New: Rails Development Tool

Over the past 10+ years I have built quite a few web apps using Ruby on Rails. One of the tools I’ve copied over and over again was one that let me:

  • fill forms, like log in forms with some predefined details
  • toggle the console for a quick lookup or to fire a Turbo Stream Broadcast
  • highlight all Turbo Frames and Stimulus Controllers
  • copy the actual resource’s id (ie. the primary key, instead of using the public-facing id)

Preview of the Spinal Builder app highlighting the Stimulus Controllers

The initial version was pretty simple, but over the years I’ve changed it a bit. It is built using a plain Rails helper and Stimulus (based on the @github/hotkey package, similar to Rails Designers’ GlobalHotkeyComponent.

Now I can type:

  • d f; fill fields with the predefined values;
  • d s; fill fields and submit the form;
  • d c; toggle the (web)console;
  • d t; toggle highlight all Turbo Frames;
  • d e; toggle highlight all Stimulus Controllers;
  • d x; copy current URL;
  • d r; copy the given resource’s id (customizable, you can pass anything).

Preview of auto-filling email + password fields Toggling the console at the bottom of the screen

The Rails Development Tool is now available to everyone. Packaged simply as a template, so you own the code and can simply change it, extend and break it!

As I am writing this; would this tool be better as a Rails Gem/Engine? Other things that might be useful to add:

  • fire turbo stream responses;
  • hotkeys for quickly running certain commands in the console (user-customizable);
  • and so on.

The cons of a gem is another dependency to keep up to date (in your app, but also as a maintainer). Pro is: invite us to help it improve it; which is trickier with the current packaging. What do you think?

Install it today.

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