Til Tracker

Render: Running initial migrations on free tier (Build Command workaround)

Context: I needed to run initial database migrations (rails db:migrate) on Render's free tier, which lacks Shell access or explicit Pre-Deploy/Post-Deploy command support. Migrations must run after the code is deployed and dependencies installed but before the server starts taking requests based on the new schema.
Resolution (Workaround): I temporarily added bundle exec rails db:migrate to the *end* of the Build Command in Render settings for the first successful deployment (e.g., bundle install; bundle exec rails assets:precompile; bundle exec rails db:migrate).
Learning: On restricted environments (like PaaS free tiers), essential post-deploy tasks like database migrations might need temporary workarounds, such as including them at the end of the build command. I learned to remember to remove the migration step from the build command after the first successful run to avoid unnecessary migrations on subsequent deploys and potentially slow down builds. Considering using release phase tasks if the platform supports them (Render paid tiers do) is a good idea for the future.

Tags: deployment-ci database migration workflow

Learned on: April 14, 2024 Edit

Feature: Implemented retroactive learning logging

Feature: I implemented retroactive learning logging.
Details: I added learned_on date field (type: :date, null: false, default: 'CURRENT_DATE') to the Learning model/migration. I updated the controller learning_params to permit :learned_on. I updated index sorting to use ORDER BY learned_on DESC, created_at DESC. I added a date_field to _form.html.erb. I updated index view display.
Learning: I learned that using SQL default CURRENT_DATE is effective for database-level defaults upon record creation. However, for new, unsaved records in a form, a default needs to be set in the view (e.g., <%= form.date_field :learned_on, value: Date.today %>) or controller (@learning = Learning.new(learned_on: Date.today)).

Tags: feature rails-core model migration controller view form database sql date

Learned on: April 13, 2024 Edit

Learnings

Render: Running initial migrations on free tier (Build Command workaround)

Feature: Implemented retroactive learning logging