From 555383bba74b2c6430536aab70f4ac7cedd6ce4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Justin Gordon Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2025 18:41:55 -1000 Subject: [PATCH 1/4] Add improvement planning documentation for React on Rails MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit This PR adds strategic planning documents that outline the roadmap for incremental improvements to React on Rails: 1. IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md - Summary of smart error messages implementation - Details the SmartError class features - Explains auto-bundling priority in error messages - Documents debug mode capabilities - Shows before/after examples of error improvements 2. REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md - Comprehensive improvement roadmap - 8 phases of incremental improvements - Practical, achievable baby steps to match/exceed Inertia Rails - Each phase includes effort estimates and impact assessments - Covers DX improvements, Rspack integration, RSC enhancements, and more These documents provide valuable context for the smart error messages feature that was recently implemented and serve as a roadmap for future enhancements to the gem. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude --- IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md | 169 +++++++ REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md | 876 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 1045 insertions(+) create mode 100644 IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md create mode 100644 REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md diff --git a/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md b/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..f3fc5abd2e --- /dev/null +++ b/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md @@ -0,0 +1,169 @@ +# Better Error Messages - Implementation Summary + +## Overview + +This implementation provides the first step in the React on Rails incremental improvements plan: **Better Error Messages with actionable solutions**. + +## Changes Made + +### 1. SmartError Class (`lib/react_on_rails/smart_error.rb`) + +- New intelligent error class that provides contextual help +- Supports multiple error types: + - `component_not_registered` - Component registration issues + - `missing_auto_loaded_bundle` - Auto-loaded bundle missing + - `hydration_mismatch` - Server/client render mismatch + - `server_rendering_error` - SSR failures + - `redux_store_not_found` - Redux store issues + - `configuration_error` - Configuration problems +- Features: + - Suggests similar component names for typos + - Provides specific code examples for fixes + - Includes colored output for better readability + - Shows context-aware troubleshooting steps + +### 2. Enhanced PrerenderError (`lib/react_on_rails/prerender_error.rb`) + +- Improved error formatting with colored headers +- Pattern-based error detection for common issues: + - `window is not defined` - Browser API on server + - `document is not defined` - DOM API on server + - Undefined/null errors - Missing props or data + - Hydration errors - Server/client mismatch +- Specific solutions for each error pattern +- Better organization of error information + +### 3. Component Registration Debugging (JavaScript) + +- New debug options in `ReactOnRails.setOptions()`: + - `debugMode` - Full debug logging + - `logComponentRegistration` - Component registration details +- Logging includes: + - Component names being registered + - Registration timing (performance metrics) + - Component sizes (approximate) + - Registration success confirmations + +### 4. Helper Module Updates (`lib/react_on_rails/helper.rb`) + +- Integrated SmartError for auto-loaded bundle errors +- Required smart_error module + +### 5. TypeScript Types (`node_package/src/types/index.ts`) + +- Added type definitions for new debug options +- Documented debug mode and registration logging options + +### 6. Tests + +- Ruby tests (`spec/react_on_rails/smart_error_spec.rb`) + - Tests for each error type + - Validation of error messages and solutions + - Context information tests +- JavaScript tests (`node_package/tests/debugLogging.test.js`) + - Component registration logging tests + - Debug mode option tests + - Timing information validation + +### 7. Documentation (`docs/guides/improved-error-messages.md`) + +- Complete guide on using new error features +- Examples of each error type +- Debug mode configuration +- Troubleshooting checklist + +## Benefits + +### For Developers + +1. **Faster debugging** - Errors now tell you exactly what to do +2. **Less context switching** - Solutions are provided inline +3. **Typo detection** - Suggests correct component names +4. **Performance insights** - Registration timing helps identify slow components +5. **Better visibility** - Debug mode shows what's happening under the hood + +### Examples of Improvements + +#### Before: + +```text +Component HelloWorld not found +``` + +#### After (Updated with Auto-Bundling Priority): + +```text +❌ React on Rails Error: Component 'HelloWorld' Not Registered + +Component 'HelloWorld' was not found in the component registry. + +React on Rails offers two approaches: +• Auto-bundling (recommended): Components load automatically, no registration needed +• Manual registration: Traditional approach requiring explicit registration + +💡 Suggested Solution: +Did you mean one of these? HelloWorldApp, HelloWorldComponent + +🚀 Recommended: Use Auto-Bundling (No Registration Required!) + +1. Enable auto-bundling in your view: + <%= react_component("HelloWorld", props: {}, auto_load_bundle: true) %> + +2. Place your component in the components directory: + app/javascript/components/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.jsx + +3. Generate the bundle: + bundle exec rake react_on_rails:generate_packs + +✨ That's it! No manual registration needed. +``` + +### Key Innovation: Auto-Bundling as Primary Solution + +The improved error messages now **prioritize React on Rails' auto-bundling feature**, which completely eliminates the need for manual component registration. This is a significant improvement because: + +1. **Simpler for developers** - No need to maintain registration files +2. **Automatic code splitting** - Each component gets its own bundle +3. **Better organization** - Components are self-contained in their directories +4. **Reduced errors** - No forgetting to register components + +## Usage + +### Enable Debug Mode (JavaScript) + +```javascript +// In your entry file +ReactOnRails.setOptions({ + debugMode: true, + logComponentRegistration: true, +}); +``` + +### View Enhanced Errors (Rails) + +Errors are automatically enhanced - no configuration needed. For full details: + +```ruby +ENV["FULL_TEXT_ERRORS"] = "true" +``` + +## Next Steps + +This is Phase 1 of the incremental improvements. Next phases include: + +- Enhanced Doctor Command (Phase 1.2) +- Modern Generator Templates (Phase 2.1) +- Rspack Migration Assistant (Phase 3.1) +- Inertia-Style Controller Helpers (Phase 5.1) + +## Testing + +Due to Ruby version constraints on the system (Ruby 2.6, project requires 3.0+), full testing wasn't completed, but: + +- JavaScript builds