Rails Plugins Rich Collins r [email_address] 813-391-1080

Plugins Presentation Overview What are plugins? Why use them? When are they useful? How are they used? How are they created This is an interactive presentation. Stop me frequently to ask questions and see real code!

What are plugins?

Why use them?

When are they useful?

How are they used?

How are they created

This is an interactive presentation. Stop me frequently to ask questions and see real code!

What are Rails Plugins? A set of files containing ruby code that modifies your Rails application Rails Code Models, Helpers, Controllers … etc Libraries Templates for Generators Tests!

A set of files containing ruby code that modifies your Rails application

Rails Code

Models, Helpers, Controllers … etc

Libraries

Templates for Generators

Tests!

What are Plugins? Plugins are not just libraries … They often: Modify existing Rails classes Require database schema modification Include code generation scripts

Plugins are not just libraries … They often:

Modify existing Rails classes

Require database schema modification

Include code generation scripts

What are Plugins? Plugins are not quite Rails Engines. They usually don’t include: View templates Entire controllers Independent “sub-applications”

Plugins are not quite Rails Engines. They usually don’t include:

View templates

Entire controllers

Independent “sub-applications”

Why use Plugins? “ Rails is opinionated software” – DHH No authentication Enter acts_as_authenticated “ Start with no” – Getting Real “ Fuck You” – DHH – Canada on Rails Good luck getting new features accepted into rails

“ Rails is opinionated software” – DHH

No authentication

Enter acts_as_authenticated

“ Start with no” – Getting Real

“ Fuck You” – DHH – Canada on Rails

Good luck getting new features accepted into rails

When to use Plugins You want to abstract common cross-application patterns to re-usable components: Tagging of data - acts_as_taggable Versioning of data - acts_as_versioned Voting on data - acts_as_voteable

You want to abstract common cross-application patterns to re-usable components:

Tagging of data - acts_as_taggable

Versioning of data - acts_as_versioned

Voting on data - acts_as_voteable

When to use Plugins Common Plugin Patterns: Models: acts_as: voteable, taggable, versioned … etc Views: Markaby, Google Maps, CSS Graphs, Rails Widgets … etc Other: Controllers, Tests … etc

Common Plugin Patterns:

Models:

acts_as: voteable, taggable, versioned … etc

Views:

Markaby, Google Maps, CSS Graphs, Rails Widgets … etc

Other:

Controllers, Tests … etc

How to use Plugins Locating: script/plugin list Installing: script/plugin install acts_as_voteable Updating: script/plugin update acts_as_voteable Removing: Script/plugin remove acts_as_voteable

Locating:

script/plugin list

Installing:

script/plugin install acts_as_voteable

Updating:

script/plugin update acts_as_voteable

Removing:

Script/plugin remove acts_as_voteable

How to use Plugins README, Rdoc: /README rake doc:plugins

README, Rdoc:

/README

rake doc:plugins

How to use Plugins Run Tests! rake test:plugins Use test generators if present script/generate acts_as_voteable_test post rake test

Run Tests!

rake test:plugins

Use test generators if present

script/generate acts_as_voteable_test post

rake test

How to use Plugins The common acts_as pattern: class User acts_as_voter end class Post acts_as_voteable end

The common acts_as pattern:

class User

acts_as_voter

end

class Post

acts_as_voteable

end

How to use Plugins The acts_as_voter and acts_as_voteable calls add methods to the User and Post classes: User#vote_up User#vote_down Post#up_votes Post#down_votes Post.find_top

The acts_as_voter and acts_as_voteable calls add methods to the User and Post classes:

User#vote_up

User#vote_down

Post#up_votes

Post#down_votes

Post.find_top

How to use Plugins Plugins often require database schema modifications votes table Good plugins make these modifications easy script/generate acts_as_voteable migration rake migrate

Plugins often require database schema modifications

votes table

Good plugins make these modifications easy

script/generate acts_as_voteable migration

rake migrate

How to use Plugins Plugin Guts – Initialization Files install.rb – is executed when plugin is installed Generate code, run tests … etc init.rb – is executed each time the application is restarted Mixin modules, initialize variables … etc

Plugin Guts – Initialization Files

install.rb – is executed when plugin is installed

Generate code, run tests … etc

init.rb – is executed each time the application is restarted

Mixin modules, initialize variables … etc

How to use Plugins Plugin Guts – Directories /lib Modules, models … etc /generators Generator code and templates /test Tests for plugin verification /tasks rake tasks (also see Rakefile)

Plugin Guts – Directories

/lib

Modules, models … etc

/generators

Generator code and templates

/test

Tests for plugin verification

/tasks

rake tasks (also see Rakefile)

How to use Plugins Live Coding Session :S

Live Coding Session :S

Plugin Recap What are plugins? Ruby code & scripts that modify and extend the Rails framework Why use them? Your features are unlikely to be added to Rails. DRY, Modularity & Abstraction

What are plugins?

Ruby code & scripts that modify and extend the Rails framework

Why use them?

Your features are unlikely to be added to Rails.

DRY, Modularity & Abstraction

Plugin Recap How do I use them? script/install rake test:plugins script/generate [plugin related code] Mixin plugin functionality. (edit models - add acts_as calls)

How do I use them?

script/install

rake test:plugins

script/generate [plugin related code]

Mixin plugin functionality. (edit models - add acts_as calls)

Contact Info Rich Collins [email_address] http://richcollins.net/ http://guruza.com/

Rich Collins

[email_address]

http://richcollins.net/

http://guruza.com/