# Migration to ROR

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 3, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541 "2008-05-03T10:37:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/1 "2008-05-03T10:37:17Z")

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What is the best approach to migrate an application from a technology  
(like Java) to Ruby on Rails?

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**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/2 "2008-05-03T13:10:08Z")

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Vidya Ramachandren wrote:

> What is the best approach to migrate an application from a technology  
> (like Java) to Ruby on Rails?

* * *

Hi Vidya,

You are lucky enough to have Jruby at your rescue.

Learn more about JRuby and you’re the winner all the way.

All you need is Netbeans 6.1 + JVM ( Both free )

Hope this helps.

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**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/3 "2008-05-03T13:20:26Z")

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Thanks.  
What about migration from other technologies?

Web R. wrote:

> Vidya Ramachandren wrote:
> 
> > What is the best approach to migrate an application from a technology  
> > (like Java) to Ruby on Rails?
> 
> * * *
> 
> Hi Vidya,
> 
> You are lucky enough to have Jruby at your rescue.
> 
> Learn more about JRuby and you’re the winner all the way.
> 
> All you need is Netbeans 6.1 + JVM ( Both free )
> 
> Hope this helps.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/4 "2008-05-03T14:12:59Z")

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Vidya Ramachandren wrote:

> What is the best approach to migrate an application from a technology  
> (like Java) to Ruby on Rails?

Ask whoever needs the new application what the most important _new_  
feature  
is that they need.

Build a view with one button that does that feature. Leave the old  
program  
online, deploy the new program, and tell your users to open that view to  
hit  
that button when they need it.

Ask your client what the next feature is that they need. When you add  
it,  
replicate a little of the old system into the new one. The point is to  
phase  
out the old system. That pattern is called “strangler fig”. Eventually  
the  
most common usage of the system will not use the old parts, only the new  
parts.

The alternative is this:

> **[O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](https://www.oreilly.com)**
>
> Gain technology and business knowledge and hone your skills with learning resources created and curated by O'Reilly's experts: live online training, video, books, our platform has content from 200+ of the world's best publishers.

Tip: Do not wait 2 years before deploying your app! Deploy it  
immediately  
and then add features to it.

## Write unit tests for everything you do (and port the original tests over

if any!).

–  
Phlip  
[Test Driven Ajax (on Rails) [Book]](http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596510657/)  
“Test Driven Ajax (on Rails)”  
assert\_xpath, assert\_javascript, & assert\_ajax

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/5 "2008-05-03T18:12:10Z")

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Vidya:

Unfortunately the best way is probably to go through some of the  
beginning tutorials (I would look for rails 2.0 specific ones if  
possible), and then getting the Rails Way as a reference as you begin  
to migrate over.

You’ll also want to break down what the current application does, what  
models you’d need, controllers etc. Luckily Rails will make it pretty  
easy once you get used to it.

On May 3, 2:37 am, Vidya Ramachandren \<rails-mailing-l…@andreas-

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vidya1111](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/vidya1111)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-to-ror/136541/6 "2008-05-05T17:32:10Z")

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Unless your current site is in an MVC framework already, you basically  
have to start from scratch. But, the good news is that you’ve already  
got your HTML/CSS which is half the battle.

Here’s my proposed steps:

1. Sit down and really understand the differences between models,  
views, and controllers – i.e. understanding what each is used for and  
how to determine what code goes in which section
2. Rethink your current site in an MVC-mindset (don’t try to do this  
while in step 1)
3. Code your models
4. Code your controllers
5. Code your views

On May 3, 3:37 am, Vidya Ramachandren \<rails-mailing-l…@andreas-