Ruby and a Database

Hi there, I am not very familiar with databases but am helping a friend look at different options for her company.

What she needs to have done is a database that allows clients to enter in job openings and also search student resumes and where students can post their resumes and search job openings. The quotes have been pretty high and somebody mentioned looking into Ruby. Does anybody know if Ruby could do this sort of database fairly easily? I was reading up on Ruby, but don't know enough to give her an answer.

Thanks!
Jill

Ruby is not a database platform, it's a programming language; it can, however, be made to connect with a database such as MySQL or Postgresql, both of which are free and quite powerful.


Please check with the Database forums for further information.

Thanks for clearning that up for me!

Cheers!

Ruby is newer than say PHP/MySQL, so there are likely fewer solutions. If you go to <http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php?form_cat=66> you can look for open source solutions. MySQL is a widely used database and PHP connects it to the web. "Ruby on Rails" puts Ruby on the web. You should look at sites that do similar things and find out what they are using. You probably shouldn't be concerned at first with how it's done (PHP, Ruby or whatever), but can it be deployed easily and can it maintained (and there it may matter what the underlying technology is). But it sounds like what she's looking for will have to be custom developed, but it might be able to be done from a pre-existing software. CMS (content management systems) have a bunch of web accessible things altogether in one package and may do the job. But it's really difficult to find one that matches your needs and can be set up to work as you want. I have no idea of what it should cost of or what her quote was, but a cheap quote doesn't mean it will be the most cost effective.

Good luck.

Thanks for the information! Yes, it looks like it will be a fairly pricey endeavor! Her quote looks to be between 6-8K. But at least she has some idea of questions to ask from the info you told me!
Cheers!

note that you can write CGI scripts in Ruby for use on the web, much like you can write CGI's in Perl; Rails isn't required.