This document discusses the evolution of bootstrapping Rails applications from the initial Rails generation to modular templates called App Lego. It outlines how initial Rails apps took a lot of time to set up, then skeletons and templates sped things up but lacked modularity. App Lego used templates in a modular way, allowing developers to choose which features or modules to include. Each module is its own template that can be included. The document acknowledges some downsides like long command lines but outlines future plans to improve the user experience.

1. Bootstrapping Project Code
László Bácsi
@icanscale
github.com/lackac
2009. szeptember 28.

2. In the old days
$ rails myapp
create
create app/controllers
create app/helpers
create app/models
create app/views/layouts
create config/environments
create config/initializers
create config/locales
create db
create doc
create lib
and later...
$ script/plugin install stuff
$ script/generate stuff MyStuff
$ cp -r ../other_stuff my_other_stuff
$ # and much much more other stuff
2009. szeptember 28.

3. Takes a lot of time and
effort but it’s “modular”
2009. szeptember 28.

4. Then came app skeletons
Bort
and many others
2009. szeptember 28.

5. Lightning fast but no
modularity
2009. szeptember 28.

6. Then came Rails templates
# template.rb
run "rm public/index.html"
generate(:scaffold, "person name:string")
route "map.root :controller => 'people'"
rake("db:migrate")
git :init
git :add => "."
git :commit => "-a -m 'Initial commit'"
$ rails myapp -m template.rb
2009. szeptember 28.

7. Lightning fast, easier
customization but still
no modularity
2009. szeptember 28.

8. Then came App LEGO
Using Rails templates
Modular
each feature has its own template
you can decide which modules you want
2009. szeptember 28.

9. Then came App LEGO
$ rails -m http://github.com/lackac/app_lego/raw/master/app_lego.rb my_app
...
create log/test.log
applying template: http://github.com/lackac/app_lego/raw/master/app_lego.rb
Use braid for vendor management?
y
Do you want to play LEGO?
y
Install everything without question?
n
Do basic setup? (only exclude this if you already have a Rails app skeleton with Rails 2.3+ frozen,
or as a gem)
y
applying template: http://github.com/lackac/app_lego/raw/master/basic.rb
executing rmdir tmp/{pids,sessions,sockets,cache} from /private/tmp/my_app
executing rm README log/*.log public/index.html public/images/rails.png from /private/tmp/my_app
executing find . ( -type d -empty ) -and ( -not -regex ./.git.* ) -exec touch {}/.gitignore ; from /
private/tmp/my_app
running git init
file .gitignore
executing cp config/database.yml config/database.yml.sample from /private/tmp/my_app
running git add .
running git commit -a -m 'Setting up a new rails app. Copy config/database.yml.sample to config/
database.yml and customize.'
executing braid add git://github.com/rails/rails.git vendor/rails from /private/tmp/my_app
initialized application structure
applied http://github.com/lackac/app_lego/raw/master/basic.rb
Use RSpec instead of test/unit?
y
applying template: http://github.com/lackac/app_lego/raw/master/rspec.rb
...
2009. szeptember 28.

10. Modules are plain templates
gem 'haml', :version => '>= 2.1'
gem 'chriseppstein-compass', :lib => 'compass', :version => '>= 0.3.4'
run "haml --rails ."
run "echo -e 'ynnn' | compass --rails -f blueprint"
git :add => "."
git :commit => "-a -m 'Added haml for views and compass for css'"
braid auth
basic couchdb
rspec locale
haml misc
jquery and others...
2009. szeptember 28.

11. And others...
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12. Still fast, modular and
customizable
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13. Downsides
really long command line to remember
a lot of questions
options in ENV vars
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14. Future
create wrapper script
use dependencies instead of ordering
use regular and meaningful command line
options
simple sinatra application as a user
interface
merge interesting modules
2009. szeptember 28.

15. Thank you!
László Bácsi, @icanscale
http://github.com/lackac/app_lego
2009. szeptember 28.