coder longs for. The case with Ruby on Rails and CakePHP is no different, both of which have been developer favorites because of certain attributes. However, the time has come to decide which one is better among these two contenders.
Before differentiating, let’s have a look at the common features of both the frameworks i.e. CakePHP and Ruby on Rails:
> Both follow the MVC (Model View Controller) design.
> Both support AJAX and comprise of almost identical directory structures.
> Both support different databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc)
> Both contain unique/own shells for command-line interface.
Now the attributes that separate the functionalities of both the frameworks:
First off, the downloading, installation and usage of the CakePHP framework is much easier as compared to RoR (Ruby on Rails). Installing RoR is quite complex as it is necessary to install MYSQL followed by the installation of RoR as well. In case you have a web server of your own, you will then have to configure it according to the RoR framework. Although there is a LAMP route that consists of instant RoR, again it is not as flexible as CakePHP.
For someone to work on the CakePHP platform, knowledge of Model Control View style of web development along with its conventions is required. On the other hand, if you wish to develop web applications over RoR platform, sole knowledge of MVC architecture is not enough. A programmer must be aware of Ruby on Rails conventions and the Ruby programming language as well!
The CakePHP fraternity lacks proper online documentation whereas RoR boasts tremendous attributes for the same. There is however a slight catch; RoR is exclusively based on OOP whereas CakePHP is not. CakePHP was carved to support PHP4; therefore it fails to exploit every feature of OOP (Object Oriented Programming). This one single attribute gives RoR a negligible lead that might as well not exist for long considering the advent of PHP6 is on its way.
Ruby on Rails is one framework that is bound to be slow as every entity on RoR is an object. The installation procedure includes the extraction of each and every object that in turn consumes a huge amount of CPU time and memory. Such a problem is not encountered while using CakePHP as it proves to be a faster framework. Moreover, we can speed up the performance of CakePHP by various methods that include:
> Opcode Cache
> Memory caching for all temporary data.
> Speed Up (Reverse) Routing
Even though we have arrived at a conclusion that proves CakePHP’s supremacy over Ruby on Rails, it is necessary to understand that the selection of frameworks should be done after deciding the overall requirements. More often than not, a framework needs to be picked out based on your personal requirements.
Konstant Infosolution is a leading web development company that comprises of highly experienced and dedicated developers, gives you assurance for your business growth and profits within your cost. Our CakePHP developers, who are accounted for their immense credibility and flexibility , are capable of providing with exceptional results at competitive prices.
Vipin Jain is the Co-Founder and CEO at Konstant Infosolutions and is in charge of marketing, project management, administration and R&D at the company. With his marketing background, Vipin Jain has developed and honed the company’s vision, corporate structure & initiatives and its goals, and brought the company into the current era of success.
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