The document discusses the Rails asset pipeline. It explains that the asset pipeline precompiles, concatenates, and minifies assets. It describes the asset paths like app/assets, lib/assets, and vendor/assets that hold different types of assets. It explains that Sprockets performs the asset packaging by compiling the assets from specified paths together and placing them in the public/assets path. It also discusses concepts like using Tilt as the template engine, requiring assets in the manifest file, and common misconceptions about how assets must be organized.

1. Asset Pipeline
for dummies

2. Why?

3. Precompile

4. Concatenate

5. Minify

6. Sprockets performs the asset packaging which takes the assets from all the
specified paths, compiles them together and places them in the target path
(public/assets).

7. Tilt is the template engine that Sprockets uses. This allows file types like scss
and erb to be used in the asset pipeline.

9. Files in
Asset Paths
Asset
Pipeline

10. Asset Paths

13. app/assets
is for assets that are owned by the application, such as
custom images, JavaScript files or stylesheets.

14. app/assets
is for assets that are owned by the application, such as
custom images, JavaScript files or stylesheets.
lib/assets
is for your own libraries’ code that doesn’t really fit into the
scope of the application or those libraries which are shared
across applications.

15. app/assets
is for assets that are owned by the application, such as
custom images, JavaScript files or stylesheets.
lib/assets
is for your own libraries’ code that doesn’t really fit into the
scope of the application or those libraries which are shared
across applications.
vendor/assets
is for assets that are owned by outside entities, such as
code for JavaScript plugins and CSS frameworks.

16. the manifest

18. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.

19. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.

20. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.
• require_directory [path] requires all source files of the same format in the directory
specified by path. Files are required in alphabetical order.

21. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.
• require_directory [path] requires all source files of the same format in the directory
specified by path. Files are required in alphabetical order.
• require_tree [path] works like require_directory, but operates recursively to require all
files in all subdirectories of the directory specified by path.

22. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.
• require_directory [path] requires all source files of the same format in the directory
specified by path. Files are required in alphabetical order.
• require_tree [path] works like require_directory, but operates recursively to require all
files in all subdirectories of the directory specified by path.
• require_self tells Sprockets to insert the body of the current source file before any
subsequent require or include directives.

23. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.
• require_directory [path] requires all source files of the same format in the directory
specified by path. Files are required in alphabetical order.
• require_tree [path] works like require_directory, but operates recursively to require all
files in all subdirectories of the directory specified by path.
• require_self tells Sprockets to insert the body of the current source file before any
subsequent require or include directives.
• depend_on [path] declares a dependency on the given path without including it in the
bundle. This is useful when you need to expire an asset’s cache in response to a change in
another file.

24. • require [path] inserts the contents of the asset source file specified by path. If the file is
required multiple times, it will appear in the bundle only once.
• include [path] works like require, but inserts the contents of the specified source file even
if it has already been included or required.
• require_directory [path] requires all source files of the same format in the directory
specified by path. Files are required in alphabetical order.
• require_tree [path] works like require_directory, but operates recursively to require all
files in all subdirectories of the directory specified by path.
• require_self tells Sprockets to insert the body of the current source file before any
subsequent require or include directives.
• depend_on [path] declares a dependency on the given path without including it in the
bundle. This is useful when you need to expire an asset’s cache in response to a change in
another file.
• stub [path] allows dependency to be excluded from the asset bundle. The path must be a
valid asset and may or may not already be part of the bundle. Once stubbed, it is
blacklisted and can’t be brought back by any other require.

25. usage

27. Misconceptions

28. Files must belong in their respective paths.
For example, all JavaScript files must be in a javascripts folder within an
asset path.

29. Files must belong in their respective paths.
For example, all JavaScript files must be in a javascripts folder within an
asset path.
The truth is that the paths (stylesheets, javascripts,
images) are only there for organization.You can have
all the assets in a single folder or in a hundred.

30. Sass files need to use *erb* extension to allow for asset path inclusions
within the files.

31. Sass files need to use *erb* extension to allow for asset path inclusions
within the files.
The truth is that sass-rails provides -url and
-path helpers for the following asset types: image,
font, video, audio, JavaScript and stylesheet.

32. gems

33. faq

34. Why doesn't the auto-generated scss and coffeescript
only get included in their respective controller views?

35. Why doesn't the auto-generated scss and coffeescript
only get included in their respective controller views?

36. Do I have to use the asset pipeline?

37. Do I have to use the asset pipeline?

38. What happens if there are duplicate file
names in different asset folders?

39. What happens if there are duplicate file
names in different asset folders?

40. How can I precompile assets that aren't
to be used in the pipeline?

41. How can I precompile assets that aren't
to be used in the pipeline?

42. How can I precompile additional assets without
having to include them in the manifest?

43. How can I precompile additional assets without
having to include them in the manifest?

44. Precompile
Concatenate
Minify

46. http://coderberry.me