successfully +- Code structure follows existing patterns +- Tests are provided for validation + +## Impact + +This change has **High Impact** with **Low Effort** (2-3 days), making it an ideal first improvement. It immediately improves the developer experience without requiring any migration or configuration changes. diff --git a/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md b/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..86f88c5cc7 --- /dev/null +++ b/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md @@ -0,0 +1,876 @@ +# React on Rails Incremental Improvements Roadmap + +## Practical Baby Steps to Match and Exceed Inertia Rails and Vite Ruby + +## Executive Summary + +With Rspack integration coming for better build performance and enhanced React Server Components support with a separate node rendering process, React on Rails is well-positioned for incremental improvements. This document outlines practical, achievable baby steps that can be implemented progressively to make React on Rails the clear choice over competitors. + +## Current State Analysis + +### What We're Building On + +- **Rspack Integration** (Coming Soon): Will provide faster builds comparable to Vite +- **React Server Components** (Coming Soon): Separate node rendering process for better RSC support +- **Existing Strengths**: Mature SSR, production-tested, comprehensive features + +### Key Gaps to Address Incrementally + +- Error messages need improvement +- Setup process could be smoother +- Missing TypeScript-first approach +- No automatic props serialization like Inertia +- Limited debugging tools for RSC + +## Incremental Improvement Plan + +## Phase 1: Immediate Fixes (Week 1-2) + +_Quick wins that improve developer experience immediately_ + +### 1.1 Better Error Messages + +**Effort**: 2-3 days +**Impact**: High + +```ruby +# Current: Generic error +"Component HelloWorld not found" + +# Improved: Actionable error +"Component 'HelloWorld' not registered. Did you mean 'HelloWorldComponent'? +To register: ReactOnRails.register({ HelloWorld: HelloWorld }) +Location: app/javascript/bundles/HelloWorld/components/HelloWorld.jsx" +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Enhance error messages in `helper.rb` +- Add suggestions for common mistakes +- Include file paths and registration examples + +### 1.2 Enhanced Doctor Command + +**Effort**: 1-2 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rake react_on_rails:doctor + +React on Rails Health Check v16.0 +================================ +✅ Node version: 18.17.0 (recommended) +✅ Rails version: 7.1.0 (compatible) +⚠️ Shakapacker: 7.0.0 (Rspack migration available) +✅ React version: 18.2.0 +⚠️ TypeScript: Not detected (run: rails g react_on_rails:typescript) +❌ Component registration: 2 components not registered on client + +Recommendations: +1. Consider migrating to Rspack for 3x faster builds +2. Enable TypeScript for better type safety +3. Check components: ProductList, UserProfile +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Extend existing doctor command +- Add version compatibility checks +- Provide actionable recommendations + +### 1.3 Component Registration Debugging + +**Effort**: 1 day +**Impact**: Medium + +```javascript +// Add debug mode +ReactOnRails.configure({ + debugMode: true, + logComponentRegistration: true, +}); + +// Console output: +// [ReactOnRails] Registered: HelloWorld (2.3kb) +// [ReactOnRails] Warning: ProductList registered on server but not client +// [ReactOnRails] All components registered in 45ms +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add debug logging to ComponentRegistry +- Show bundle sizes and registration timing +- Warn about server/client mismatches + +## Phase 2: Developer Experience Polish (Week 3-4) + +_Improvements that make daily development smoother_ + +### 2.1 Modern Generator Templates + +**Effort**: 2-3 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +# Current generator creates class components +# Proposed: Modern defaults + +$ rails g react_on_rails:component ProductCard + +# Detects TypeScript in project and generates: +# app/javascript/components/ProductCard.tsx +import React from 'react' + +interface ProductCardProps { + name: string + price: number +} + +export default function ProductCard({ name, price }: ProductCardProps) { + return ( +
+

{name}

+

${price}

+
+ ) +} + +# Also generates test file if Jest/Vitest detected +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Update generator templates +- Auto-detect TypeScript, test framework +- Use functional components by default +- Add props interface for TypeScript + +### 2.2 Setup Auto-Detection + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```ruby +# Proposed: Smart configuration +$ rails g react_on_rails:install + +Detecting your setup... +✅ Found: TypeScript configuration +✅ Found: Tailwind CSS +✅ Found: Jest testing +✅ Found: ESLint + Prettier + +Configuring React on Rails for your stack... +- Using TypeScript templates +- Configuring Tailwind integration +- Setting up Jest helpers +- Respecting existing ESLint rules +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Check for common config files +- Adapt templates based on detection +- Preserve existing configurations + +### 2.3 Configuration Simplification + +**Effort**: 1 day +**Impact**: Medium + +```ruby +# Current: Many options, unclear defaults +# Proposed: Simplified with clear comments + +ReactOnRails.configure do |config| + # Rspack optimized defaults (coming soon) + config.build_system = :rspack # auto-detected + + # Server-side rendering + config.server_bundle_js_file = "server-bundle.js" + config.prerender = true # Enable SSR + + # Development experience + config.development_mode = Rails.env.development? + config.trace = true # Show render traces in development + + # React Server Components (when using Pro) + # config.rsc_bundle_js_file = "rsc-bundle.js" +end +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Simplify configuration file +- Add helpful comments +- Group related settings +- Provide sensible defaults + +## Phase 3: Rspack Integration Excellence (Week 5-6) + +_Maximize the benefits of upcoming Rspack support_ + +### 3.1 Rspack Migration Assistant + +**Effort**: 3 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:migrate_to_rspack + +Analyzing your Webpack/Shakapacker configuration... +✅ Standard loaders detected - compatible +⚠️ Custom plugin detected: BundleAnalyzer - needs manual migration +✅ Entry points will migrate automatically + +Generated Rspack configuration at: config/rspack.config.js +- Migrated all standard loaders +- Preserved your entry points +- Optimized for React development + +Next steps: +1. Review config/rspack.config.js +2. Test with: bin/rspack +3. Run full test suite +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Parse existing webpack config +- Generate equivalent Rspack config +- Identify manual migration needs +- Provide migration guide + +### 3.2 Build Performance Dashboard + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:perf + +Build Performance Comparison: +============================ + Before (Webpack) After (Rspack) Improvement +Initial build: 8.2s 2.1s 74% faster +Rebuild (HMR): 1.3s 0.3s 77% faster +Production build: 45s 12s 73% faster +Bundle size: 1.2MB 1.1MB 8% smaller + +Top bottlenecks: +1. Large dependency: moment.js (230kb) - Consider date-fns +2. Duplicate React versions detected +3. Source maps adding 400ms to builds +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add build timing collection +- Compare before/after metrics +- Identify optimization opportunities +- Store historical data + +### 3.3 Rspack-Specific Optimizations + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```javascript +// config/rspack.config.js +module.exports = { + // React on Rails optimized Rspack config + experiments: { + rspackFuture: { + newTreeshaking: true, // Better tree shaking for React + }, + }, + optimization: { + moduleIds: 'deterministic', // Consistent builds + splitChunks: { + // React on Rails optimal chunking + cacheGroups: { + vendor: { + test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/, + name: 'vendors', + priority: 10, + }, + react: { + test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/](react|react-dom)[\\/]/, + name: 'react', + priority: 20, + }, + }, + }, + }, +}; +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Create optimized Rspack presets +- Add React-specific optimizations +- Configure optimal chunking strategy + +## Phase 4: React Server Components Polish (Week 7-8) + +_Enhance the upcoming RSC support_ + +### 4.1 RSC Debugging Tools + +**Effort**: 3 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:rsc:debug + +RSC Rendering Pipeline: +====================== +1. Request received: /products/123 +2. RSC Bundle loaded: rsc-bundle.js (45ms) +3. Component tree: + (RSC) + (RSC) + (Client) ✅ Hydrated +4. Serialization time: 23ms +5. Total RSC time: 89ms + +Warnings: +- Large prop detected in ProductDetails (2MB) +- Consider moving data fetching to RSC component +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add RSC render pipeline logging +- Track component boundaries +- Measure serialization time +- Identify optimization opportunities + +### 4.2 RSC Component Generator + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```bash +$ rails g react_on_rails:rsc ProductView + +# Generates: +# app/javascript/components/ProductView.server.tsx +export default async function ProductView({ id }: { id: string }) { + // This runs on the server only + const product = await db.products.find(id) + + return ( +
+

{product.name}

+ +
+ ) +} + +# app/javascript/components/ProductClient.client.tsx +'use client' +export default function ProductClient({ product }) { + // Interactive client component +} +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add RSC-specific generators +- Use .server and .client conventions +- Include async data fetching examples + +### 4.3 RSC Performance Monitor + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```ruby +# Add to development middleware +class RSCPerformanceMiddleware + def call(env) + if rsc_request?(env) + start = Time.now + result = @app.call(env) + duration = Time.now - start + + Rails.logger.info "[RSC] Rendered in #{duration}ms" + result + else + @app.call(env) + end + end +end +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add timing middleware +- Track RSC vs traditional renders +- Log performance metrics + +## Phase 5: Competitive Feature Parity (Week 9-10) + +_Add key features that competitors offer_ + +### 5.1 Inertia-Style Controller Helpers + +**Effort**: 3 days +**Impact**: High + +```ruby +# Simple props passing like Inertia +class ProductsController < ApplicationController + include ReactOnRails::ControllerHelpers + + def show + @product = Product.find(params[:id]) + @reviews = @product.reviews.recent + + # Automatically serializes instance variables as props + render_component "ProductShow" + # Props: { product: @product, reviews: @reviews } + end + + def index + @products = Product.page(params[:page]) + + # With explicit props + render_component "ProductList", props: { + products: @products, + total: @products.total_count + } + end +end +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Create ControllerHelpers module +- Auto-serialize instance variables +- Support explicit props override +- Handle pagination metadata + +### 5.2 TypeScript Model Generation + +**Effort**: 3 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:types:generate + +# Analyzes Active Record models and generates: +# app/javascript/types/models.d.ts + +export interface User { + id: number + email: string + name: string + createdAt: string + updatedAt: string +} + +export interface Product { + id: number + name: string + price: number + description: string | null + user: User + reviews: Review[] +} + +# Also generates API types from serializers if present +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Parse Active Record models +- Generate TypeScript interfaces +- Handle associations +- Support nullable fields + +### 5.3 Form Component Helpers + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```tsx +// Simple Rails-integrated forms +import { useRailsForm } from 'react-on-rails/forms'; + +export default function ProductForm({ product }) { + const { form, submit, errors } = useRailsForm({ + action: '/products', + method: 'POST', + model: product, + }); + + return ( +
+ + {errors.name && {errors.name}} + + + {errors.price && {errors.price}} + + +
+ ); +} +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Create form hooks +- Handle CSRF tokens automatically +- Integrate with Rails validations +- Support error display + +## Phase 6: Documentation & Onboarding (Week 11-12) + +_Make it easier to learn and adopt_ + +### 6.1 Interactive Setup Wizard + +**Effort**: 3 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:setup + +Welcome to React on Rails Setup Wizard! 🚀 + +What would you like to set up? +[x] TypeScript support +[x] Testing with Jest +[ ] Storybook +[x] Tailwind CSS +[ ] Redux + +Build system: +○ Shakapacker (current) +● Rspack (recommended - 3x faster) +○ Keep existing + +Server-side rendering: +● Yes, enable SSR +○ No, client-side only + +Generating configuration... +✅ TypeScript configured +✅ Jest test helpers added +✅ Tailwind CSS integrated +✅ Rspack configured +✅ SSR enabled + +Run 'bin/dev' to start developing! +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Create interactive CLI wizard +- Guide through common options +- Generate appropriate config +- Provide next steps + +### 6.2 Migration Tool from Inertia + +**Effort**: 4 days +**Impact**: High + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:migrate:from_inertia + +Analyzing Inertia setup... +Found: 23 Inertia components +Found: 45 controller actions using Inertia + +Migration plan: +1. ✅ Can auto-migrate: 20 components (simple props) +2. ⚠️ Need review: 3 components (use Inertia.visit) +3. 📝 Controller updates: Add render_component calls + +Proceed with migration? (y/n) y + +Migrating components... +✅ Converted UserProfile.jsx +✅ Converted ProductList.jsx +⚠️ Manual review needed: Navigation.jsx (uses Inertia router) + +Generated migration guide at: MIGRATION_GUIDE.md +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Parse Inertia components +- Convert to React on Rails format +- Update controller rendering +- Generate migration guide + +### 6.3 Component Catalog Generator + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:catalog + +Generating component catalog... +Found 34 components + +Starting catalog server at http://localhost:3030 + +Component Catalog: +├── Forms (5) +│ ├── LoginForm +│ ├── RegisterForm +│ └── ProductForm +├── Layout (8) +│ ├── Header +│ ├── Footer +│ └── Sidebar +└── Products (12) + ├── ProductCard + ├── ProductList + └── ProductDetails + +Each component shows: +- Live preview +- Props documentation +- Usage examples +- Performance metrics +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Scan for React components +- Generate catalog app +- Extract prop types +- Create live playground + +## Phase 7: Performance Optimizations (Week 13-14) + +_Small improvements with big impact_ + +### 7.1 Automatic Component Preloading + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```ruby +# Automatically preload components based on routes +class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base + before_action :preload_components + + def preload_components + case controller_name + when 'products' + preload_react_component('ProductList', 'ProductDetails') + when 'users' + preload_react_component('UserProfile', 'UserSettings') + end + end +end + +# Adds link headers for component chunks +# Link: ; rel=preload; as=script +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Add preloading helpers +- Generate Link headers +- Support route-based preloading + +### 7.2 Bundle Analysis Command + +**Effort**: 1 day +**Impact**: Medium + +```bash +$ rails react_on_rails:bundle:analyze + +Bundle Analysis: +================ +Total size: 524 KB (156 KB gzipped) + +Largest modules: +1. react-dom: 128 KB (24.4%) +2. @mui/material: 89 KB (17.0%) +3. lodash: 71 KB (13.5%) +4. Your code: 68 KB (13.0%) + +Duplicates detected: +- lodash: Imported by 3 different modules + Fix: Import from 'lodash-es' instead + +Unused exports: +- ProductOldVersion (12 KB) +- DeprecatedHelper (8 KB) + +Recommendations: +1. Code-split @mui/material (saves 89 KB initial) +2. Replace lodash with lodash-es (saves 15 KB) +3. Remove unused exports (saves 20 KB) +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Integrate with webpack-bundle-analyzer +- Parse bundle stats +- Identify optimization opportunities + +### 7.3 Lazy Loading Helpers + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```tsx +// Simplified lazy loading with React on Rails +import { lazyComponent } from 'react-on-rails/lazy' + +// Automatically handles loading states and errors +const ProductDetails = lazyComponent(() => import('./ProductDetails'), { + fallback: , + errorBoundary: true, + preload: 'hover', // Preload on hover + timeout: 5000 +}) + +// In Rails view: +<%= react_component_lazy("ProductDetails", + props: @product, + loading: "ProductSkeleton") %> +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Create lazy loading utilities +- Add loading state handling +- Support preloading strategies +- Integrate with Rails helpers + +## Phase 8: Testing Improvements (Week 15-16) + +_Make testing easier and more reliable_ + +### 8.1 Test Helper Enhancements + +**Effort**: 2 days +**Impact**: Medium + +```ruby +# Enhanced RSpec helpers +RSpec.describe "Product page", type: :react do + include ReactOnRails::TestHelpers + + let(:product) { create(:product, name: "iPhone", price: 999) } + + it "renders product information" do + render_component("ProductCard", props: { product: product }) + + # New helpers + expect(component).to have_react_text("iPhone") + expect(component).to have_react_prop(:price, 999) + expect(component).to have_react_class("product-card") + + # Interaction helpers + click_react_button("Add to Cart") + expect(component).to have_react_state(:cartCount, 1) + end +end +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Extend test helpers +- Add React-specific matchers +- Support interaction testing +- Improve error messages + +### 8.2 Component Test Generator + +**Effort**: 1 day +**Impact**: Low + +```bash +$ rails g react_on_rails:test ProductCard + +# Generates test based on component props +# spec/javascript/components/ProductCard.spec.tsx + +import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react' +import ProductCard from 'components/ProductCard' + +describe('ProductCard', () => { + const defaultProps = { + name: 'Test Product', + price: 99.99 + } + + it('renders product name', () => { + render() + expect(screen.getByText('Test Product')).toBeInTheDocument() + }) + + it('renders price', () => { + render() + expect(screen.getByText('$99.99')).toBeInTheDocument() + }) +}) +``` + +**Implementation**: + +- Parse component props +- Generate appropriate tests +- Use detected test framework +- Include common test cases + +## Implementation Priority Matrix + +| Priority | Effort | Impact | Items | +| -------------- | ------ | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | +| **Do First** | Low | High | Better error messages, Enhanced doctor, Modern generators | +| **Do Next** | Medium | High | Rspack migration, Controller helpers, TypeScript generation | +| **Quick Wins** | Low | Medium | Config simplification, Debug logging, Test generators | +| **Long Game** | High | High | Interactive wizard, Migration tools, Component catalog | + +## Success Metrics + +### Short Term (4 weeks) + +- **Setup time**: Reduce from 30 min to 10 min +- **Error clarity**: 90% of errors have actionable solutions +- **Build speed**: 3x faster with Rspack + +### Medium Term (8 weeks) + +- **TypeScript adoption**: 50% of new projects use TypeScript +- **Migration success**: 10+ projects migrated from Inertia +- **RSC usage**: 25% of Pro users adopt RSC + +### Long Term (16 weeks) + +- **Developer satisfaction**: 4.5+ rating +- **Community growth**: 20% increase in contributors +- **Production adoption**: 50+ new production deployments + +## Conclusion + +These incremental improvements focus on: + +1. **Immediate pain relief** through better errors and debugging +2. **Building on strengths** with Rspack and RSC enhancements +3. **Matching competitor features** with practical implementations +4. **Progressive enhancement** without breaking changes + +Each improvement is: + +- **Independently valuable** +- **Backwards compatible** +- **Achievable in days/weeks** +- **Building toward competitive advantage** + +The key is starting with high-impact, low-effort improvements while building toward feature parity with competitors. With Rspack and enhanced RSC support as a foundation, these incremental improvements will position React on Rails as the superior choice for React/Rails integration. From 2f876a5c9c992abc6662475bfe483d834825c47f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Justin Gordon Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2025 20:03:07 -1000 Subject: [PATCH 2/4] Fix CI: Ignore LinkedIn links in markdown-link-check MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit LinkedIn returns 999 status codes for automated link checkers, causing false positives in CI. This is a well-known LinkedIn anti-bot behavior and should be ignored. This fixes the failing markdown-link-check workflow. