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Ruby vs PHP
PHP powers an astounding 78% of all websites with known server-side languages, including WordPress, Facebook (partially), and countless e-commerce platforms. Its ubiquity in web hosting, mature ecosystem, and ease of deployment have made it the backbone of the internet. However, when it comes to modern web development practices, code organization, and developer experience, Ruby offers a more elegant and maintainable approach to building web applications.
PHP's Internet Dominance: Proven at Scale
PHP's greatest achievement is democratizing web development. Its simple deployment model, extensive hosting support, and gentle learning curve have enabled millions of developers to build dynamic websites.
PHP's Accessibility and Deployment
PHP:
<?php
// PHP's straightforward approach - mix with HTML
class UserController {
private $db;
public function __construct($database) {
$this->db = $database;
}
public function getUsers() {
try {
$stmt = $this->db->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE active = ?");
$stmt->execute([1]);
$users = $stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode($users);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
error_log("Database error: " . $e->getMessage());
http_response_code(500);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Internal server error']);
}
}
public function createUser() {
$input = json_decode(file_get_contents('php://input'), true);
if (empty($input['name']) || empty($input['email'])) {
http_response_code(400);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Name and email are required']);
return;
}
try {
$stmt = $this->db->prepare(
"INSERT INTO users (name, email, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?)"
);
$stmt->execute([
$input['name'],
$input['email'],
date('Y-m-d H:i:s')
]);
$userId = $this->db->lastInsertId();
$user = [
'id' => $userId,
'name' => $input['name'],
'email' => $input['email']
];
http_response_code(201);
echo json_encode($user);
} catch (PDOException $e) {
error_log("Database error: " . $e->getMessage());
http_response_code(500);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Internal server error']);
}
}
}
// Simple routing
$controller = new UserController($pdo);
$method = $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'];
$path = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
if ($path === '/users' && $method === 'GET') {
$controller->getUsers();
} elseif ($path === '/users' && $method === 'POST') {
$controller->createUser();
} else {
http_response_code(404);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Not found']);
}
?>
Ruby:
# Ruby's convention-driven elegance
class UsersController < ApplicationController
def index
@users = User.active
render json: @users
end
def create
@user = User.new(user_params)
if @user.save
render json: @user, status: :created
else
render json: { errors: @user.errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
end
private
def user_params
params.require(:user).permit(:name, :email)
end
end
# Model with built-in validations
class User < ApplicationRecord
validates :name, presence: true
validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: true
scope :active, -> { where(active: true) }
end
# Automatic routing
resources :users
PHP provides explicit control over every aspect of the HTTP request/response cycle, while Ruby abstracts common patterns through Rails conventions.
Framework Evolution: Laravel vs Rails
Modern PHP development centers around Laravel, which has dramatically improved PHP's developer experience by adopting many patterns pioneered by Rails.
Laravel's Modern PHP:
<?php
// Laravel's elegant syntax (inspired by Rails)
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
use App\Models\User;
use App\Http\Requests\StoreUserRequest;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
class UserController extends Controller
{
public function index()
{
$users = User::where('active', true)->get();
return response()->json($users);
}
public function store(StoreUserRequest $request)
{
$user = User::create($request->validated());
return response()->json($user, 201);
}
}
// Model with Eloquent ORM
class User extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['name', 'email'];
protected $casts = [
'created_at' => 'datetime',
'updated_at' => 'datetime',
];
public function scopeActive($query)
{
return $query->where('active', true);
}
}
// Request validation
class StoreUserRequest extends FormRequest
{
public function rules()
{
return [
'name' => 'required|string|max:255',
'email' => 'required|email|unique:users',
];
}
}
Rails' Pioneering Conventions:
# Rails - the original convention over configuration
class UsersController < ApplicationController
def index
@users = User.active.page(params[:page])
render json: @users
end
def create
@user = User.new(user_params)
if @user.save
render json: @user, status: :created
else
render json: { errors: @user.errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
end
private
def user_params
params.require(:user).permit(:name, :email)
end
end
# Model with rich functionality
class User < ApplicationRecord
validates :name, presence: true
validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: true
scope :active, -> { where(active: true) }
has_many :posts, dependent: :destroy
has_many :comments, through: :posts
after_create :send_welcome_email
def full_name_with_email
"#{name} <#{email}>"
end
private
def send_welcome_email
UserMailer.welcome(self).deliver_later
end
end
Laravel has modernized PHP by adopting Rails patterns, while Rails continues to pioneer new conventions for web development.
Language Evolution: PHP 8+ vs Ruby 3+
Both languages have evolved significantly, with PHP adding modern features and Ruby improving performance.
