Upgrade to Pro
— share decks privately, control downloads, hide ads and more …
Speaker Deck
Sign up for free
Menu
Search
Features
All features
Private URLs
Password Protection
Custom URLS
Scheduled publishing
Remove Branding
Restrict embedding
Deck Collections
Notes
Features
All features
Private URLs
Password Protection
Custom URLS
Scheduled publishing
Remove Branding
Restrict embedding
Deck Collections
Notes
Explore
Featured decks
Featured speakers
Programming
Technology
Storyboards
Explore
Featured decks
Featured speakers
Programming
Technology
Storyboards
Pricing
Search
Sign in
Sign up for free
The Even Darker Art of Rails Engines
Search
lazyatom
May 05, 2009
Programming
680
1
Share
Embed
Copy iframe code
Copy JS code
Copy link
Start on current slide
The Even Darker Art of Rails Engines
Given at RailsConf 2009
lazyatom
May 05, 2009
More Decks by lazyatom
See All by lazyatom
Here's to the crazy ones
lazyatom
1
930
Why is nobody using Refinements?
lazyatom
0
1.3k
Deploying Rails with Docker
lazyatom
5
830
IoT Printer
lazyatom
0
500
Do we need any more test frameworks?
lazyatom
0
91
Gem That (2009)
lazyatom
0
510
The Dark Art of Rails Plugins
lazyatom
0
570
Extending Rails with Plugins (2007)
lazyatom
0
340
Engines: Team Development on Rails
lazyatom
0
650
Other Decks in Programming
See All in Programming
From 6 People Classroom Meetup to 100 People Regional Conference / FOSS4G Hiroshima 2026
furukawayasuto
0
140
Intent as Code
shoppingjaws
6
950
[DroidKaigi 2026] Bring your own phones to Gradle Managed Devices
f2lk
0
120
20260914 AIエージェント時代のPlatform Engineering LLM基盤とプロダクトの責務境界線
kanfab1
6
1.6k
変化を抱擁するドキュメントの作り方 - ビジネスルール駆動開発がもたらす、コードとの新しい関係
ioki
2
150
フロントエンドUIフレームワークのこれまでとこれから
ssssota
5
2.5k
コンパウンドプロダクト開発のためのローカルプロセスマネージャー再発明 #layerxgo
izumin5210
0
670
初心者DevRelとして参加者だった私が、DevRel Talks!#2に登壇するまでにしてきたこと
sokohirai
0
370
Swift愛好会と私(ウホーイ) / Swift Fan Club and Uhooi
uhooi
0
150
業務時間外もAIに働いてもらう話
colorful12
3
10k
高専キャリア LT 発表内容
crysta1221
6
5.7k
Foundry Localでエージェント開発
seosoft
0
180
Featured
See All Featured
Writing Fast Ruby
sferik
630
63k
From π to Pie charts
rasagy
0
360
Speed Design
sergeychernyshev
33
2.1k
Why Our Code Smells
bkeepers
PRO
340
58k
Tips & Tricks on How to Get Your First Job In Tech
honzajavorek
1
730
ReactJS: Keep Simple. Everything can be a component!
pedronauck
666
130k
The Art of Programming - Codeland 2020
erikaheidi
57
14k
Creating an realtime collaboration tool: Agile Flush - .NET Oxford
marcduiker
35
2.6k
Responsive Adventures: Dirty Tricks From The Dark Corners of Front-End
smashingmag
254
22k
Mozcon NYC 2025: Stop Losing SEO Traffic
samtorres
1
530
How to build a perfect <img>
jonoalderson
1
6k
The AI Revolution Will Not Be Monopolized: How open-source beats economies of scale, even for LLMs
inesmontani
PRO
3
3.7k
Transcript
The Even-Darker Art of Rails Engines
@lazyatom
github.com/lazyatom/engines
Rails 2.3
history
November 2005
it’s distracting!
reuse is overrated!
Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil! Shit!
eek!
appable_plugins
desert
merb slices?
