# Rails plugins vs discourse plugins - what is the difference?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/rails-plugins-vs-discourse-plugins-what-is-the-difference/127109
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [August 29, 2019, 12:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/rails-plugins-vs-discourse-plugins-what-is-the-difference/127109 "2019-08-29T12:15:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 5

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### Author: ![spirobel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/spirobel/32/170908_2.png) [@spirobel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/spirobel)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/rails-plugins-vs-discourse-plugins-what-is-the-difference/127109/5 "2019-08-29T13:00:21Z")

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> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> You need to read the plugin development howto topics here.

I read the beginners plugin guide and [this](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-start-building-stuff-for-discourse-if-youre-newbie-like-myself/45954) . Is there something else? I also looked at the code of some plugins. I just know that I need tables. And there are other plugins as well that use their own tables. Why is there this obsession with not creating new tables? Is there a big cost involved with creating new tables? Especially if they are namespaced with the plugin name at the beginning I really dont see the downside.

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