MariaDB as a Database Solution for Ruby on Rails Applications

• Relies on a database to store information like user accounts, product details etc.
• Provides a structure for creating web applications quickly.
• Is a popular web application framework written in Ruby.

MariaDB:

• Stores data in a structured format with tables and relationships.
• Often considered a drop-in replacement for MySQL because of its high compatibility.
• Is a relational database management system (RDBMS).

The question essentially asks:

• Can MariaDB be used as the database for a Ruby on Rails application in a production environment (i.e., a live application used by real users)?

The answer is yes:

• This compatibility extends to the way Rails interacts with the database using its API (application programming interface).
• MariaDB's compatibility with MySQL allows it to work with Rails applications designed for MySQL.
• Rails officially supports MariaDB since version 5.

This code snippet shows how to configure the mysql2 gem (which works with MariaDB) in your Rails application's Gemfile:

gem 'mysql2'

Database connection (config/database.yml):

This code defines the database connection details in your config/database.yml file:

default: &default
  adapter: mysql2
  encoding: utf8mb4
  database: your_database_name
  pool: <%= ENV['DATABASE_POOL'] || 5 %>
  username: your_username
  password: your_password
  host: localhost

development:
  <<: *default

test:
  <<: *default

production:
  <<: *default

Model definition (app/models/user.rb):

This code defines a simple User model that interacts with a MariaDB table:

class User < ApplicationRecord
  validates :name, presence: true
  validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: true
end

interacting with the database:

Here's an example of how to create a new user in the database:

user = User.new(name: "John Doe", email: "[email protected]")
user.save!

• Rails automatically reads these variables and configures the connection.
• Set environment variables like DATABASE_URL with the connection details.
• This approach avoids storing database credentials directly in your code.

Here's an example:

# In your shell environment (e.g. `.bashrc` or `.zshrc`)
export DATABASE_URL=mysql2://username:password@host:port/database_name

# In your Rails application (avoid editing config/database.yml)
# Rails will automatically pick up the connection details

Third-party gems (Less common):

• Research and understand the community support before using such gems.
• Proceed with caution as these might not be actively maintained.
• A few less common gems claim to offer MariaDB connectivity for Rails.

Here are some important points to consider when choosing an alternative method:

• Project needs: If you have specific requirements not met by mysql2 or environment variables, explore alternative gems cautiously.
• Maintainability: Using mysql2 is the most common approach and benefits from a larger support community.
• Security: Environment variables offer better security by keeping credentials out of code.