# JRuby vs Grails

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/jruby-vs-grails/132761>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 24, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/jruby-vs-grails/132761 "2008-03-24T14:42:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/jruby-vs-grails/132761/1 "2008-03-24T14:42:44Z")

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Hi you all,  
(this thread is not important, it’s just I would appreciate your opinion  
if you can throw it out :D)

I’m involved in a P2P Java desktop app that have to be transformed in a  
Web app. I am not willing to rewrite the Java app that is already done  
and, apart from that, I have to use specific libraries such as JXTA or  
Jena.

So I started to learn Grails. However, in my humble opinion, Grails is  
far away from Rails, even though is quite similar. The advantage is that  
I wouldn’t have to touch anything of the Java classes already  
implemented.

So, the second option would be implement this with the help of JRuby. In  
this case, will I have to transform the Java classes already done, or  
they can stay (almost) as they are? Can I use the Java libraries  
normally?

Anyone has come with these same two choices? I will apreciate hearing  
from you then, to see what you finally chose.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@damaris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/damaris)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/jruby-vs-grails/132761/2 "2008-03-24T18:16:18Z")

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On Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 8:42 AM, Damaris F.  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> So I started to learn Grails. However, in my humble opinion, Grails is  
> far away from Rails, even though is quite similar. The advantage is that  
> I wouldn’t have to touch anything of the Java classes already  
> implemented.
> 
> So, the second option would be implement this with the help of JRuby. In  
> this case, will I have to transform the Java classes already done, or  
> they can stay (almost) as they are? Can I use the Java libraries  
> normally?

Sure, you can call into Java just fine from JRuby in most cases. See  
[http://wiki.jruby.org/wiki/Calling\_Java\_from\_JRuby](http://wiki.jruby.org/wiki/Calling_Java_from_JRuby) for a starting  
point.

/Nick