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude --- .github/markdown-link-check-config.json | 3 +++ 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+) diff --git a/.github/markdown-link-check-config.json b/.github/markdown-link-check-config.json index 5bc350ef24..f2467c8c97 100644 --- a/.github/markdown-link-check-config.json +++ b/.github/markdown-link-check-config.json @@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ }, { "pattern": "^https://reactrails\\.slack\\.com" + }, + { + "pattern": "^https://www\\.linkedin\\.com" } ], "replacementPatterns": [ From d0cbc6c2724c21b8292528ac9bc1a2d117bf1968 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Justin Gordon Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2025 20:05:52 -1000 Subject: [PATCH 3/4] Remove REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md - will create as GitHub issue instead MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit This roadmap document is better suited as a GitHub issue/discussion rather than a file in the repository. It outlines strategic planning and future improvements that would benefit from community discussion. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude --- REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md | 876 --------------------------------- 1 file changed, 876 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md diff --git a/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md b/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md deleted file mode 100644 index 86f88c5cc7..0000000000 --- a/REACT_ON_RAILS_IMPROVEMENTS.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,876 +0,0 @@ -# React on Rails Incremental Improvements Roadmap - -## Practical Baby Steps to Match and Exceed Inertia Rails and Vite Ruby - -## Executive Summary - -With Rspack integration coming for better build performance and enhanced React Server Components support with a separate node rendering process, React on Rails is well-positioned for incremental improvements. This document outlines practical, achievable baby steps that can be implemented progressively to make React on Rails the clear choice over competitors. - -## Current State Analysis - -### What We're Building On - -- **Rspack Integration** (Coming Soon): Will provide faster builds comparable to Vite -- **React Server Components** (Coming Soon): Separate node rendering process for better RSC support -- **Existing Strengths**: Mature SSR, production-tested, comprehensive features - -### Key Gaps to Address Incrementally - -- Error messages need improvement -- Setup process could be smoother -- Missing TypeScript-first approach -- No automatic props serialization like Inertia -- Limited debugging tools for RSC - -## Incremental Improvement Plan - -## Phase 1: Immediate Fixes (Week 1-2) - -_Quick wins that improve developer experience immediately_ - -### 1.1 Better Error Messages - -**Effort**: 2-3 days -**Impact**: High - -```ruby -# Current: Generic error -"Component HelloWorld not found" - -# Improved: Actionable error -"Component 'HelloWorld' not registered. Did you mean 'HelloWorldComponent'? -To register: ReactOnRails.register({ HelloWorld: HelloWorld }) -Location: app/javascript/bundles/HelloWorld/components/HelloWorld.jsx" -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Enhance error messages in `helper.rb` -- Add suggestions for common mistakes -- Include file paths and registration examples - -### 1.2 Enhanced Doctor Command - -**Effort**: 1-2 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rake react_on_rails:doctor - -React on Rails Health Check v16.0 -================================ -✅ Node version: 18.17.0 (recommended) -✅ Rails version: 7.1.0 (compatible) -⚠️ Shakapacker: 7.0.0 (Rspack migration available) -✅ React version: 18.2.0 -⚠️ TypeScript: Not detected (run: rails g react_on_rails:typescript) -❌ Component registration: 2 components not registered on client - -Recommendations: -1. Consider migrating to Rspack for 3x faster builds -2. Enable TypeScript for better type safety -3. Check components: ProductList, UserProfile -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Extend existing doctor command -- Add version compatibility checks -- Provide actionable recommendations - -### 1.3 Component Registration Debugging - -**Effort**: 1 day -**Impact**: Medium - -```javascript -// Add debug mode -ReactOnRails.configure({ - debugMode: true, - logComponentRegistration: true, -}); - -// Console output: -// [ReactOnRails] Registered: HelloWorld (2.3kb) -// [ReactOnRails] Warning: ProductList registered on server but not client -// [ReactOnRails] All components registered in 45ms -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add debug logging to ComponentRegistry -- Show bundle sizes and registration timing -- Warn about server/client mismatches - -## Phase 2: Developer Experience Polish (Week 3-4) - -_Improvements that make daily development smoother_ - -### 2.1 Modern Generator Templates - -**Effort**: 2-3 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -# Current generator creates class components -# Proposed: Modern defaults - -$ rails g react_on_rails:component ProductCard - -# Detects TypeScript in project and generates: -# app/javascript/components/ProductCard.tsx -import React from 'react' - -interface ProductCardProps { - name: string - price: number -} - -export default function ProductCard({ name, price }: ProductCardProps) { - return ( -
-

{name}

-

${price}

-
- ) -} - -# Also generates test file if Jest/Vitest detected -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Update generator templates -- Auto-detect TypeScript, test framework -- Use functional components by default -- Add props interface for TypeScript - -### 2.2 Setup Auto-Detection - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```ruby -# Proposed: Smart configuration -$ rails g react_on_rails:install - -Detecting your setup... -✅ Found: TypeScript configuration -✅ Found: Tailwind CSS -✅ Found: Jest testing -✅ Found: ESLint + Prettier - -Configuring React on Rails for your stack... -- Using TypeScript templates -- Configuring Tailwind integration -- Setting up Jest helpers -- Respecting existing ESLint rules -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Check for common config files -- Adapt templates based on detection -- Preserve existing configurations - -### 2.3 Configuration Simplification - -**Effort**: 1 day -**Impact**: Medium - -```ruby -# Current: Many options, unclear defaults -# Proposed: Simplified with clear comments - -ReactOnRails.configure do |config| - # Rspack optimized defaults (coming soon) - config.build_system = :rspack # auto-detected - - # Server-side rendering - config.server_bundle_js_file = "server-bundle.js" - config.prerender = true # Enable SSR - - # Development experience - config.development_mode = Rails.env.development? - config.trace = true # Show render traces in development - - # React Server Components (when using Pro) - # config.rsc_bundle_js_file = "rsc-bundle.js" -end -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Simplify configuration file -- Add helpful comments -- Group related settings -- Provide sensible defaults - -## Phase 3: Rspack Integration Excellence (Week 5-6) - -_Maximize the benefits of upcoming Rspack support_ - -### 3.1 Rspack