---
name: microck/dhh-ruby-style
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/microck-dhh-ruby-style@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 8bfeec4b8dbf
---

# DHH Ruby/Rails Style Guide

Write Ruby and Rails code following DHH's philosophy: **clarity over cleverness**, **convention over configuration**, **developer happiness** above all.

## Quick Reference

### Controller Actions
- **Only 7 REST actions**: `index`, `show`, `new`, `create`, `edit`, `update`, `destroy`
- **New behavior?** Create a new controller, not a custom action
- **Action length**: 1-5 lines maximum
- **Empty actions are fine**: Let Rails convention handle rendering

```ruby
class MessagesController < ApplicationController
  before_action :set_message, only: %i[ show edit update destroy ]

  def index
    @messages = @room.messages.with_creator.last_page
    fresh_when @messages
  end

  def show
  end

  def create
    @message = @room.messages.create_with_attachment!(message_params)
    @message.broadcast_create
  end

  private
    def set_message
      @message = @room.messages.find(params[:id])
    end

    def message_params
      params.require(:message).permit(:body, :attachment)
    end
end
```

### Private Method Indentation
Indent private methods one level under `private` keyword:

```ruby
  private
    def set_message
      @message = Message.find(params[:id])
    end

    def message_params
      params.require(:message).permit(:body)
    end
```

### Model Design (Fat Models)
Models own business logic, authorization, and broadcasting:

```ruby
class Message < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :room
  belongs_to :creator, class_name: "User"
  has_many :mentions

  scope :with_creator, -> { includes(:creator) }
  scope :page_before, ->(cursor) { where("id < ?", cursor.id).order(id: :desc).limit(50) }

  def broadcast_create
    broadcast_append_to room, :messages, target: "messages"
  end

  def mentionees
    mentions.includes(:user).map(&:user)
  end
end

class User < ApplicationRecord
  def can_administer?(message)
    message.creator == self || admin?
  end
end
```

### Current Attributes
Use `Current` for request context, never pass `current_user` everywhere:

```ruby
class Current < ActiveSupport::CurrentAttributes
  attribute :user, :session
end

# Usage anywhere in app
Current.user.can_administer?(@message)
```

### Ruby Syntax Preferences

```ruby
# Symbol arrays with spaces inside brackets
before_action :set_message, only: %i[ show edit update destroy ]

# Modern hash syntax exclusively
params.require(:message).permit(:body, :attachment)

# Single-line blocks with braces
users.each { |user| user.notify }

# Ternaries for simple conditionals
@room.direct? ? @room.users : @message.mentionees

# Bang methods for fail-fast
@message = Message.create!(params)
@message.update!(message_params)

# Predicate methods with question marks
@room.direct?
user.can_administer?(@message)
@messages.any?

# Expression-less case for cleaner conditionals
case
when params[:before].present?
  @room.messages.page_before(params[:before])
when params[:after].present?
  @room.messages.page_after(params[:after])
else
  @room.messages.last_page
end
```

### Naming Conventions

| Element | Convention | Example |
|---------|------------|---------|
| Setter methods | `set_` prefix | `set_message`, `set_room` |
| Parameter methods | `{model}_params` | `message_params` |
| Association names | Semantic, not generic | `creator` not `user` |
| Scopes | Chainable, descriptive | `with_creator`, `page_before` |
| Predicates | End with `?` | `direct?`, `can_administer?` |

### Hotwire/Turbo Patterns
Broadcasting is model responsibility:

```ruby
# In model
def broadcast_create
  broadcast_append_to room, :messages, target: "messages"
end

# In controller
@message.broadcast_replace_to @room, :messages,
  target: [ @message, :presentation ],
  partial: "messages/presentation",
  attributes: { maintain_scroll: true }
```

### Error Handling
Rescue specific exceptions, fail fast with bang methods:

```ruby
def create
  @message = @room.messages.create_with_attachment!(message_params)
  @message.broadcast_create
rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound
  render action: :room_not_found
end
```

### Architecture Preferences

| Traditional | DHH Way |
|-------------|---------|
| PostgreSQL | SQLite (for single-tenant) |
| Redis + Sidekiq | Solid Queue |
| Redis cache | Solid Cache |
| Kubernetes | Single Docker container |
| Service objects | Fat models |
| Policy objects (Pundit) | Authorization on User model |
| FactoryBot | Fixtures |

## Detailed References

For comprehensive patterns and examples, see:
- `references/patterns.md` - Complete code patterns with explanations
- `references/resources.md` - Links to source material and further reading

## Philosophy Summary

1. **REST purity**: 7 actions only; new controllers for variations
2. **Fat models**: Authorization, broadcasting, business logic in models
3. **Thin controllers**: 1-5 line actions; extract complexity
4. **Convention over configuration**: Empty methods, implicit rendering
5. **Minimal abstractions**: No service objects for simple cases
6. **Current attributes**: Thread-local request context everywhere
7. **Hotwire-first**: Model-level broadcasting, Turbo Streams, Stimulus
8. **Readable code**: Semantic naming, small methods, no comments needed
9. **Pragmatic testing**: System tests over unit tests, real integrations