What is the secrets.yml file in Rails?

If you try to run a Rails 4 or 5 app, in production mode, without creating a secrets.yml file you will get an error.

Missing secret_key_base for 'production' environment, set this value in config/secrets.yml

Decorators and the Draper Gem

What is a decorator?

A decorator (or presenter) is a class that is responsible for presenting the model logic to the view. The presenter is usually initialized in the controller and usually expects to receive a model object. The presenter…

Don’t forget Indexes when using ActiveRecord

When you start a new Rails project, performance isn’t an issue. You add migrations nonchalantly as you complete more features. As your app grows and you get more users, database performance starts to become an issue.

Using Docker for your next Rails project

In this post I will be explaining how to create a new rails project, set up with Docker, for local development. A lot has been written about Docker already. In this post I wont be addressing what Docker is or how to deploy it. I will be focusing on using it…

Avoiding the Programming Bubble

I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail. — Abraham Maslow

Programming is an activity based on the use of tools. The OS, the editor, the programming language & the framework are all…

Thoughts on Testing a Backend Release

One of the interesting problems that startups face is deploying software. Startups want to deploy software as quickly and frequently as possible. Startups need to develop for multiple platforms; iOS, Android and Web. Manually testing a backend release on all of…