Migration Assistant - -**Effort**: 3 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:migrate_to_rspack - -Analyzing your Webpack/Shakapacker configuration... -✅ Standard loaders detected - compatible -⚠️ Custom plugin detected: BundleAnalyzer - needs manual migration -✅ Entry points will migrate automatically - -Generated Rspack configuration at: config/rspack.config.js -- Migrated all standard loaders -- Preserved your entry points -- Optimized for React development - -Next steps: -1. Review config/rspack.config.js -2. Test with: bin/rspack -3. Run full test suite -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Parse existing webpack config -- Generate equivalent Rspack config -- Identify manual migration needs -- Provide migration guide - -### 3.2 Build Performance Dashboard - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:perf - -Build Performance Comparison: -============================ - Before (Webpack) After (Rspack) Improvement -Initial build: 8.2s 2.1s 74% faster -Rebuild (HMR): 1.3s 0.3s 77% faster -Production build: 45s 12s 73% faster -Bundle size: 1.2MB 1.1MB 8% smaller - -Top bottlenecks: -1. Large dependency: moment.js (230kb) - Consider date-fns -2. Duplicate React versions detected -3. Source maps adding 400ms to builds -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add build timing collection -- Compare before/after metrics -- Identify optimization opportunities -- Store historical data - -### 3.3 Rspack-Specific Optimizations - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```javascript -// config/rspack.config.js -module.exports = { - // React on Rails optimized Rspack config - experiments: { - rspackFuture: { - newTreeshaking: true, // Better tree shaking for React - }, - }, - optimization: { - moduleIds: 'deterministic', // Consistent builds - splitChunks: { - // React on Rails optimal chunking - cacheGroups: { - vendor: { - test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/, - name: 'vendors', - priority: 10, - }, - react: { - test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/](react|react-dom)[\\/]/, - name: 'react', - priority: 20, - }, - }, - }, - }, -}; -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Create optimized Rspack presets -- Add React-specific optimizations -- Configure optimal chunking strategy - -## Phase 4: React Server Components Polish (Week 7-8) - -_Enhance the upcoming RSC support_ - -### 4.1 RSC Debugging Tools - -**Effort**: 3 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:rsc:debug - -RSC Rendering Pipeline: -====================== -1. Request received: /products/123 -2. RSC Bundle loaded: rsc-bundle.js (45ms) -3. Component tree: - (RSC) - (RSC) - (Client) ✅ Hydrated -4. Serialization time: 23ms -5. Total RSC time: 89ms - -Warnings: -- Large prop detected in ProductDetails (2MB) -- Consider moving data fetching to RSC component -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add RSC render pipeline logging -- Track component boundaries -- Measure serialization time -- Identify optimization opportunities - -### 4.2 RSC Component Generator - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```bash -$ rails g react_on_rails:rsc ProductView - -# Generates: -# app/javascript/components/ProductView.server.tsx -export default async function ProductView({ id }: { id: string }) { - // This runs on the server only - const product = await db.products.find(id) - - return ( -
-

{product.name}

- -
- ) -} - -# app/javascript/components/ProductClient.client.tsx -'use client' -export default function ProductClient({ product }) { - // Interactive client component -} -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add RSC-specific generators -- Use .server and .client conventions -- Include async data fetching examples - -### 4.3 RSC Performance Monitor - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```ruby -# Add to development middleware -class RSCPerformanceMiddleware - def call(env) - if rsc_request?(env) - start = Time.now - result = @app.call(env) - duration = Time.now - start - - Rails.logger.info "[RSC] Rendered in #{duration}ms" - result - else - @app.call(env) - end - end -end -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add timing middleware -- Track RSC vs traditional renders -- Log performance metrics - -## Phase 5: Competitive Feature Parity (Week 9-10) - -_Add key features that competitors offer_ - -### 5.1 Inertia-Style Controller Helpers - -**Effort**: 3 days -**Impact**: High - -```ruby -# Simple props passing like Inertia -class ProductsController < ApplicationController - include ReactOnRails::ControllerHelpers - - def show - @product = Product.find(params[:id]) - @reviews = @product.reviews.recent - - # Automatically serializes instance variables as props - render_component "ProductShow" - # Props: { product: @product, reviews: @reviews } - end - - def index - @products = Product.page(params[:page]) - - # With explicit props - render_component "ProductList", props: { - products: @products, - total: @products.total_count - } - end -end -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Create ControllerHelpers module -- Auto-serialize instance variables -- Support explicit props override -- Handle pagination metadata - -### 5.2 TypeScript Model Generation - -**Effort**: 3 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:types:generate - -# Analyzes Active Record models and generates: -# app/javascript/types/models.d.ts - -export interface User { - id: number - email: string - name: string - createdAt: string - updatedAt: string -} - -export interface Product { - id: number - name: string - price: number - description: string | null - user: User - reviews: Review[] -} - -# Also generates API types from serializers if present -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Parse Active Record models -- Generate TypeScript interfaces -- Handle associations -- Support nullable fields - -### 5.3 Form Component Helpers - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```tsx -// Simple Rails-integrated forms -import { useRailsForm } from 'react-on-rails/forms'; - -export default function ProductForm({ product }) { - const { form, submit, errors } = useRailsForm({ - action: '/products', - method: 'POST', - model: product, - }); - - return ( -
- - {errors.name && {errors.name}} - - - {errors.price && {errors.price}} - - -
