Getting Started with Ruby on Rails: Essential Steps After Installation

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Congratulations, you’ve installed Ruby on Rails! Before diving into creating amazing web apps, let’s make sure you’re set up for success. Here are some key steps every new Rails developer should follow to avoid the dreaded “Why isn’t this working?!” moments.

1. Update Gems

After installation, always keep your gems up to date:

bundle update

Rails and its dependencies evolve fast, so it’s important to stay in sync!

2. RVM or rbenv? Choose One

For managing Ruby versions, you have two popular options: RVM or rbenv. Pick one and stick with it—trying both will lead to chaos.

3. Install PostgreSQL

SQLite is great for small projects, but for anything beyond a pet hamster app, you need a grown-up database. PostgreSQL is a popular choice for Rails projects.

4. Configure Your Database

By default, Rails uses SQLite. If you’re using PostgreSQL (which you probably should), update your database configuration:

Edit config/database.yml:

default: &default
  adapter: postgresql
  username: YOUR_USERNAME
  password: YOUR_PASSWORD
  database: YOUR_DATABASE_NAME

5. Set Up Environment Variables

You’ll have sensitive information like API keys or secret tokens that you don’t want to expose. Use the dotenv-rails gem to manage these:

bundle add dotenv-rails

Create a .env file and add your environment variables there (e.g., API keys, secrets).

6. Manage Secrets and Credentials

Rails uses encrypted credentials for managing sensitive data. To edit these, use:

EDITOR="code --wait" bin/rails credentials:edit

Add secret keys and other confidential information here.

7. Configure CORS for API Projects

If you’re building an API and need to handle requests from different domains, configure Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) in config/initializers/cors.rb:

Add the rack-cors gem and configure allowed origins:

Rails.application.config.middleware.insert_before 0, Rack::Cors do
  allow do
    origins '*'
    resource '*', headers: :any, methods: [:get, :post, :options]
  end
end

8. Assets Precompilation

For production, precompile your assets to ensure they load quickly:

rails assets:precompile

Update config/initializers/assets.rb to add any additional assets.

9. Customize Generators

Stop Rails from generating unwanted files (like CSS or helpers) by customizing your generator settings in config/application.rb:

config.generators do |g|
  g.assets false
  g.helper false
end

10. Take a Break

You’ve done all the setup, and Rails is up and running. If everything looks good, take a break—grab a coffee or go for a walk. You’ve earned it!

Wrapping Up

These steps will get you on the right track after installing Ruby on Rails. Remember, the Rails community is here to help, and no one figures it all out on day one. Keep learning and happy coding!