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Unsubscribed User
4,131 PointsIs there a Treehouse course that goes over using Javascript with a Ruby on Rails app?
I'm about to start my own Rails project but I'm going to be using the jQuery Datepicker. How can I add this into my Rails app?
6 Answers
Ari Misha
19,323 PointsHiya there! I'd suggest you to use asset pipelining instead of overloading public folder with different JS/images/CSS files. Asset pipelining compresses all your assets into one compressed file when your application goes into production environment. All your assets lives under your_project_name/app/assets. And eventually after compressing, the fingerprints get assigned to the compressed asset and it lives under public folder.
Rails create .coffee and .scss files for you at the time when controller gets generated. But if you want to switch to normal .css and .js extensions instead of server side preprocessors, you're gonna have to change their extensions manually and mention 'em in manifest files in the order you want your files to get compressed to a fingerprint in production environment.
Check out this great article on Asset Pipelining.
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsFront-end JavaScript/jQuery is totally agnostic of your backend language/framework. You can include it in the proper place in your Rails template as if it were regular HTML, and it should work just fine
Unsubscribed User
4,131 PointsWhat do you mean by 'proper place in your Rails template' exactly?
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsWherever it is in your ERB template that you're including your JavaScript. Usually, this is right before the closing </body> tag
Unsubscribed User
4,131 PointsGot it! Wanted to make sure there wasn't a conventional way to do so that I was missing!
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsGreat! If you have any more trouble, RailsCasts did a couple of walkthrough videos on using the jQuery UI Date Picker in a Rails form:
Unsubscribed User
4,131 PointsWhat about an 'Asset Pipeline' in a Rails app? When would one use that instead of just calling the scripts as needed inside the HTML?
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsThat's a great question, and one I'm afraid I don't know the answer to. I used Rails a couple times a few years ago, but I don't have experience in it outside of that. Personally, I'm mainly an iOS developer. I'll see if someone more qualified than I can take a look at this question, though it might take a bit, because it's the weekend
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsIn the meantime, you can check out this gem that claims to package the jQuery UI Date Picker for the Rails Asset Pipeline
Unsubscribed User
4,131 PointsThanks man! I'm definitely gonna check out those videos too!
Michael Hulet
47,912 PointsNo problem! I'm glad I could help :)
Ari Misha
19,323 PointsAri Misha
19,323 Points@BryanReed you could also include many front end frameworks like react or angular in your project. Just mention their respective gems in your gemfile and do bundle install and you're good to go. (: