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Realtime, rich client applications are extremely popular. This is reflected in a new generation of frameworks like node.js and meteor. That said, the maturity of Rails and Backbone combined with real time services like XMPP or Pushr, still makes it a very compelling backend stack to use, especially when developing cross platform (web, desktop, mobile) applications. In this talk, I will discuss the foundation and best practices of a Rails/Backbone/Coffeescript real time stack, as we do it at Kicksend.
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In his talk at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2012 conference, Derrick Ko discusses the development of real-time web applications using a stack of Rails, Backbone, and CoffeeScript at Kicksend. He emphasizes the importance of user experience, the rise of real-time applications, and best practices for building rich client apps. Key points include: - **Current Trends**: There's a shift towards single-page applications and real-time updates, with growing expectations from users for snappy performance and seamless interaction across devices. - **Kicksend Overview**: Kicksend provides a platform for private file sharing across various devices, leveraging a consistent Rails backend with Backbone.js for the frontend. - **Framework Comparison**: Rails serves as the API server while Backbone.js is noted for its structure, flexibility, and lightweight framework. Ko highlights their use of Handlebars for logical templating to separate view logic from presentation. - **Real-Time Messaging with XMPP**: The talk delves into XMPP’s efficiency for real-time communication, which they utilize for managing user notifications and updates, yielding higher scalability and responsiveness. - **Performance Optimization**: Ko explains caching strategies—using Memcached and action caching—to improve response times, alongside techniques for managing perceived performance through optimistic UI updates. - **Best Practices**: He stresses maintaining a clear presentation layer for API responses, leveraging tools like Jbuilder, and decoupling models from views to enhance maintainability and reusability in the application. - **Concluding Thoughts**: The necessity of simplifying backend architecture with lightweight frameworks and optimizing static asset management is emphasized as crucial for performance. Ko wraps up by encouraging attendees to consider practical implementations of these principles in their own applications. Overall, Ko's insights present a comprehensive guide on integrating Rails, Backbone, and CoffeeScript to create efficient real-time applications that are user-friendly and high-performing.
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