Modern PHP Features:
<?php
// PHP 8+ features: union types, named arguments, attributes
declare(strict_types=1);
#[ApiResource]
class User
{
public function __construct(
public readonly int $id,
public string $name,
public string $email,
public DateTime $createdAt = new DateTime(),
) {}
public function updateProfile(
string $name = null,
string $email = null,
): bool {
if ($name !== null) {
$this->name = $name;
}
if ($email !== null && $this->isValidEmail($email)) {
$this->email = $email;
}
return $this->save();
}
private function isValidEmail(string $email): bool
{
return filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) !== false;
}
// PHP 8 match expression
public function getStatusBadge(): string
{
return match($this->status) {
'active' => '🟢 Active',
'pending' => '🟡 Pending',
'suspended' => '🔴 Suspended',
default => '⚪ Unknown'
};
}
}
// Usage with named arguments
$user = new User(
id: 1,
name: 'John Doe',
email: 'john@example.com'
);
$user->updateProfile(name: 'Jane Doe');
Ruby's Expressive Power:
# Ruby's natural language-like syntax
class User < ApplicationRecord
attr_accessor :name, :email
validates :name, presence: true
validates :email, presence: true, format: { with: URI::MailTo::EMAIL_REGEXP }
enum status: { active: 0, pending: 1, suspended: 2 }
def update_profile(**attributes)
update(attributes.compact)
end
def status_badge
case status.to_sym
when :active then '🟢 Active'
when :pending then '🟡 Pending'
when :suspended then '🔴 Suspended'
else '⚪ Unknown'
end
end
def greet(formal: false)
greeting = formal ? "Hello" : "Hi"
"#{greeting}, I'm #{name}!"
end
end
# Usage
user = User.create!(name: 'John Doe', email: 'john@example.com')
user.update_profile(name: 'Jane Doe', status: :active)
puts user.greet(formal: true)
PHP has added powerful type features, while Ruby maintains its focus on expressive, readable code.
Hosting and Deployment: PHP's Universal Support
PHP's deployment story is unmatched in terms of universal hosting support and simplicity.
PHP Deployment Simplicity:
<?php
// PHP - upload files and it works
// index.php
require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';
use App\Router;
use App\Database;
$db = new Database($_ENV['DB_HOST'], $_ENV['DB_NAME']);
$router = new Router($db);
// Simple .htaccess for pretty URLs
// RewriteEngine On
// RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
// RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
// RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [QSA,L]
$router->handle($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'], $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']);
?>
Ruby Deployment Evolution:
# Ruby deployment has matured with containerization
# Dockerfile
FROM ruby:3.2-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY Gemfile* ./
RUN bundle install
COPY . .
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["rails", "server", "-b", "0.0.0.0"]
# docker-compose.yml for development
version: '3.8'
services:
web:
build: .
ports:
- "3000:3000"
depends_on:
- db
environment:
DATABASE_URL: postgres://user:pass@db:5432/myapp
db:
image: postgres:15
environment:
POSTGRES_USER: user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: pass
POSTGRES_DB: myapp
PHP works on any shared hosting, while Ruby requires more modern deployment practices but offers better development workflows.
Database Integration: ActiveRecord vs Eloquent
Both languages offer excellent ORM solutions, with Rails' ActiveRecord being the pioneer.
Laravel's Eloquent (inspired by ActiveRecord):
<?php
// Eloquent relationships and queries
class User extends Model
{
protected $fillable = ['name', 'email'];
public function posts()
{
return $this->hasMany(Post::class);
}
public function comments()
{
return $this->hasManyThrough(Comment::class, Post::class);
}
public function scopeWithPostCounts($query)
{
return $query->withCount('posts');
}
}
// Usage
$users = User::with(['posts', 'comments'])
->withPostCounts()
->where('active', true)
->orderBy('posts_count', 'desc')
->paginate(10);
foreach ($users as $user) {
echo "{$user->name} has {$user->posts_count} posts\n";
}
Rails' ActiveRecord (the original):
# ActiveRecord with advanced features
class User < ApplicationRecord
has_many :posts, dependent: :destroy
has_many :comments, through: :posts
scope :with_post_counts, -> {
left_joins(:posts)
.group(:id)
.select('users.*, COUNT(posts.id) as posts_count')
}
scope :active, -> { where(active: true) }
def self.top_contributors(limit = 10)
with_post_counts
.active
.order('posts_count DESC')
.limit(limit)
end
end
# Usage
users = User.includes(:posts, :comments)
.top_contributors
.page(params[:page])
users.each do |user|
puts "#{user.name} has #{user.posts_count} posts"
end
Both ORMs are mature and feature-rich, with ActiveRecord offering more advanced features and Eloquent providing familiar patterns for PHP developers.
