Interactive `rails new`

[Viktor Fonic]

Hi,

Every time I run `rails new`, I need to pull out the command I use (and maybe even the template as well). The command I currently use looks like this:

$ rails new magic --database=postgresql --skip-coffee --skip-turbolinks --skip-test --skip-system-test --webpack=react

On the other hand (and I know I'm comparing apples and oranges here), here's what happens when I run `npm init`:

$ npm init

This utility will walk you through creating a package.json file.

It only covers the most common items, and tries to guess sensible defaults.

See `npm help json` for definitive documentation on these fields

and exactly what they do.

Use `npm install <pkg>` afterwards to install a package and

save it as a dependency in the package.json file.

Press ^C at any time to quit.

package name: (asd)

version: (1.0.0)

description:

entry point: (index.js)

test command:

git repository:

keywords:

author:

license: (ISC)

About to write to /Users/vfonic/Developer/javascript/asd/package.json:

{

  "name": "asd",

  "version": "1.0.0",

  "description": "",

  "main": "index.js",

  "scripts": {

    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"

  },

  "author": "",

  "license": "ISC"

}

Is this OK? (yes)

Bold are prompts, with sensible defaults in the (brackets).

Wouldn't it be great if rails had something similar? Imagine gems attaching directly to the `rails new` and immediately installing and setting up even before you `cd` to your app! If not, at least I'll be able to skip all the flags I want to skip, by going through the interactive `rails new`.

If you prefer the simplicity of `rails new` and would like to keep it, we could add a single "Y/n" prompt before all the others:

Create new app with sensible defaults Y/n:

What do you think?

[Andrew Kaspick]

+1 Nice idea.

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[Emanuel Hayford]

+1 I like this idea :)

[Rolandas Barysas]

I think it would be against the idea of convention over configuration. You can create an alias if you use those flags all the time.

[Leonardo Prado]

+1 for the idea.

But I would put it behind some flag, like `rails new --interactive`. This way we'll still have the default "convention over configuration" and add an option for when you need to add more configuration.

[Xavier Noria]

The application generator has about 25 options, I believe an interactive mode wouldn't be practical.

I second Rolandas' suggestion: make your own shortcut.

For example, I often want to create a vanilla application to test something quickly, --skip-bundle is the key there.  I have a Bash function for that called "rn" that does this:

    rails new $app_name --skip-bundle "$@" && \

  cd $app_name && \

  bundle install --local

Since a Bash function can change the $PWD, I am even left at the app's root directory.

[Kevin Deisz]

You can also just use the .railsrc file from your home directory to specify those args every time.

https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/master/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/USAGE

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Kevin D. Deisz

CTO, CultureHQ

[antoin...@gmail.com]

+1 for the idea

Every time I create a rails app I forget to disable stuff and end up running `rails new --help` to check every option.

I also agree that a `npm init` style interface wouldn't be practical.

Instead I suggest doing something like vue-cli does. When you run `vue create myapp`, you can pick features step by step. See https://cli.vuejs.org/guide/creating-a-project.html#vue-create

We could imagine a first step where you can toggle turbolinks, sprockets, action mailer, coffee script, webpacker etc...

Then another step to select a database preconfiguration (mysql/postgresql/...) if database wasn't disabled in the first step.

Then another step to select webpack integrations (erb, react, angular, vue...).

It doesn't have to allow to toggle every option of `rails new`, but to provide essentials.

I also think this would be a nice feature for rails beginners and make rails more user friendly.

[Kevin Gnadinger]

I like the idea and believe it should be pursued. 

However, like most other major frameworks that implement something like this, the cli should be separate from the main rails repo.

[Robb Shecter]

+1 as well

I think rails new could do something much more basic that'd really help  both new and experienced users: check its inputs. Fail fast and clearly instead of failing silently. There are at least a couple rails sub-commands that don't check the supplied options. I looked into attacking this issue, but it'd be a good amount of work.

[Philip Lambok]

+1 I love the idea. The interactive option can be an alternative to creating a rails app without having to eliminate the current option.