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Which backend programming language should I use for my website backend development? It is the most critical decision; you have to make for your website. Both PHP vs Ruby are one of the most preferred languages for backend web development. When it comes to the performance, functionality, and features both of these languages are quite different from each other. In this article, I am going to conduct a comprehensive comparison of PHP and Ruby backend programming languages. Before selecting any of the languages, you need to know your website needs and your experience with the language.

Both languages have their benefits and shortcomings and you have to choose the most appropriate option for you based on your online business needs. You don’t have to buy any license to work in either language because they are open-source and free to use. The PHP language is the most widely used programming language as compared with Ruby, but recently the use of Ruby has started increasing because of its higher usability and easy learning. To work with Ruby, you have to get a good understanding of the application server, web server, and database. This article would not only help you to understand the performance and features of both languages but after reading this article, you would be able to make a better decision about your backend language selection.

Ruby

Similarities

Some of the similarities between both languages are as follows:

• Both PHP and Ruby Are dynamically typed
• Have some common programming paradigms such as object-oriented, imperative, and reflective.
• They use string interpolation
• They have garbage collection
• They have string formatting syntax
• Both languages are suitable for fast prototyping
• They have exceptions
• They have an extensive standard library
• They have vectorized operations
• They have classes with access control such as public, private, and protected.
• Support multi-dimensional arrays

Differences

Following are some of the similarities between both languages.

• Ruby varies from PHP, as they use different syntax to access properties, methods, and variables.
• It supports 32/64-bit data types, on the other side, Ruby uses visible integer classes: Bignum and Fixnum. In the latest version, both programming languages have been combined into one Integer class.
• In PHP, the curly brackets ({}) are used as a code block. In Ruby, you can select to use either curly brackets or an “end” word for the code block.
• Ruby permits classes nesting in the same module file, although, in the case of PHP, all classes need their namespace and file.
• For the termination of each line, PHP uses a semicolon. In Ruby, you can use both semicolons or the next line, the use of semicolons is a rare case and appropriate for numerous instructions per line.
• In some cases, the PHP uses type hints and it is also dynamic. The Ruby programming uses no type hints and duck typing.
• A two-string concatenation is applied via plus sign (+) in Ruby and dot (.) in PHP.
• Weak PHP typing versus Strong Ruby typing.
• Contrasting PHP, Ruby supports complex numbers and records.
• Complex syntax of PHP versus high usability of Ruby.

Performance

The Php latest version 7.0 has a lot of built-in web development features that ensure better performance while acquiring more memory space.  The PHP’s overall performance also depends on which framework you are using. Laravel is the best PHP framework available in the market. Ruby is a very easy and quick-to-learn programming language. PHP and Ruby are open-source languages with no license fees.

When it comes to speed and responsiveness, nothing is like Ruby. If you are going to make a high-traffic website then Ruby is the best option for you. Although Ruby is good at speed it consumes a lot of memory and it results in the slowing down of web apps. So, you can say that Ruby uses more resources as compared with the PHP programming language.

As far as speed is concerned, then there is HHVM for PHP and Rubinius for Ruby which will make your applications run faster. These platforms offer limited support, for example, these two platforms are not supported on Windows.

Development Cost

The prices of the PHP software are lower as compared to Ruby because of the high competition in the market. Most of the new online businesses prefer to use this programming language because it is quite budget-friendly. The Ruby hosting plans are a bit expensive language. The price ranges of different hosting providers are different, so you have to do good research to find the companies that are offering cheap and trustworthy services to customers.

So, the PHP framework is the most cost-effective option available for you, on the other side, working with Ruby can be an expensive option.

Deployment Time

 The implementation of PHP is very easy and simple, and you just have to transfer the file to the server to deploy your app. Ruby is an object-oriented language and the coding is never a time-consuming or difficult process in it. The Ruby has library integrations known as Gems that also speed up the overall development process. So, it can be said that in the case of Ruby, the gems play a major role in reducing the overall time of deployment. Because of to code environment of Ruby, it is also known as one of the most human-friendly languages.

Community Support

Both Ruby and PHP have dedicated community support. PHP is the most widely used programming language and the community support of PHP programming is also high. Community support is also always helpful for the customers to share knowledge, discuss problems, and learn the language. The PHP community support is higher as compared with Ruby. Wikipedia, Facebook, and PixelCrayons are some popular websites on PHP.