Performance Considerations: Runtime vs Developer Performance
PHP's Performance Profile:
<?php
// PHP 8+ with JIT compilation and optimizations
class PerformanceExample
{
public function processLargeDataset(array $data): array
{
// PHP 8 JIT provides significant speed improvements
return array_map(function($item) {
return [
'id' => $item['id'],
'processed' => true,
'value' => $item['value'] * 2,
'timestamp' => time()
];
}, $data);
}
public function bulkInsert(array $users): void
{
// Efficient bulk operations
$sql = "INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES ";
$values = [];
$params = [];
foreach ($users as $user) {
$values[] = "(?, ?)";
$params[] = $user['name'];
$params[] = $user['email'];
}
$sql .= implode(', ', $values);
$stmt = $this->db->prepare($sql);
$stmt->execute($params);
}
}
Ruby's Developer-Optimized Approach:
# Ruby prioritizes code clarity and developer productivity
class PerformanceExample
def process_large_dataset(data)
data.map do |item|
{
id: item[:id],
processed: true,
value: item[:value] * 2,
timestamp: Time.current
}
end
end
def bulk_insert(users)
# ActiveRecord handles optimization
User.insert_all(users.map { |user|
user.slice(:name, :email).merge(created_at: Time.current)
})
end
end
PHP can achieve excellent runtime performance, especially with modern versions, while Ruby optimizes for development speed and maintainability.
When PHP Excels
Choose PHP when:
- Universal hosting compatibility - Need to deploy anywhere
- WordPress ecosystem - Building themes, plugins, or customizations
- Legacy system integration - Working with existing PHP codebases
- Shared hosting constraints - Limited to traditional web hosting
- Rapid prototyping - Quick scripts and simple web applications
- E-commerce platforms - Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify integrations
PHP's Deployment Sweet Spot:
<?php
// PHP excels at simple, deployable solutions
class SimpleAPI
{
private $db;
public function __construct()
{
// Works on any shared hosting with MySQL
$this->db = new PDO(
"mysql:host=localhost;dbname=myapp",
$_ENV['DB_USER'],
$_ENV['DB_PASS']
);
}
public function handleRequest()
{
$method = $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'];
$path = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], PHP_URL_PATH);
header('Content-Type: application/json');
try {
switch (true) {
case $method === 'GET' && $path === '/users':
$this->getUsers();
break;
case $method === 'POST' && $path === '/users':
$this->createUser();
break;
default:
http_response_code(404);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Not found']);
}
} catch (Exception $e) {
http_response_code(500);
echo json_encode(['error' => 'Server error']);
}
}
}
// Single file deployment
$api = new SimpleAPI();
$api->handleRequest();
?>
When Ruby Excels
Choose Ruby when:
- Modern web applications - Rich, interactive web apps with complex business logic
- API development - Clean, RESTful APIs with proper architecture
- Startup environments - Rapid iteration and feature development
- Developer team productivity - Long-term maintainability matters
- Complex business domains - Domain-driven design and rich models
- Test-driven development - Comprehensive testing frameworks
Ruby's Application Sweet Spot:
# Ruby excels at complex, maintainable applications
class SubscriptionBillingService
include Service::Base
def call(subscription_id:)
subscription = Subscription.find(subscription_id)
return failure(:not_billable) unless subscription.billable?
ActiveRecord::Base.transaction do
invoice = create_invoice(subscription)
payment_result = process_payment(invoice)
case payment_result.status
when :success
subscription.renew!
send_receipt(invoice)
success(invoice: invoice)
when :failed
subscription.mark_overdue!
schedule_retry(subscription)
failure(:payment_failed, details: payment_result.error)
when :card_expired
subscription.request_payment_update!
send_card_expiry_notice(subscription)
failure(:card_expired)
end
end
rescue PaymentGateway::Error => e
failure(:gateway_error, message: e.message)
end
private
def create_invoice(subscription)
Invoice.create!(
subscription: subscription,
amount: subscription.plan.price,
due_date: 30.days.from_now,
line_items: build_line_items(subscription)
)
end
def process_payment(invoice)
PaymentGateway.charge(
amount: invoice.amount,
payment_method: invoice.subscription.payment_method,
description: "Subscription renewal for #{invoice.subscription.plan.name}"
)
end
end
The Pragmatic Choice
PHP and Ruby serve different needs in web development:
PHP's Strengths: Universal deployment, massive ecosystem, gentle learning curve, and battle-tested stability at scale.
Ruby's Strengths: Developer productivity, elegant code organization, modern development practices, and sophisticated frameworks.
Choose PHP if:
- You need universal hosting compatibility
- You're working within the WordPress/PHP ecosystem
- You're building simple to moderate complexity web applications
- Deployment simplicity is a priority
Choose Ruby if:
- You're building modern, complex web applications
- Developer productivity and code maintainability are priorities
- You're working with a team that values development best practices
- You can use modern deployment practices (containers, cloud platforms)
Both languages can build successful web applications, but they optimize for different aspects of the development and deployment experience.
Choose PHP for proven web ubiquity. Choose Ruby for modern development excellence.
Yuri Sidorov
August 13