What Has Changed in Ruby on Rails 7?

Ruby on Rails is a popular open-source web application framework that has been around for over a decade. It has a loyal following of developers who appreciate its simplicity, ease of use, and its ability to speed up the development process. Ruby on Rails has recently released its latest version, Ruby on Rails 7, which comes with a host of new features and improvements. In this blog post, we will explore some of the exciting new features that come with Ruby on Rails 7.

Action Mailbox

Action Mailbox is a new feature in Ruby on Rails 7 that allows developers to receive emails from different mailboxes and process them within the application. This feature is particularly useful for applications that need to process incoming emails, such as those that handle customer support or ticketing systems.

With Action Mailbox, developers can define rules to process incoming emails and map them to specific actions within the application. For example, if an email is received from a specific email address, it can be automatically mapped to a specific user account within the application.

One of the most exciting features of Action Mailbox is that it supports inbound emails from multiple mailboxes, including Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. Developers can also define custom mailboxes to receive emails from other sources. This makes it easier for developers to integrate email functionality into their applications without having to write complex code.

Action Text

Another new feature in Ruby on Rails 7 is Action Text, which is a rich text editor that allows users to format their content with different styles, such as bold, italic, and underline. With Action Text, developers can easily integrate a rich text editor into their application without having to write complex code. The editor is based on the Trix editor, which is an open-source project developed by Basecamp.

Action Text also comes with a feature that allows developers to attach files to their content, such as images and documents. This feature is particularly useful for applications that handle user-generated content, such as blogs and social networks.

Webpacker by Default

Webpacker is a tool that allows developers to bundle JavaScript, CSS, and images for use in web applications. In previous versions of Ruby on Rails, developers had to manually configure Webpacker to work with their application. However, with Ruby on Rails 7, Webpacker is now included by default, making it easier for developers to bundle their assets.

With Webpacker, developers can use modern JavaScript frameworks such as React and Vue.js to build their frontend applications. Webpacker also supports hot module replacement, which allows developers to see changes to their code in real-time without having to reload the page.

Rails UJS

Rails UJS is a new library in Ruby on Rails 7 that provides a set of JavaScript functions that allow developers to interact with the Rails server without having to write complex JavaScript code. With Rails UJS, developers can easily implement common interactions, such as submitting forms and making Ajax requests.

One of the most exciting features of Rails UJS is that it supports Turbo, which is a new framework developed by Basecamp. Turbo allows developers to build fast and dynamic web applications without having to write complex JavaScript code. With Rails UJS and Turbo, developers can build responsive and dynamic web applications with ease.

Multiple DB Support

Ruby on Rails 7 also comes with improved support for multiple databases. With multiple DB support, developers can easily configure their application to use multiple databases, such as a primary database and a read-only replica. This feature is particularly useful for applications that handle a large amount of data and need to scale horizontally.

Multiple DB support also comes with a feature that allows developers to switch between databases dynamically. This feature is useful for applications that need to perform read operations on the read-only replica and write operations on the primary database.

Parallel Testing

Ruby on Rails 7 introduces parallel testing, which allows developers to run tests in parallel, reducing the time it takes to run tests. Parallel testing is achieved through the use of multiple processes, which allows developers to run multiple tests at the same time. This feature is particularly useful for applications with large test suites, as it can significantly reduce the time it takes to run tests.

Another benefit of parallel testing is that it allows developers to identify test failures more quickly. With parallel testing, if a test fails, developers can quickly identify which test failed and begin debugging the issue. This can help speed up the development process and make it easier to maintain a high level of test coverage.

Improved Error Reporting

Ruby on Rails 7 also comes with improved error reporting, which makes it easier for developers to identify and fix errors in their applications. With improved error reporting, developers can quickly identify the root cause of an error and begin debugging the issue.

One of the most exciting features of improved error reporting is that it includes a stack trace for JavaScript errors. This can be particularly useful for applications that use a lot of JavaScript, as it can help developers identify the source of the error more quickly.

Other improvements to error reporting include better error messages and more detailed information about the error. This can help developers understand the nature of the error and make it easier to fix.

Conclusion

Ruby on Rails 7 is an exciting new release that comes with a host of new features and improvements. From Action Mailbox and Action Text to improved support for multiple databases and parallel testing, there is a lot to be excited about with this new release.

If you are a Ruby on Rails developer, now is the perfect time to start exploring the new features and capabilities of Ruby on Rails 7. Whether you are building a new application from scratch or updating an existing application, Ruby on Rails 7 has a lot to offer.

Overall, Ruby on Rails 7 is a powerful and flexible web application framework that continues to evolve and improve with each new release. With its robust set of features and intuitive development tools, Ruby on Rails 7 is an excellent choice for any developer looking to build fast, dynamic, and responsive web applications.