Brock described Ruby's database support as "fantastic" because it connects to MySQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2. "There are no configuration files other than the one you specify which database to connect to," Brock said.

It's this model that makes Ruby on Rails database agnostic so developers can code once and transport it to any database. In addition to its database independence, Ruby runs on Linux, Mac OS X, Unix and Windows.

Brock's development platform is Mac OS X but he deploys on FreeBSD Unix.

Ruby can also be used to develop desktop applications but Brock said that's not where its strength lies.

"It's best as a Web development language and Ruby will not replace the .Net framework," he said. "I would bet my business on Ruby as it's very reliable and not likely to buckle under load. There are mission critical sites running on Ruby."