Ruby on Rails

RoR on NetBeans

• Creating an RoR blog in NetBeans

Before Nov 2007

• Testing: Test-driven development

Sessions

• Ensure that Rails sessions remains valid over subdomains and https

CSV support

• Acts as Convertible plugin

Accepting XML or YAML

• http://www.railsweenie.com/forums/2/topics/709

Receiving email in Rails

• How to create records in Rails app database using inbound email including image file attachments
• How to receive emails with ActionMailer

Transforming models to XML

Use to_xml. Options are:

• :except: exclude these attributes
• :include: include the specified models
• :dasherize: if true, convert use dashes for spaces

file_column plugin

• The plugin also adds methods to help with unit tests. Refer to the file file_column/lib/test_case.rb
  • setup_fixture_files
  • teardown_fixture_files

Caching

• Action and fragment caching (Rails Envy)
• Page caching (Rails Envy)

Tagging

• Growing up your acts_as_taggable (by Snax): the best way to implement it
• Other sources
  • acts_as_taggable_on_steroids plugin
  • acts_as_taggable plugin
  • acts_as_taggable gem

Deployment using clusters

• Using Mongrel Cluster from the Mongrel creators
• Pound vs. Pen: Because You Need A Load-Balancing Proxy
• An opinion on the matter
• Deploying Ruby on Rails, Mongrel, and Pen on a MediaTemple (dv) 3.0 Server

Handling missing actions and other exceptions

Override the method method_missing(methodname, *args) to handle missing actions (i.e. error 404)

  def method_missing(methodname, *args)
    @methodname = methodname
    @args = args
    render :action => "404", :status => 404
  end

More info at:

• Rails: Custom 404 Pages (Hoopla!)
• Handling Rails 404 and 500 errors (Invert Your Mind)

Doing something before an action

• Use before_filter :some_method to do something before an action, such as requiring authentication.
• Use skip_before_filter :some_method if you want a subclass to skip it's parent class's before_filters.

Authentication

• Don't use LoginEngine. I used LoginEngine for a while, but then they stopped supporting it.
• Use acts_as_authenticated.
  • Setup mailer
  • Conditional authentication, e.g. for HTTP authentication

Install on Mac OS X

Use DarwinPorts (renamed MacPorts), which will install necessary software in /opt. (details)

• Also refer to the addendum
• Requires setting socket /opt/local/var/run/mysql5/mysqld.sock in database.yml.

Speed up CSV parsing in Ruby on Rails

The CSV::Reader class in Ruby is slow at parsing CSV files. Use FasterCSV (details).

Prevent logging of form data

Use filter_parameter_logging "name_of_parameter". (details).

Variables

Protocol, host, and port of request

request.protocol + request.host_with_port

Session id

session.session_id

Miscellaneous

• 19 Rails Tricks Most Rails Coders Don't Know