Why upgrading Rails is important?
There are several valid reasons why you should be regularly upgrading the Ruby on Rails version you are using. This blog outlines the important reasons you should pay attention to which version of Rails your web application is currently using.
The older the Rails version you have installed is, the longer the process of upgrading will be when the version is too old for use. So to save yourself time and the headache of upgrading an old version in the future and make sure your rails are running as smoothly are some reasons you should be upgrading your rails. In addition, newer versions come with security updates, new features, bug fixes, and language improvements.
Why Ruby on Rails (RoR)?
Rails is a ruby-based framework for developing web applications. It is a robust MVC architectural-based framework that has been around for a long time and will continue to be relevant for some years to come. Ruby on Rails has two main attributes that make it excellent and relevant after almost two decades.
One is the lively community that contributes to its continuous development. The Rails has a global community of collaborators and since 2009 there have been 435 versions released. The second is the founding doctrines upon which it is built. Although this doctrine has evolved over the years, the founding doctrines contributed to the rise of the framework and made it what it is today.
Click here to see all rails doctrines.
Rails guiding principles
Rails is an "Opinionated" framework: This really means that there is a "Rails way" or simply rails has an "opinion" to solving many problems faced by software developers. When you follow the rails conventions you will have fewer decisions to make because some functionalities are already built.
Convention over Configuration: Rails has various conventions or default configurations that allow developers to be more productive, as they will not spend much time setting up the configuration files but rather focus on the problem domain and solution.
Progress over Stability: Rails as we know it is built on the idea of progressing over maintaining stability. If the community thinks in 5 years we want rails to be able to solve a certain domain problem (like background jobs). The solution to mitigate the current issue will commence and progressively improve in subsequent versions. Like ActiveJob was introduced or standardized as part of rails 4.2. Sometimes, changes will break existing applications due to backward-incompatibility changes in major versions (5. x.x to 6. x.x) but it pays off in terms of performance improvement.
Why upgrading rails matters
Unlike the United States' constitutional rigidity to change, Rails is flexible and susceptible to consistent updates. Developers in the community frequently refine Rails either by introducing new or improving existing features, and quick fixes for bugs and security issues. As rails progressively change (evolve) comes with the need to adjust to new ways of doing things hence upgrading.
Some major reasons to upgrade rails
Security patches: When security vulnerabilities are discovered in a specific version of rails it triggers a need for a fix by the lively rails community and maintainers. With Rails as the foundation of your web application, security defects on a given version make your platform vulnerable to attacks. Security threats in the past have made the Rails core teamwork more vigilantly to ensure a high level of security and quickly solve any security risks. To avoid security threats, there is a need to upgrade to a secure version when the necessary security patches have been implemented.
Find security risks for different versions of rails here.
New feature additions: Rails as a progressive framework can be contributed to the way new features and technologies like WebSockets, and ActionText are introduced over time. As your requirements and business rules change, you will need to upgrade to versions that support specific functionality. For example, if you are on Rails 5 and want rich text content and editing, Rails 6 is to the rescue with the introduction of ActionText. It includes Trix Editor which handles everything from formatting to links to quotes and other editor-like functionalities.
Ruby language improvement: At its core, Rails depend on Ruby programming language combined with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. So as ruby language improves or security concerns are addressed sometimes rails will have to improve as well to support new ruby improvements.
Dependency incompatibilities: Rails is itself not a standalone framework, it depends on external gems(as in Ruby gemstone) to extend its functionalities like Device for Authentication and Pundit for Authorization, and many others for different purposes. All these external gems make up the Rails ecosystem. As these external gems upgrade, some backward incompatibilities rise, and upgrading rails to a supported version is sometimes the only way to move forward. Many developers find keeping all the dependencies updated to be a painful and time-consuming process. If that is you, consider using Dependabot to keep all the dependencies used up to date so you can focus on building.
Smooth future upgrades: No one likes to be left far behind as we navigate through this life, this also applies to the rails framework. When your rails version is far behind your app because out of touch with the new improvements and upgrading to newer versions will be violent and tedious when the urgent need to do the upgrade comes. The older your version of rails is the longer it will take to upgrade to the latest version. Newer versions also mean the bugs have been fixed so you don’t have to deal with issues that have already been fixed.
Conclusion
Ruby on Rails is the first choice when it comes to building web applications because of how powerful and easy it is to build state-of-the-art applications. It is essential to regularly upgrade Rails to the latest versions to get the best out of the framework for the reasons mentioned above. Check with your developers and begin the process of upgrading your Rails.
