Ruby framework Volt for Real-time Web Applications

Volt being a reactive web framework can be an ideal choice to run your Ruby Code on the server as well as on the client side. The DOM shows the prompt response on automated basis whenever a user interaction with the page takes place. It is systematically efficient in a way that it only updates the nodes which require change. Data can be stored conveniently on the page, in database or in cookie.

One of our Ruby Rails developers Rehmat Qadir with relative experience in JavaScript including BackboneJS and AngularJS frameworks as well used Volt framework for the testing of a web application. According to him, the separation of front-end and back-end parts of the application is one of the biggest pain points in web development. Volt is a framework that tries to eliminate the separation of front-end and back-end parts, which sounds great.

To make web application a lot more dynamic and fast, front-end JavaScript frameworks like AngularJS, BackboneJS and EmberJS have gained a lot of popularity these days. However, all these frameworks often require a back-end application to become a useful web application. That’s why these frameworks are used oftenly in conjunction with web frameworks like Ruby on Rails.

Volt is a new Ruby framework that tries to eliminate the line between server and client side code. The basic idea behind Volt framework is to be able to write Ruby code on the client side as well and thanks to Opal – a Ruby to JavaScript compiler which helps in this idea.

A very cool feature that comes out of the box is Volt’s real-time feature. If you have ever made real-time applications, you know that the process can be challenging. You probably implemented Ajax-polling, websockets, Server-Sent Events (SSE) or even used external services, adding complexity to the application and even incurring additional costs. Unlike other frameworks, Volt framework keeps a connection with the server alive (via websockets), so instead of making Ajax requests for each action, it pushes changes instantly to all clients. No configuration is needed for this to work.