Ruby is a dynamic programming language that gained significant popularity in the mid-2000s, particularly for developing Model-View-Controller (MVC) websites using the Ruby on Rails (RoR) framework. While it is less commonly used for modern APIs and Single Page Applications, Ruby remains a viable option for building APIs. Its ease of use and feature set make it comparable to Python, although both languages encounter challenges with the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) when scaling. Ruby's active open-source community promotes easy entry for newcomers, though documentation may be less centralized compared to other languages like .NET. Ruby on Rails is the most popular framework for Ruby web development, with other frameworks like Grape and Sinatra also used for creating RESTful APIs. The language supports GraphQL API development and offers various libraries, known as gems, for tasks such as authentication, JSON handling, database interaction, and testing. Additionally, Ruby is equipped with tools for building WebSocket applications, enabling developers to create real-time web applications.