Rails made easy: beginner-friendly gems you’ll love

This article is written by Paulyn Ompico, freelance full stack developer, former tech lead at Growth Agence, and CTO at a concept-stage startup.

Being new to full-stack web development is an exciting journey. Armed with the fundamentals, you’re now ready to bring your ideas to life by building web applications from scratch. Ruby on Rails is a fantastic framework that empowers developers to create robust and modern web applications quickly. However, starting everything from level zero isn’t always necessary or efficient. Thanks to gems, you can achieve professional results even as a beginner.

What are Ruby gems?

Ruby gems are open-source libraries that empower developers to easily add features and components to their projects without writing all the code from scratch. Think of them as pre-built tools that you can integrate into your app. They help you save time and effort while maintaining quality.

With thousands of gems available, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin. To help you get started, here are five beginner-friendly gems that can elevate your Rails applications to look and feel more professional.

1. OmniAuth

Have you ever signed up for a website using your Google, Facebook, or even your GitHub account? That is made possible by libraries like OmniAuth. With this gem, you can allow users to log in or register with their existing accounts, ensuring a smooth and professional user experience.

OmniAuth simplifies the process of authentication, eliminating the need to build complex login logic from scratch. It leverages secure and tested protocols, giving both you and your users peace of mind. Additionally, since users are already accustomed to third-party logins, integrating this feature makes your app feel more familiar and accessible.

Imagine how impressed your friends or users will be when they see such a polished feature in your app!

2. FriendlyId

Out of the box, Rails generates URLs like myapp.com/restaurants/1234. While functional, these URLs are not very user-friendly. Enter FriendlyId, a gem that lets you replace those numbers with meaningful, human-readable slugs like myapp.com/restaurants/baratie.

FriendlyId enhances your app by improving the user experience, as descriptive URLs help users understand a page’s content at a glance. It also provides a boost to your app’s SEO since search engines favor clean, keyword-rich URLs, which can improve visibility. Additionally, human-readable URLs lend a polished, professional feel to your app, making it look more thought-out and modern.

Whether it’s blogs, e-commerce products, or user profiles, FriendlyId makes your URLs look more professional.

3. Simple Form

Forms are essential to most web applications, from user registration to order checkout. However, styling and organizing them can be tedious. SimpleForm is here to make it easier. With this gem, you can quickly generate modern, responsive forms that look great on any device.

SimpleForm simplifies the creation of forms with a clean, intuitive syntax, allowing you to focus on your app’s functionality rather than getting bogged down in repetitive code. It also offers easy customization, making it simple to style your forms to match your app’s design. Beyond aesthetics, SimpleForm ensures accessibility, allowing all users, including those with disabilities, to interact with your app seamlessly.

Your forms will no longer be an afterthought but a feature users will appreciate for their ease, clarity, and design.

4. Kaminari

Ever browsed an online shop or database and seen results divided into pages with options like “next,” “previous,” or numbered page links? That’s pagination in action, and Kaminari makes it incredibly easy to add to your Rails app.

Kaminari keeps your app’s interface clean by preventing overcrowded pages, displaying only the data users need at any given time. It’s highly flexible, allowing you to customize the pagination navigation to match your app’s theme and style. By loading only what’s necessary per page, Kaminari also improves your app’s performance, ensuring a smooth user experience.

For any app with large datasets, be it blog posts, products, or user reviews, Kaminari is a must-know gem for Rails developers.

5. Active Merchant

If your app needs payment processing, ActiveMerchant is the go-to gem. It simplifies the integration of payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, allowing you to securely handle transactions.

ActiveMerchant comes with built-in encryption and safety measures, so you can handle payments without worrying about vulnerabilities. It supports multiple gateways, giving you the flexibility to choose the best provider for your app’s needs as it scales. The gem is straightforward to set up, making it easy to implement a functional payment system in no time.

Whether it’s for an online store, subscription service, or your own website that offers services, ActiveMerchant empowers even beginners to offer professional payment solutions.

Using gems not only accelerates your learning process but also gives your apps a professional edge. They allow you to focus on your unique ideas without getting overwhelmed by repetitive tasks and coding extensively-used features from scratch.

These five gems are just the tip of the iceberg. The Rails community is constantly evolving and creating new gems for developers’ needs. So, explore, experiment, and don’t be afraid to get creative. Who knows, one day, you might even develop your own gem to share with the community!

Remember, the most impactful apps often start as small ideas. With these gems, you’re equipped to make those ideas a reality. Happy coding!