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Rails came to prominence because it makes web development easy. So easy, in fact, that we're afraid to ask if Rails might be the wrong choice for our web application. Because before Rails, web development was so much more painful and difficult. It turns out that Rails is an awful choice for at least one type of web application: fat-client JavaScript user interfaces. We've been slow to admit this because it's hard to deny the comfort and convenience of the Rails ecosystem. But viewed more broadly, the Ruby ecosystem's client-side tooling has been completely outflanked in the past two years by the tremendous community focus on Node.js and Grunt. In this talk, we'll discuss why building single page apps with Rails isn't as easy as we might assume. We'll uncover the dangers of tangling our front-end UI with our backend-services in a single repository. Finally, I'll demonstrate some of the amazing things that development tools are capable of when JavaScript is treated as a first-class language and when (just like in Rails) we strive to make developers' work easier.

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In his talk titled "As Easy As Rails" at LA RubyConf 2014, Justin Searls discusses the limitations of the Rails framework in developing modern web applications, particularly those requiring fat-client JavaScript user interfaces. He opens with a metaphor about baking, comparing the unexpected evolution of customer requests for a cupcake to developers' tendency to default to Rails for web applications. Searls argues that developers often favor the convenience of Rails and its server-side capabilities, leading to sub-optimal choices for client-side tools, particularly JavaScript.

Key points include:

- **Rails Convenience vs. JavaScript Complexity**: Although Rails simplifies server-side development, many Ruby developers find themselves poorly equipped for client-side challenges, leading to an over-reliance on Rails. Searls notes that better JavaScript applications are often developed by those outside the Ruby community.

- **Monolithic Architecture Problems**: Rails excels at handling traditional document-driven applications. However, when trying to build fat-client JavaScript applications within the Rails framework, developers often create a convoluted architecture that blurs the lines between frontend and backend responsibilities.

- **The Shift in Web Development**: Searls highlights the rapid advancements in the Node.js ecosystem and JavaScript tooling, which he argues have outpaced Ruby's offerings in recent years. Newer technologies are better suited for building modern single-page applications which Rails is not inherently designed for.

- **Tuition of Tooling**: He discusses various development tools available in both the Ruby and Node.js ecosystems, emphasizing that while Ruby's tooling is mature, Node.js is rapidly evolving with innovative solutions that often cater to modern web needs more effectively.

- **Lineman Framework**: Searls introduces Lineman, a framework he has developed, which facilitates easier development of JavaScript applications by providing tasks automation, configuration, and integration with tooling like Grunt, thus improving productivity significantly.

Searls concludes by stating that while Rails has been foundational for many web developers, recognizing its limitations is crucial for successful modern application development. Emphasizing that splitting monolithic applications into distinct front and back-end services can enhance organization, clarity, and efficiency, he advocates for treating JavaScript as a first-class citizen in application development. Searls invites developers to experiment with modern development setups that leverage the strengths of tools like Lineman to transform their workflow and output more effectively.

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