What is Rails?

Rails is a framework for building web applications, and it uses the Ruby programming language. The important thing that differentiates a web application from a website is that an application includes a database on the backend that allows it to store and return data over long periods of time. It’s likely that most web pages you visit these days are actually web applications.

Rails is also open source, which means that no one “owns” the Rails framework. While there’s a governing body that helps set standards and ensures that it continues to grow and develop with technology, anyone can contribute to its development. This also means that Rails will always be free to use.

As you work through the tutorial, don’t stress if you don’t understand every detail perfectly. This technology is complex, and it takes a lot of practice to start feeling like you truly understand how it all works.

Prerequisites

1. Before building anything with Rails, you’ll need to set up your computer. Check out our install instructions to be sure you have everything set up and ready to go.

2. You don’t need to be a programming wizard✨ to build something with Rails. However, it helps if you’ve read a little bit about the Ruby. Ruby is the programming language that Rails is built on. We recommend completing Ruby in 100 Minutes before starting Chapter 1.