Insights, Innovations, and Exciting Developments

Rails World 2023 recently wrapped up, and our software architects had the privilege of attending this exciting event. Over the course of two days, they immersed themselves in a world of Ruby on Rails, gaining valuable insights and learning about some exciting developments in the Rails ecosystem.

Opening Keynote Address by DHH

The event kicked off with a keynote by none other than David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) himself. He discussed the impact of recent economic pressures on software development and how it has led to improved frameworks and work outcomes. DHH also emphasized the idea of “The One-Person Framework,” where developers can handle both front-end and back-end development as well as deployments. He introduced several new projects, including Propshaft, Turbo 8, Strada, Solid Cache, Solid Queue, Mission Control, and Kamal, each geared toward enhancing Rails development.

1st Day Noteworthy Topics

Our team attended several talks that piqued their interest:

• SolidCache: A Disk-Backed Rails Cache. This cache, built with the premise of leveraging solid-state hard disks, significantly reduced storage costs and extended cache life compared to Redis.
• ActiveRecord::Encryption. While already familiar with ActiveRecord, they learned about ActiveRecord::Encryption, a topic worth exploring further.
• Native Composite Primary Key Support in Rails 7.1. This talk offered valuable insights, particularly for multi-tenant systems.
• Using Multiple Databases with Active Record. Although already well-versed in this area, they attended to stay updated.
• Shopify Workshop: Test Smarter, Not Harder. One standout session was a workshop by a Shopify employee on crafting a Test Selection Framework from scratch. This innovative approach to running specific tests based on modified files in pull requests caught their attention. The architects found it intriguing and see potential for implementing it in their work, particularly with Sneakers.

2st Day Highlights

The second day of Rails World 2023 continued to deliver valuable content:

• Rails Core AMA. Members of the Rails Core team answered questions about contributions and creating gems for Rails, offering valuable advice.
• Powerful Rails Features You Might Not Know. This session delved into the intricacies of Rails, with a focus on the upcoming Rails 7.1.
• Demystifying the Ruby Package Ecosystem. A fascinating exploration of how gems work, bundle handling, and debugging within Rails.
• Applying Shape Up in the Real World. An introduction to the development methodology used at 37 signals, which left an impression.
• Hotwire Cookbook. While not every session was a hit, this talk by André Arko touched on using Turbo, Hotwire, and StimulusJS.
• Monolith-ifying Perfectly Good Microservices. An intriguing perspective on consolidating services back into a monolith.

Clsoing Keynote by Aaron Patterson

A lively and informative keynote by Aaron Patterson, who even playfully mocked the earlier keynote. He discussed profiling a Rails app and the creation of a Rails Language Server Protocol.

Future Prospects

Rails World 2024 is already on the horizon, set to take place in Toronto in September. The event promises to be another exciting opportunity to stay at the forefront of Rails development.

In summary, Rails World 2023 was a whirlwind of insights, innovations, and exciting developments. Our software architects returned with a wealth of knowledge and fresh ideas, eager to apply their newfound wisdom to your projects.

Next Rails World’s gonna be in Toronto (on September 2024). Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the world of Rails!

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