None
engines
!"#$%&!"#$'#(%&$#)&!"#$%&*$+,#-.!) !"#$%&'() $$*%&'()$++,$-'%!.%&'()./0#'12%)/'0 "0! 3$405/0"6$%1"$7-(5/06$8/)9$%0$%77:$!/1";)'1<= !"#$"05/0"> $$9%6.%77.!/1";)'1<> "0! 3$?")(106$)1("$/#$)9"$"05/0"$69/76$8/)9$%$1'()/05$#/-" !"#$1'()"!>
$$@/-"="A/6)>B1'()/05.#/-"C "0! !"#$D/"8.7%)9 $$@/-"=E'/0B!/1";)'1<F$G%77GF$GD/"86GC "0!
app/controllers/ models/ helpers/ views/ metal/
*$+,#-&"**&23-'!3$$(!&*$+,#-523-'!3$$(!.!) ;-%66$H-(5/0I'0)1'--"1/0/1**$#2"'#3-43-'!3$$(! $$!"#$/0!"A $$$$1"0!"1$J)"A)$,K$LM"--'F$H-(5/0NL $$"0! "0!
9"-7"1$J%-- won’t load from your plugin
Ticket #1905
config/routes.rb
O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$2%7=;'00";)$G:7%)9GF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L7-(5/0LF$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$J%;)/'0$,K$L/0!"AL "0! *$+,#-&23-6#,&!3+'(%.!)
top precedence
O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$2%7=;'00";)$G:7%)9GF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L7-(5/0LF$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$J%;)/'0$,K$L/0!"AL "0! O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$3$===$')9"1$1'()"6$=== $$2%7=;'00";)$G:7%)9GF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L%77LF$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$J%;)/'0$,K$L/0!"AL $$3$===$')9"1$1'()"6$=== "0!
in your plugin: in your app:
O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$2%7=;'00";)$G:7%)9GF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L7-(5/0LF$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$J%;)/'0$,K$L/0!"AL "0! O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$3$===$')9"1$1'()"6$=== $$2%7=;'00";)$G:7%)9GF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L%77LF$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$J%;)/'0$,K$L/0!"AL $$3$===$')9"1$1'()"6$=== "0!
in your plugin: in your app:
Ticket #2592 (also Ticket #329)
785*$+,#-&$#)&785*$+,#-.!) 2'!(-"$P<H-(5/0 $$!"#$6"-#=%!!.1'()"6B7"*C $$$$2%7=;'00";)$L:6)(##LF$J;'0)1'--"1$,K$L)9/056L $$"0! "0! O;)/'0I'0)1'--"1JJ?'()/05JJ?'()"6=!1%8$!'$+2%7+ $$3$<'(1$%77$1'()"6=== $$P<H-(5/0=%!!.1'()"6B2%7C $$3$");===
"0!
what’s missing?
public assets
copy
file clash
83+!5*$+,#-&#-%'"$$.!) 2<./2%5"6$,$H%)90%2"=0"8B@/-"=!/10%2"
[email protected]
$S$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$L%66")6:/2%5"6L )%15")$,$?%/-6=1'')$S$L7(&-/;:/2%5"6:2<.7-(5/0L @/-"T)/-6=2U!/1.7B)%15")C 2<./2%5"6=;9/-!1"0="%;9$!'$+"+$ $$$$@/-"T)/-6=;7.1B"F$)%15")$S$"=&%6"0%2"C$ "0!
