

Ask HN:Is it possible to make an app in Node.js same as a RoR app? - theneelpatel

I have an idea to make an educational web application but i couldn&#x27;t decide which technology to use like PHP, RoR or Node.js? Please give some advice.
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danpalmer
Ruby on Rails is a good platform for building applications which are
essentially large content management systems, with very relational content. If
you can break your application down nicely into resource/data models, then
Rails is a great way to build it, and very powerful.

Alternatively, if your application is much more about processes, and data
isn't as important, or isn't as relational, Node.js might be a better thing to
develop in it. The main problem with Node at the moment however is that it's
much less mature than the Rails/Ruby community, and lacks the higher level
frameworks like Rails.

I can't recommend PHP for anything at all, unless you've got 10 years PHP
experience and don't want to learn a new technology. Although I'm guessing
that isn't the case from the wording of your question.

Some other things you might want to consider: Python and Django are similar to
Ruby/Rails. I think Rails is a bit more capable, but Django is easier to
learn. C# and Microsoft's MVC stack is remarkably good - I usually don't work
with anything Microsoft based, but was given a project that required it, I was
very impressed.

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TuxLyn
You use the one which you are the most confortable with.

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eswat
This. If it’s a significant app just use what you’re already comfortable with.
Don’t go crazy trying to pick a tech stack, it really doesn’t matter much
anyway.

Also, I can’t speak for PHP but there aren’t any frameworks for Node that does
nearly as much as Rails does (Sails[1] being the closest, but yet still far)

[1] [http://sailsjs.org/](http://sailsjs.org/)

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krapp
For PHP it would be laravel ([http://laravel.com/](http://laravel.com/))

Though personally I won't work with it unless it's running Twig for templates.
To each their own, though.

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sgy
1\. Working with Node.js will keep you relaxed with a unified language on both
ends of your web application.

2\. It has also proven to be faster and more smoothly scalable than Ruby on
Rails.

3\. You'll find a good community support and lot, a lot of modules for nearly
any purpose you seek in your application.

4\. Many industries are moving to use it (Microsoft, LinkedIn, PayPal, NYTimes
... )

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akoumjian
As far as I can tell, the area that you will have the biggest issue in node.js
is if your data models are highly relational. Last I checked, there wasn't a
robust node.js ORM for SQL data stores. Otherwise don't fret it, just get
building.

Also, as long as you're looking at all those options, don't forget about
Python/Django.

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htilford
It really depends on your application. Each language, platform and framework
has a niche. Depending on what you're doing none of the above might even be
the answer. You might be better served a serverless solution like firebase.

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AdrianRossouw
there's no mainstream RoR analog in node.js, unless you consider Meteor, which
has a very specific niche that doesn't apply to most sites.

It really comes down to what you know best, what you can get other developers
for the easiest, and what is most easily maintained over the long term.

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teemo_cute
Can you give us more information about your programming background (if any)?

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theneelpatel
Undergraduation in CS. And i am good at C/C++,bit of c# and Java and I am
familiar with RoR.

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teemo_cute
Like others said use what you feel you are most comfortable with. The reason
is that when you don't like the technology you're using, no matter how popular
or advanced it is, there is a possibility that you might lose interest.

But that's only a 'possibility,' we don't know you personally so we can't
judge how determined you are to achieve your goals no matter what.

