RailsConf 2024: Riffing on Rails: sketch your way to better designed code

Say you've been tasked with building a feature or subsystem in a Rails app. How do you get started? How do you plan out your objects? How do you figure out the names, responsibilities, and relationships? While some reach for pen & paper and others dive straight into implementation, there's a third option: Riffing on Rails.

When you riff, you work with Ruby code in a scratch file to help drive your design. This way you get rapid feedback and can revise as quickly as you had the idea — try out alternative implementations too! It's great for building shared understanding by pairing with a coworker.

Walk away with new ideas for improving your software making process: one where code is less daunting & precious. Riffing gives you space & grace to try more approaches & ideas. Let's riff!

Transcript

1. @@export_scripts@@ SPEAKER: Kasper Timm Hansen Speaker Bio: Kasper is an independent Rails consultant with a strong focus on clear naming and Domain Modeling. He used to be on the Rails core team where he reviewed & merged over 1000 contributor PRs. Kasper is still involved in Open Source with his own gems that take Rails further and he’s contracted for Bullet Train too, so he’s more than happy to talk about that work. He’s also developing a new software development technique called Riffing, that he’s amped to see how it could fit and level up you and your team’s process. ROOM: 140 E-G
2. @@export_scripts@@ Riffing on Rails Sketch your way to better designed code
3. @@export_scripts@@ Hi, it's Kasper
4. @@export_scripts@@ Today let's talk about code design
5. @@export_scripts@@ Figuring out the names, responsibilities, and relationships
6. @@export_scripts@@ How do we get better designs?
7. @@export_scripts@@ I don't actually know. Sorry.
8. @@export_scripts@@ Better design requires a process
9. @@export_scripts@@ How this came about
10. @@export_scripts@@ Overwhelmed → Anxious
11. @@export_scripts@@ "I just want to ship"
12. @@export_scripts@@ My way out with riffing
13. @@export_scripts@@ Our meal plan what riffing is 1. benefits 2. obstacles 3. demo 4.
14. @@export_scripts@@ Non compete Just one more tool in your toolbox
15. @@export_scripts@@ how it works - use a single Ruby file - lean on conventions as much as possible - use near runnable code
16. @@export_scripts@@ we're aiming to - learn about the problem - surface unknowns
17. @@export_scripts@@ Sessions are usually ~40-60min
18. @@export_scripts@@ we do a Lil' Demo as a treat
19. @@export_scripts@@ # Users can favorite other objects in our system class User has_many :favorites def favorite(record) = favorites.create!(record:) end class User::Favorite belongs_to :user belongs_to :record, polymorphic: true end class Users::FavoritesController def create Current.user.favorite SignedGlobalID.find(params[:id], only: [Post, Comment], for: :user_favorites) end end
20. @@export_scripts@@ Riffing Benefits
21. @@export_scripts@@ Fewer sunk costs Low Friction
22. @@export_scripts@@ Compare Alternatives
23. @@export_scripts@@ more XP per feature
24. @@export_scripts@@ Embody the problem
25. @@export_scripts@@ Get things out of my head
26. @@export_scripts@@ Negative Emotions are now really useful
27. @@export_scripts@@ Riffing Obstacles
28. @@export_scripts@@ You need to know some APIs
29. @@export_scripts@@ A blank file
30. @@export_scripts@@ Uhh, no tests
31. @@export_scripts@@ Getting stuck
32. @@export_scripts@@ When in doubt, experiment more
33. @@export_scripts@@ Let's riff
34. @@export_scripts@@ Wrap up
35. @@export_scripts@@ Receipts ~6 hours from live sessions youtube.com/@kaspth-final1-psd
36. @@export_scripts@@ How you can start to riff
37. @@export_scripts@@ Pick out UI you like ex. Overcast settings, GitHub sponsors
38. @@export_scripts@@ Start with a coworker
39. @@export_scripts@@ Team leads write up a prompt – ask team to riff for 30 min – compare –
40. @@export_scripts@@ Cheap to run so it's never a loss
41. @@export_scripts@@ One more thing: make it executable require "bundler/inline"; gemfile do gem "activerecord", require: "active_record" gem "sqlite3" end ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection adapter: "sqlite3", database: ":memory:" ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new STDOUT ActiveRecord::Schema.define do create_table :users create_table :posts do |t| t.references :user, null: false, index: true t.string :title, null: false end end class User < ActiveRecord::Base has_many :posts end class Post < ActiveRecord::Base belongs_to :user end user = User.create! post = Post.create! user:, title: "First" binding.irb
42. @@export_scripts@@ Hack Day 10am-noon Oaken 2pm-4pm We riff on your thing
43. @@export_scripts@@ Taking Rails further active_record- associated_object active_job- performs … active_record- ingress action_controller- stashed_redirects Bullet Train nice_partials showcase-rails Experimental brb-templates hercule-poro
44. @@export_scripts@@ Work with me →→→ hey@kaspth.com github.com/kaspth twitter.com/kaspth ruby.social/@kaspth