- ); -} -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Create form hooks -- Handle CSRF tokens automatically -- Integrate with Rails validations -- Support error display - -## Phase 6: Documentation & Onboarding (Week 11-12) - -_Make it easier to learn and adopt_ - -### 6.1 Interactive Setup Wizard - -**Effort**: 3 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:setup - -Welcome to React on Rails Setup Wizard! 🚀 - -What would you like to set up? -[x] TypeScript support -[x] Testing with Jest -[ ] Storybook -[x] Tailwind CSS -[ ] Redux - -Build system: -○ Shakapacker (current) -● Rspack (recommended - 3x faster) -○ Keep existing - -Server-side rendering: -● Yes, enable SSR -○ No, client-side only - -Generating configuration... -✅ TypeScript configured -✅ Jest test helpers added -✅ Tailwind CSS integrated -✅ Rspack configured -✅ SSR enabled - -Run 'bin/dev' to start developing! -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Create interactive CLI wizard -- Guide through common options -- Generate appropriate config -- Provide next steps - -### 6.2 Migration Tool from Inertia - -**Effort**: 4 days -**Impact**: High - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:migrate:from_inertia - -Analyzing Inertia setup... -Found: 23 Inertia components -Found: 45 controller actions using Inertia - -Migration plan: -1. ✅ Can auto-migrate: 20 components (simple props) -2. ⚠️ Need review: 3 components (use Inertia.visit) -3. 📝 Controller updates: Add render_component calls - -Proceed with migration? (y/n) y - -Migrating components... -✅ Converted UserProfile.jsx -✅ Converted ProductList.jsx -⚠️ Manual review needed: Navigation.jsx (uses Inertia router) - -Generated migration guide at: MIGRATION_GUIDE.md -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Parse Inertia components -- Convert to React on Rails format -- Update controller rendering -- Generate migration guide - -### 6.3 Component Catalog Generator - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:catalog - -Generating component catalog... -Found 34 components - -Starting catalog server at http://localhost:3030 - -Component Catalog: -├── Forms (5) -│ ├── LoginForm -│ ├── RegisterForm -│ └── ProductForm -├── Layout (8) -│ ├── Header -│ ├── Footer -│ └── Sidebar -└── Products (12) - ├── ProductCard - ├── ProductList - └── ProductDetails - -Each component shows: -- Live preview -- Props documentation -- Usage examples -- Performance metrics -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Scan for React components -- Generate catalog app -- Extract prop types -- Create live playground - -## Phase 7: Performance Optimizations (Week 13-14) - -_Small improvements with big impact_ - -### 7.1 Automatic Component Preloading - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```ruby -# Automatically preload components based on routes -class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base - before_action :preload_components - - def preload_components - case controller_name - when 'products' - preload_react_component('ProductList', 'ProductDetails') - when 'users' - preload_react_component('UserProfile', 'UserSettings') - end - end -end - -# Adds link headers for component chunks -# Link: ; rel=preload; as=script -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Add preloading helpers -- Generate Link headers -- Support route-based preloading - -### 7.2 Bundle Analysis Command - -**Effort**: 1 day -**Impact**: Medium - -```bash -$ rails react_on_rails:bundle:analyze - -Bundle Analysis: -================ -Total size: 524 KB (156 KB gzipped) - -Largest modules: -1. react-dom: 128 KB (24.4%) -2. @mui/material: 89 KB (17.0%) -3. lodash: 71 KB (13.5%) -4. Your code: 68 KB (13.0%) - -Duplicates detected: -- lodash: Imported by 3 different modules - Fix: Import from 'lodash-es' instead - -Unused exports: -- ProductOldVersion (12 KB) -- DeprecatedHelper (8 KB) - -Recommendations: -1. Code-split @mui/material (saves 89 KB initial) -2. Replace lodash with lodash-es (saves 15 KB) -3. Remove unused exports (saves 20 KB) -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Integrate with webpack-bundle-analyzer -- Parse bundle stats -- Identify optimization opportunities - -### 7.3 Lazy Loading Helpers - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```tsx -// Simplified lazy loading with React on Rails -import { lazyComponent } from 'react-on-rails/lazy' - -// Automatically handles loading states and errors -const ProductDetails = lazyComponent(() => import('./ProductDetails'), { - fallback: , - errorBoundary: true, - preload: 'hover', // Preload on hover - timeout: 5000 -}) - -// In Rails view: -<%= react_component_lazy("ProductDetails", - props: @product, - loading: "ProductSkeleton") %> -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Create lazy loading utilities -- Add loading state handling -- Support preloading strategies -- Integrate with Rails helpers - -## Phase 8: Testing Improvements (Week 15-16) - -_Make testing easier and more reliable_ - -### 8.1 Test Helper Enhancements - -**Effort**: 2 days -**Impact**: Medium - -```ruby -# Enhanced RSpec helpers -RSpec.describe "Product page", type: :react do - include ReactOnRails::TestHelpers - - let(:product) { create(:product, name: "iPhone", price: 999) } - - it "renders product information" do - render_component("ProductCard", props: { product: product }) - - # New helpers - expect(component).to have_react_text("iPhone") - expect(component).to have_react_prop(:price, 999) - expect(component).to have_react_class("product-card") - - # Interaction helpers - click_react_button("Add to Cart") - expect(component).to have_react_state(:cartCount, 1) - end -end -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Extend test helpers -- Add React-specific matchers -- Support interaction testing -- Improve error messages - -### 8.2 Component Test Generator - -**Effort**: 1 day -**Impact**: Low - -```bash -$ rails g react_on_rails:test ProductCard - -# Generates test based on component props -# spec/javascript/components/ProductCard.spec.tsx - -import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react' -import ProductCard from 'components/ProductCard' - -describe('ProductCard', () => { - const defaultProps = { - name: 'Test Product', - price: 99.99 - } - - it('renders product name', () => { - render() - expect(screen.getByText('Test Product')).toBeInTheDocument() - }) - - it('renders price', () => { - render() - expect(screen.getByText('$99.99')).toBeInTheDocument() - }) -}) -``` - -**Implementation**: - -- Parse component props -- Generate appropriate tests -- Use detected test framework -- Include common test cases - -## Implementation Priority Matrix - -| Priority | Effort | Impact | Items | -| -------------- | ------ | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | -| **Do First** | Low | High | Better error messages, Enhanced doctor, Modern generators | -| **Do Next** | Medium | High | Rspack migration, Controller helpers, TypeScript generation | -| **Quick Wins** | Low | Medium | Config simplification, Debug logging, Test generators | -| **Long Game** | High | High | Interactive wizard, Migration tools, Component catalog | - -## Success Metrics - -### Short Term (4 weeks) - -- **Setup time**: Reduce from 30 min to 10 min -- **Error clarity**: 90% of errors have actionable solutions -- **Build speed**: 3x faster with Rspack - -### Medium Term (8 weeks) - -- **TypeScript adoption**: 50% of new projects use TypeScript -- **Migration success**: 10+ projects migrated from Inertia -- **RSC usage**: 25% of Pro users adopt RSC - -### Long Term (16 weeks) - -- **Developer satisfaction**: 4.5+ rating -- **Community growth**: 20% increase in contributors -- **Production adoption**: 50+ new production deployments - -## Conclusion - -These incremental improvements focus on: - -1. **Immediate pain relief** through better errors and debugging -2. **Building on strengths** with Rspack and RSC enhancements -3. **Matching competitor features** with practical implementations -4. **Progressive enhancement** without breaking changes - -Each improvement is: - -- **Independently valuable** -- **Backwards compatible** -- **Achievable in days/weeks** -- **Building toward competitive advantage** - -The key is starting with high-impact, low-effort improvements while building toward feature parity with competitors. With Rspack and enhanced RSC support as a foundation, these incremental improvements will position React on Rails as the superior choice for React/Rails integration. From 93532cb1d4fa269c4b28371477df6a15a5aa0864 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Justin Gordon Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2025 20:42:15 -1000 Subject: [PATCH 4/4] Remove IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md - content already documented elsewhere MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The implementation details are already documented in: - The actual merged code in lib/react_on_rails/smart_error.rb - The user guide at docs/guides/improved-error-messages.md - The original PR #1834 commit messages No need for a separate summary document. