How much does it cost to hire an offshore Ruby developer?

Ruby is a hugely popular pure object-oriented and open-source programming language created in the mid-1990s by the Japanese national Yukihiro Matsumoto. Its name was derived out of the creator’s suggestion that it was a jewel of a language. The language’s first version, Ruby 0.95, was released in 1995, and there have been subsequent versions following from there ever since. Ruby’s design philosophy ensured that the language is complete, simple, extensible, and portable. It is compatible with most common software platforms such as Windows, DOS, Macintosh, OS/2, and BeOS. Ruby fanatics highlight the language’s readability with anyone accustomed to any modern language.

Ruby has grown to be among some of the developers’ programming languages of choice. As a result, over the years, it has found its applications in the following areas: 

• Web development.
• Static site generation.
• DevOps and automation.
• Data processing.
• Web servers.

There are three major types of programming language, namely Ruby 1.0, Ruby 2.0, and Ruby 3.0.

Ruby 1.0

It was the first release. It includes several features that have become characteristic in later language releases, such as object orientation, inheritance classes, iterators, exception handling, mixins, and garbage collection.

Ruby 2.0

Ruby 2.0 was published in February 2013. It was designed to be compatible with Ruby 1.9.3. Upon its release, there were only a few minor incompatibilities. This release introduced several key features to the Ruby programming language. These included:

• Method keyword arguments.
• A new method for extending a class is called Module#prepend.
• A new application programming interface, also known as API, for the lazy evaluation of enumerable.
• A new literal for creating an array of symbols.
• A new convention of using #to_h for the conversion of objects to Harshes.

Ruby 3.0

The Ruby 3.0, also known as Ruby 3×3, was introduced in December 2020. 

One of its major areas of thrust is to make programs quicker by switching to a Just In Time Compiler.

A Ruby developer is a back-end developer who utilizes the programming language to come up with databases, libraries, and logic that result in an application. They usually have a bachelor's degree in computer science or architecture, in addition to other programming certifications. Ruby developers are responsible for coding new applications and carrying out maintenance on existing ones. They should also work hand in glove with front-end development teams to ensure that the user interface features of the programs work in a manner that is in sync with the embedded code.

Based on experience, Ruby web application developers can generally be put into three categories. These are described below.

Entry-level Ruby developer

These are also referred to as junior developers. They would have recently graduated from college or completed their Ruby development certification programs. These have minimal to zero programming experience and best work under the supervision of a senior software developer. Despite having limited experience, entry-level Ruby developers prove handy, especially on large projects, which require the collaboration of many programmers. 

Mid-level Ruby developer

Mid-level developers would have gained about 3 to 5 years of Ruby programming. Their portfolio includes several finished projects, and they will be able to work with minimum to no supervision. They also represent the highest percentile of developers on the job market. Part of mid-level developers is to superintend over junior ones.

Senior Ruby developer

Senior developers can easily be called expert Ruby programmers. They would have accumulated over ten years of experience. They are competent enough to preside over any project size. Most often, senior Ruby developers are not involved in the coding operations. They provide much-needed guidance to mid-level engineers. Senior Ruby developers are the ones who will be responsible for the final product comprehensively, and they are the smallest percentile of professionals on the market.

A Ruby developer has several duties and responsibilities. While these vary depending on the particular organization one is working for. They generally include the following:

• Scripting secure Ruby code for programs.
• Designing and developing user-friendly web applications.
• Identifying and rectifying bottlenecks and bugs.
• API maintenance.
• Solving technical glitches in existing web applications.
• Developing back-end components.
• Linking applications with additional web servers.

Besides having a basic knowledge of the programming language, there are other skills that one requires to fully function as a Ruby developer. A recruiter should assess these before they hire a Ruby developer.

Ruby skills

Syntax knowledge

Ruby developers should have exceptional knowledge of language syntax. They should be familiar with loops, modules, classes, conditional statements, and so on. It is handy as it results in efficient code and reduces project timeframes.

OOP

Developers should also be knowledgeable on the basic concepts of object-oriented programming. These include objects, inheritance, composition, and so on. 

Front-end skills

Front-end developer skills are a must for Ruby developers. Otherwise, their work will not find widespread usage. The developers should keep synchronized with the latest versions of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

Grip on tools

Technical skills are not the only requisite for website development. Developers need to be competent in terms of code, tools, team management, and deployment. 

Soft skills

These should not be overlooked when defining a Ruby developers’ skill set. They are critical in project implementation. They include communication, understanding of different cultures, passion, and research skills.

There are several types of Ruby software programmers. These are namely freelancers, in-house engineers, and outsource programmers. It is paramount to be aware of these so that you hire a Ruby developer who is best suited for the task.

Freelance Ruby developers

Freelancers are independent contractors who do development on behalf of clients on various projects. They maintain their right to accept or deny projects. Freelancers dictate their terms of service, such as the hours they will work and the payment rates. There are numerous freelancing Ruby developers online. To complete a project, you might have to hire several of them at once. Freelance Ruby developers are usually hired by organizations that are unable to hire full-time developers or do not have enough projects to justify one. The problem with freelancer developers is that they may lack sufficient commitment to do your project according to specifications as they usually do have anyone supervising them.

In-house Ruby engineers

An in-house Ruby developer is a programmer who is already present within the organization. They do not require any external help to perform the tasks assigned to them. In-house Ruby developers enable you to have full control over the development process. They will be familiar with the company culture and won’t find difficulties in making adjustments if needed. The other benefit of in-house developers is they report directly to the project administrators. Therefore, communication is made easier, changes are implemented faster, and chances of mistakes due to communication problems are eliminated. However, the challenge with in-house engineers is the high costs associated with hiring them.

Outsourced Ruby developers

Outsourced Ruby developers are those who are accessed outside the organization to tackle a particular project. The advantage of these is they are usually experts in that particular area and will quickly bring the much-need results. The advantage of outsourced Ruby developers is that they help you cut costs, increase efficiency, and are usually competent.

A Ruby project description should have several key elements. These will help the project scope be clear and avoid mistakes due to misunderstandings in the implementation stage. A proper project description should highlight the following.

Ruby project title

The job title should be as clear and short as possible.

Ruby project requirements

This section is critical. It provides much-needed detail on the purpose of the project. It includes essential project parameters, such as the function, timelines, and resources needed. It is where aspects such as the user interface and so on are detailed.

Technical specifications for Ruby project

The project description should also cover technical specifications. Having clearly outlined technical aspects of the project, such as database structures, communication, and security protocols, will ensure that the project is implemented according to requirements.

Development outline for Ruby project

The project description should also detail the work plan in the form of a flow chart. It serves the various stages that should be executed in their orderly manner and the timeframes in which those stages are expected to have been completed.

The following are some of the toughest Ruby skills assessment questions that every developer should be asked to establish their competence levels:

• Why is Ruby identified as a language of flexibility?
• What does Rails Active Record mean in Ruby on Rails?
• Are instance methods private or public?
• Describe the types of associations and relationships that a model has.