Thread by @souravinsights

Started learning Ruby on Rails this week after years of React/Next.js development. The mental model shift has been interesting & challenging!

Trying to document my journey with visuals & insights on the fundamental conceptual differences!

Thread 🧵👇

React taught me component-based thinking - UI, logic, and styling everything bundled together.

Rails forces me to separate these concerns into Models (data), Views (templates), and Controllers (coordination).

Feels like rewiring my brain!

React: Components manage UI and state, with dedicated data fetching from APIs
Rails: Data flows from database through controllers to views

Two fundamentally different approaches to the same problem. My instincts still pull me toward the React way!

As a React dev, I keep asking "What's the Rails way to do X?" It's like learning a new language where I know the meaning but not the words.

React components → Rails views+controllers useState/context → ActiveRecord
Route config → "resources :posts"

React: Component-focused development with explicit configuration for each piece
Rails: Convention-based development with standard patterns

Really like the Rails generator commands, but the real difference is in the philosophy: explicit choices vs. convention-based patterns.

React: Start with UI Components → figure out state needs → connect data later
Rails: Start with Database Models → build controllers → create views last

Biggest challenge: training my brain to think data-model-first instead of UI-first!

React: Component-focused development with explicit configuration for each piece
Rails: Convention-based development with standard patterns

Really like the Rails generators commands, but the real difference is in the philosophy: explicit choices vs. convention-based patterns.

It's just one week into Rails so I'm still adjusting my thinking. The hardest part isn't syntax - it's retraining my brain to approach problems differently.

These visuals represent my current understanding so if there's anything off, please let me know! :-)

Although I barely use Linkedin but this post was originally posted there.

Check out:
linkedin.com/posts/souravin…