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude --- IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md | 169 ----------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 169 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md diff --git a/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md b/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md deleted file mode 100644 index f3fc5abd2e..0000000000 --- a/IMPROVEMENT_SUMMARY.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,169 +0,0 @@ -# Better Error Messages - Implementation Summary - -## Overview - -This implementation provides the first step in the React on Rails incremental improvements plan: **Better Error Messages with actionable solutions**. - -## Changes Made - -### 1. SmartError Class (`lib/react_on_rails/smart_error.rb`) - -- New intelligent error class that provides contextual help -- Supports multiple error types: - - `component_not_registered` - Component registration issues - - `missing_auto_loaded_bundle` - Auto-loaded bundle missing - - `hydration_mismatch` - Server/client render mismatch - - `server_rendering_error` - SSR failures - - `redux_store_not_found` - Redux store issues - - `configuration_error` - Configuration problems -- Features: - - Suggests similar component names for typos - - Provides specific code examples for fixes - - Includes colored output for better readability - - Shows context-aware troubleshooting steps - -### 2. Enhanced PrerenderError (`lib/react_on_rails/prerender_error.rb`) - -- Improved error formatting with colored headers -- Pattern-based error detection for common issues: - - `window is not defined` - Browser API on server - - `document is not defined` - DOM API on server - - Undefined/null errors - Missing props or data - - Hydration errors - Server/client mismatch -- Specific solutions for each error pattern -- Better organization of error information - -### 3. Component Registration Debugging (JavaScript) - -- New debug options in `ReactOnRails.setOptions()`: - - `debugMode` - Full debug logging - - `logComponentRegistration` - Component registration details -- Logging includes: - - Component names being registered - - Registration timing (performance metrics) - - Component sizes (approximate) - - Registration success confirmations - -### 4. Helper Module Updates (`lib/react_on_rails/helper.rb`) - -- Integrated SmartError for auto-loaded bundle errors -- Required smart_error module - -### 5. TypeScript Types (`node_package/src/types/index.ts`) - -- Added type definitions for new debug options -- Documented debug mode and registration logging options - -### 6. Tests - -- Ruby tests (`spec/react_on_rails/smart_error_spec.rb`) - - Tests for each error type - - Validation of error messages and solutions - - Context information tests -- JavaScript tests (`node_package/tests/debugLogging.test.js`) - - Component registration logging tests - - Debug mode option tests - - Timing information validation - -### 7. Documentation (`docs/guides/improved-error-messages.md`) - -- Complete guide on using new error features -- Examples of each error type -- Debug mode configuration -- Troubleshooting checklist - -## Benefits - -### For Developers - -1. **Faster debugging** - Errors now tell you exactly what to do -2. **Less context switching** - Solutions are provided inline -3. **Typo detection** - Suggests correct component names -4. **Performance insights** - Registration timing helps identify slow components -5. **Better visibility** - Debug mode shows what's happening under the hood - -### Examples of Improvements - -#### Before: - -```text -Component HelloWorld not found -``` - -#### After (Updated with Auto-Bundling Priority): - -```text -❌ React on Rails Error: Component 'HelloWorld' Not Registered - -Component 'HelloWorld' was not found in the component registry. - -React on Rails offers two approaches: -• Auto-bundling (recommended): Components load automatically, no registration needed -• Manual registration: Traditional approach requiring explicit registration - -💡 Suggested Solution: -Did you mean one of these? HelloWorldApp, HelloWorldComponent - -🚀 Recommended: Use Auto-Bundling (No Registration Required!) - -1. Enable auto-bundling in your view: - <%= react_component("HelloWorld", props: {}, auto_load_bundle: true) %> - -2. Place your component in the components directory: - app/javascript/components/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.jsx - -3. Generate the bundle: - bundle exec rake react_on_rails:generate_packs - -✨ That's it! No manual registration needed. -``` - -### Key Innovation: Auto-Bundling as Primary Solution - -The improved error messages now **prioritize React on Rails' auto-bundling feature**, which completely eliminates the need for manual component registration. This is a significant improvement because: - -1. **Simpler for developers** - No need to maintain registration files -2. **Automatic code splitting** - Each component gets its own bundle -3. **Better organization** - Components are self-contained in their directories -4. **Reduced errors** - No forgetting to register components - -## Usage - -### Enable Debug Mode (JavaScript) - -```javascript -// In your entry file -ReactOnRails.setOptions({ - debugMode: true, - logComponentRegistration: true, -}); -``` - -### View Enhanced Errors (Rails) - -Errors are automatically enhanced - no configuration needed. For full details: - -```ruby -ENV["FULL_TEXT_ERRORS"] = "true" -``` - -## Next Steps - -This is Phase 1 of the incremental improvements. Next phases include: - -- Enhanced Doctor Command (Phase 1.2) -- Modern Generator Templates (Phase 2.1) -- Rspack Migration Assistant (Phase 3.1) -- Inertia-Style Controller Helpers (Phase 5.1) - -## Testing - -Due to Ruby version constraints on the system (Ruby 2.6, project requires 3.0+), full testing wasn't completed, but: - -- JavaScript builds successfully -- Code structure follows existing patterns -- Tests are provided for validation - -## Impact - -This change has **High Impact** with **Low Effort** (2-3 days), making it an ideal first improvement. It immediately improves the developer experience without requiring any migration or configuration changes.