Java + Rails = Real Digital Media

Company Gavin Stark
Client Real Digital Media
Main features Ruby on Rails, AJAX, Java
 
Excerpt

Real Digital Media made the move from Cold Fusion and MS SQL Server to Ruby on Rails with MySQL, all the while keeping the Java backend that powers their business. Learn why they moved to Rails, and the benefits of combining it with Java.
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Please tell us a little bit about Real Digital Media and what you all do.
Real Digital Media provides next generation digital signage products for establishing point-of-purchase marketing, advertising and corporate communication networks. Our family of NEOCAST digital signage products store, deliver and play content in a wide range of digital formats on a variety of display devices. With NEOCAST players and software, your customized content and programming can scale across entire narrowcast networks down to individual displays, providing ultimate flexibility in reaching customers with your targeted messaging at the right place, at the right time.
What programming languages/frameworks do you use for your current site?
We currently use Ruby on Rails for our NEOCAST Media Server software. We also employ the Streamlined framework as well as a number of plugins. We also use Java for some data processing.
Before you made the move to Ruby on Rails, what programming languages/frameworks were you using?
Prior to Ruby on Rails we used ColdFusion MX
What other programming languages/framework did you research and test out before deciding to use Ruby on Rails?
We compared Ruby on Rails to our existing ColdFusion environment and considered an implementation in J2EE.
What were the major deciding factors for using Rails?
The fact that it is a full-stack framework where all the parts work with each other out-of-the-box. Other contributing factors included ease of development, an MVC approach that is effective and a focus on testability.
Was it a developer or a managerial decision (or both) to make the switch?
As I wear both hats, I’ll say “both”.
If developers drove the decision, what helped management to buy in?
The other principals in the company bought in based on the reduced time to develop and deploy new features. They also appreciated the lower cost (in time) of testing.
As Java programmers, how steep did you find the learning curve to be with Ruby?
I come from primarily a C, C++ and Java background. I find the dynamic nature of Ruby to be very powerful and not too difficult to learn. Some parts of Rails seem like magic until your Ruby knowledge improves and you realize it is only taking advantage of the power of the Ruby language.
Is there anything you miss from ColdFusion?
No.
What do you use from Rails that you now cannot live without?
Capistrano, script/console, Test::Unit and RSpec on Rails.
What is next for your application in terms of Rails usage?
We are currently finishing a migration to HAML and SASS We are also migrating from Test::Unit based tests to RSpec behavior driven specifications. We’ve enjoyed the structured (and simplified) nature of the HAML layout system and are beginning to benefit from the advantages of RSpec.
Are you a member of any Ruby/Rails groups?
I am a member of the Tampa Ruby Brigade

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