83+!5*$+,#-&#-%'"$$.!) 2<./2%5"6$,$H%)90%2"=0"8B@/-"=!/10%2"
[email protected]
$S$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$L%66")6:/2%5"6L )%15")$,$?%/-6=1'')$S$L7(&-/;:/2%5"6:2<.7-(5/0L )%15")=2%U".6<2-/0UB2<./2%5"6C$(0-"66$)%15")="A/6)>
migrations
simple DSL
rollback
!&:2/51%)": $$VWWXWYWYYVYVZ[.%-79%=1& version 20090101121234 20090102142345 2008123123456 VWWXWYWVY[VZ[\.&")%=1& 7-(5/0:!&:2/51%)": $$VWW]YVZYZ[\^.5%22%=1&
version 20090101121234 20090102142345 2008123123456 1%U"$!&J1'--&%;U P/51%)'1=1'--&%;U P/51%)'13;(11"0).D"16/'0 P/51%)'132/51%)"!=-%6) P/51%)'1=5").%--.D"16/'06 BL_4R4I`$D"16/'0$@?aP$
$ $ $$6;9"2%.2/51%)/'06LC =2%7BbJ)'./C=6'1)
it gets worse
!&:2/51%)": $$WWY.%-79%=1& version 001 002 WWV.&")%=1& 7-(5/0:!&:2/51%)": $$WWY.5%22%=1&
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bk2204/475332962/
single timeline
app migration 1 app migration 2 plugin migration 1 app
migration 3 plugin migra install upgrade You Me
app migration 1 app migration 2 plugin migration 1 app
migration 3 plugin migration 2 You
WW[.!"-)%=1& !&:2/51%)": $$WWY.%-79%=1& WWV.&")%=1& 7-(5/0:!&:2/51%)": $$WWY.5%22%=1& WWZ.7-(5/0.)'.WWY=1&
WW[.!"-)%=1& !&:2/51%)": $$WWY.%-79%=1& WWV.&")%=1& 7-(5/0:!&:2/51%)": $$WWY.5%22%=1& WWZ.7-(5/0.)'.WWY=1& Copy & Retimestamp?
Reference? Symlink?
Ticket #2058 interblah.net/plugin-migrations
my recommendation? (for the moment, at least)
write a generator c$6;1/7):5"0"1%)"$%;)6.%6.#(.2/51%)/'06 $$$$ $$$"A/6)6$$!&:2/51%)" $$$;1"%)"$$!&:2/51%)":VWWXW\W\YYYZZd.&-%9=1& c$=== (within your
plugin)
techniques
overriding functionality
views just work
controllers
straight override
None
None
module
None
None
None
namespaced
None
None
None
playing nice with the class cache
1/23*8/36/1**$#2"'#3-43-'!3$$(!/ 9"%/)((-/!(73:(;/6!37/'9(/73;+$(/ '!((/)+'/#%/%'#$$/"2'#:(<< < < < < < < !
O;)/D"_(77'1)JJe"7"0!"0;/"6=-'%!.'0;".7%)96
ApplicationController AppController PluginController
ApplicationController PluginController
23-6#,&(-:#!3-7(-'.!) ?%/-6JJQ0/)/%-/f"1=1(0$!'$+;'0#/5+ $$3$");=== $$;'0#/5=1"-'%!.7-(5/06$,$)1(" $$ "0!
83+!5*$+,#-&"**&23-'!3$$(!%&,33;523-'!3$$(!.!) ;-%66$g''!I'0)1'--"1$h$=== $$(0-'%!%&-" $$ $$3$");$=== "0!
init.rb woes
;'0#/5=)'.71"7%1"$!' $$ "0! 785*$+,#-&#-#'.!) $$_'2"O77I-%66="A)"0!BP<i"9%D/'(1C
testing
ApplicationController PluginController AppController
ApplicationController PluginController Their Code Your Code
None
! " # $
None
unit test?
test in your own rails environment?
plugin_test_helper
I care about testing my chunk
You care about testing your whole app
empower the developer
avoiding fail
;%6"$;'!"=;'06(2"1 $$89"0$;'!"=%()9'1 $$$$1"(6"=2'6)-<$,j$:"##";)/D": $$89"0$1%0!B!"D"-'7"1C $$$$1"(6"=)1/;U/"1.&().7'66/&-"B)1("C $$"-6" $$$$1"(6"='D"11%)"!N "0!
consume wisely
Serving Size 14 kloc Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving 1
bad engine Calories 10,666 Long Methods 1578g 34% God Objects 326g 7% Stress 320mg 119% Total Fat 2674g 98% Hairloss 45g 45.8% % Daily Value* Technical Debt 13g 87% Untested Code 1578mg 34% Hidden Bugs 326mg 7% Benefit 1mg 0.1%
you will not be able to write some engines.
you will not be able to use some engines.
extract specific functionality
establish some clear integration points
you are customer #1
READ the CODE
[email protected]
[email protected]
FIN