Quickly create a rails app with 2 working resources

Intro

I created this rails app in preparation to learn about resource associations. This was the basic app I created before I implemented anything complicated. It is a good demonstration of how to generate the rails app, the resources, and the tests. I also go through several steps to get the app ready to be tested using minitest and also how to lock down the app from a security perspective.

This is a simple rails app, with a pair of resources, Doctors and Patients.

Preparation

Generate rails app

  $ rails _3.2.16_ new DoctorPatientTracker --skip-test-unit

  $ cd DoctorPatientTracker

Prepare for testing

Edit Gemfile for some useful debugging gems. Then run bundler

  $ bundle

Secure your app

Tuck away RAILS_SECRET from /config/initializer/secret_token.rb to /config/application.yml and add /config/application.yml to .gitignore.

Implement some basics

Add a home page, /app/views/home/index.html.erb Add a home controller, /app/controllers/home_controller.rb Add a default route to /config/routes.rb root :to => ‘home#index’

---

You should now have a working rails app

Check in frequently

Check everything into git and git hub so yous have this default rails app set in stone.

Create 1st resource scaffold

Create the scaffold for the new resource, Doctor.

  $ rails g scaffold Doctor name:string --no-test-framework --no-assets --no-stylesheets --no-scss

Migrate the DB for 1st resource

Migrate the database to pick up the changes.

  $ rake db:migrate

Create tests for 1st resource

I know I should probably create all the tests first, but I feel so lost without the stuff there first, ya know.

Create the tests using generate, then completely replace what is in the files.

  $ rails g mini_test:feature DoctorShowIndex

  $ rails g mini_test:feature DoctorShow

  $ rails g mini_test:feature DoctorCreate

  $ rails g mini_test:feature DoctorUpdate

  $ rails g mini_test:feature DoctorDelete

Add /test/ folder. Add /test/doctors/ folder. Move doctor tests. Then add fixture support to /test/test_helper.rb

Modify views for 1st resource

Add Doctor name to display on /doctors/new page

Edit all the 5 /views/doctors/*.html.erb to display the fields from the models.

Run the tests for 1st resource

Make sure all Doctor stuff works.

  $ rake

Create 2nd resource scaffold

Time to implement Patients:

  $ rails g scaffold Patient name:string --no-test-framework --no-assets --no-stylesheets --no-scss

Create tests for 2nd resource

Then create the Patient tests:

  $ rails g mini_test:feature PatientShowIndex

  $ rails g mini_test:feature PatientShow

  $ rails g mini_test:feature PatientCreate

  $ rails g mini_test:feature ItemUpdate

  $ rails g mini_test:feature ItemDelete

Add /test/patients/ folder. Move patient tests.

Migrate DB for 2nd resource

Add Patients to the DB:

  $ rake db:migrate

Modify views for 2nd resource

Add Patient name to display on /patients/new page

Edit all the 5 /views/patients/*.html.erb to display the fields from the models.

Run the tests for 2nd resource

Make sure all Patient stuff works.

  $ rake

Final notes

You now have a working rails application with two resources, some minitests, a bit of security lockdown, and some useful views for the app.

Thank you for reading. I hope you found this useful.