The importance of community support to app development cannot be highlighted enough as there would be others prepared to reply to the technical questions and resolve the problems that your team of developers may face in the software development life cycle.

Learning Curve

The PHP language is very easy for newbies to select as compared with the backend programming languages. Furthermore, the internet has enormous step-by-step programs and free videos to help beginners quickly learn a particular language. The case is quite different from Ruby because this programming language is more complex. So, it’s significantly harder to become a master in this language as compared with PHP. So, it can be said that the learning curve of Ruby is steeper as compared with PHP.

Both Ruby and PHP have their weaknesses and strengths. The developers should accelerate the web app development that they create, and they need a robust PHP framework for this purpose. The Ruby developers code on Ruby on Rails which is a framework of Ruby, so PHP vs Ruby is not a simple comparison. But maybe, when it comes to learning, PHP wins because of its ease and simplicity.

Maintainability

If you are thinking of making a web app then Ruby is a better option because the maintenance of the app in this platform is very easy and simple. In Ruby, the overall syntax is standardized and you have to write fewer lines of code, and a community of developers have some standard approaches to resolve similar issues. Ruby applications tend to be more compact and cleaner.

This platform uses a common approach to resolve problems that also reduces the challenges and time of maintenance. Ruby has unconventional string and text manipulation methods that guarantee that programs in Ruby are maintainable without any trouble. The simple syntax followed by developers confirms consistency and easy application maintainability.

On the other hand, the PHP developer follows a customized coding style. Despite current recommendations, there are a few coders’ percentages who follow the standards which sometimes also makes web application maintenance a challenge.

In contrast to Ruby, PHP does not have document versioning which fundamentally means that once the new PHP version is launched, the older versions’ documentation gets substituted and exists. This stance has huge challenges regarding applications’ maintainability that may be operating on outdated versions. So, as far as the maintainability of the programming languages is concerned, Ruby provides better maintainability.

Scalability and Usability

Whether it is Ruby or PHP, these languages can scale. Though, the number of resources used by both programming languages, issues regarding scalability will rise earlier in the application’s life cycle. Application scalability in these programming languages will be traced on very mutual issues. Thus, the scaling of the resources is based on the way the application was planned. You can also get many online services to resolve the issues concerning scaling, for example, using Rackspace Cloud Sites or Amazon Elastic Beanstalk.

The situation turns out to be very different when you go from want scalability to need scalability. Once a developer does not know application scalability, the most common way is to search for tutorials, articles, and other resources to understand. So, as far as website scalability is concerned, there are a lot of resources for PHP developers, although Ruby has a smaller information pool.

When it comes to the ease of maintenance, this is based on the application’s organization. As long as the web framework is used by the developer, the overall maintenance will turn out to be easier. The PHP framework also offers a huge web framework selection, designed for definite goals, on the other side, the Ruby has a more limited choice.

PHP Pros and Cons

Pros

• Open-Source
• Support First-Class Functions
• Huge Ecosystem
• Object-Oriented and Functional Programming
• Short Learning Curve
• Support Multiple Platforms
• Pluggable Frameworks Abundance
• Large Community Software

Cons

• Threaded Execution
• Poor Error Management
• Less Secure as Compared with Alternative Platforms

Ruby Pros and Cons

Pros

• Open-Source
• Pure Object-Oriented Programming
• Allows Metaprogramming Technique
• Comprehensible and Flexible Syntax
• Widespread Ecosystem
• Support Multiple Platform
• Everything Is an Object
• For Dropping Development Time and Code Length
• Fast Development Cycle
• Test-Driven Development

Cons

• Inappropriate for memory-intensive tasks
• Slow CPU time than other alternatives
• Long learning curve

Conclusion

 This article provides a detailed analysis of both PHP vs Ruby programming languages. It is stated in this article that When it comes to the functionality, performance, and features both of these languages are very different from each other. These languages have their shortcomings and benefits and you have to choose the most suitable option for you based on your online business requirements. If you are going to make a high-traffic website then Ruby should be the first choice for you. The PHP is most extensively used programming language and its programming community support is also high.

You must know that both programming languages have some weaknesses and strengths. It is important for the developers should accelerate the web app development that they create, and they need a robust PHP framework for this purpose. Ruby has a simple syntax followed by developers confirming constancy and easy application maintainability. Once a developer does not have the application scalability knowledge, the most appropriate way is to search for tutorials, online articles, and some other resources.

If you have any questions in your mind regarding this topic, you can ask in the comments section below.