Til Tracker

Routing Error for static files (`/documents/cv.pdf`) in development

Issue: Linking to PDFs I placed in public/documents/ resulted in No route matches [GET] /documents/cv.pdf in the development environment.
Cause: By default, the Rails development environment often doesn't serve static files from the public directory. This is typically enabled only in production for performance reasons.
Resolution:
1. I enabled static file serving in development by setting config.public_file_server.enabled = true in config/environments/development.rb.
2. I ensured the PDF files were correctly placed in til_tracker/public/documents/.
3. I restarted the Rails server (./bin/dev).
Learning: To serve static assets (like PDFs, images) directly from the public folder in the development environment, I learned I must explicitly set config.public_file_server.enabled = true in config/environments/development.rb and restart the server. In production, this is usually handled by the webserver (like Nginx or Apache) or enabled by default in production.rb.

Tags: rails-core environment-setup frontend error-handling debugging

Learned on: April 22, 2024 Edit

Initial Render deployment failed (Static Site vs Web Service)

Context: My initial deployment attempt on Render using the Static Site service type failed. The Static Site service type is only for pre-built HTML/CSS/JS files and does not run a backend server process like Rails requires (Puma).
Resolution: I deleted the Static Site service and created a new Web Service on Render.
Learning: Rails applications require a dynamic backend environment capable of running a server process (like Puma). I learned to use Render's "Web Service" type, not "Static Site", for deploying my Rails app.

Tags: deployment-ci rails-core

Learned on: April 14, 2024 Edit

Request spec failures (`StaticPages` 404s)

Context: My request specs failed: StaticPages GET /... returns http success failed with Expected response to be a <2XX: success>, but was a <404: Not Found>. This occurred for /home, /hire_me, /about specs in spec/requests/static_pages_spec.rb. The specs were using hardcoded string paths (e.g., get "/static_pages/home") that didn't match the actual routes defined in config/routes.rb.
Resolution: I updated the specs to use the correct Rails path helpers (get root_path, get hire_me_path, get about_path) defined by config/routes.rb.
Learning: I learned to always use Rails path helpers (e.g., root_path, learnings_path, hire_me_path) in request/system specs instead of hardcoding URL strings. This ensures tests remain accurate even if routes change and avoids simple 404 errors. Using rails routes helps check available helpers.

Tags: testing rails-core rspec request-spec routes path-helpers configuration

Learned on: April 14, 2024 Edit

Request spec failure (`render_template` matcher missing)

Context: My request spec failed: Failure/Error: expect(response).to render_template(:new) ... assert_template has been extracted to a gem. To continue using it, add gem 'rails-controller-testing' to your Gemfile. The render_template matcher in RSpec request specs relies on functionality (assert_template) that is no longer part of Rails core.
Resolution: I added gem 'rails-controller-testing' to the :test group in the Gemfile and ran bundle install.
Learning: I learned to be aware that testing helpers previously included in Rails core might be extracted into separate gems in newer versions. Error messages usually indicate the required gem (rails-controller-testing for render_template, assigns, assert_template).

Tags: testing rails-core rspec request-spec dependencies gem controller-testing gemfile

Learned on: April 14, 2024 Edit

Feature: Implemented tag filtering

Action: I implemented the tag filtering feature.
Details: I added a tag_list helper to the Learning model (simple tags.split(',').map(&:strip)). I updated LearningsController#index to filter by params[:tag] (where("tags LIKE ?", "%#{params[:tag]}%")) and collect unique tags for the view (Learning.pluck(:tags).flat_map { |t| t.split(',') }.uniq). I updated index.html.erb with a turbo_frame_tag around the list, clickable tag links (link_to tag, learnings_path(tag: tag)), and filter controls. I added basic CSS styling for tags.
Learning: I learned that simple string-based tags (comma-separated) can be made functional for filtering using basic Rails querying (LIKE or string_to_array in PG) and Turbo Frames for efficient UI updates without full page reloads, adhering to the 37signals principle of starting simple.

Tags: feature rails-core model controller view tags filtering turbo hotwire sql like css ui 37signals

Learned on: April 14, 2024 Edit

NoMethodError: undefined method `learned_on` on `new` learning page

Context: The new.html.erb view tried to access @learning.learned_on to set the default value for the date field (value: @learning.learned_on || Date.today), causing NoMethodError.
Resolution: I changed the date_field value in the view to just value: Date.today. The @learning instance created by LearningsController#new (Learning.new) is unsaved and doesn't have attributes populated from database defaults until saved.
Learning: I learned to be mindful of when database defaults are applied (on save) versus needing to set defaults explicitly in the controller (Model.new(attr: default)) or view (value: default) for new object instances presented in forms.

Tags: rails-core controller view form model date nomethoderror database default

Learned on: April 13, 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

Project cleanup: Removed unused Rails directories/files

What I Did: Performed project cleanup to align with the 37signals minimal approach.
Details: I identified and removed standard Rails directories/files not actively used: app/jobs/, app/mailers/, app/helpers/, app/controllers/concerns/, vendor/, script/, storage/, corresponding spec/helpers/ files. I removed configuration files for unused tools/services: .kamal/, .github/ (partially, CI kept), Dockerfile, .dockerignore, .rubocop.yml. I removed default Rails icons from public/.
Learning: I learned to regularly review the default Rails structure and remove components not essential to the application's core functionality to maintain simplicity and reduce clutter, checking project requirements.

Tags: workflow rails-core project-management

Learned on: April 13, 2024 Edit

`rbenv exec rails db:create` failed (`ActiveRecord::ConnectionNotEstablished`)

Context: rbenv exec rails db:create failed with ActiveRecord::ConnectionNotEstablished. The PostgreSQL server was not running or accessible.
Resolution: I started the PostgreSQL service (e.g., brew services start postgresql).
Learning: I learned to ensure required background services like databases are running before Rails attempts to connect to them (e.g., rails db:create, rails server). Checking service status (brew services list) is important.

Tags: database environment-setup rails-core

Learned on: April 09, 2024 Edit

NoMethodError: undefined method `pluralize` in controller

Context: The destroy_multiple action in LearningsController tried to use the pluralize helper directly, resulting in NoMethodError.
Resolution: I changed the call to view_context.pluralize to access the view helper context from the controller.
Learning: I learned that view helpers like pluralize are part of ActionView and must be accessed via view_context when called from within a controller action.

Tags: rails-core error-handling

Learned on: April 09, 2024 Edit

Rails generator failed for model name `Til`

Context: I was trying to generate the primary model for the application as Til. The generator reported The name 'Til' is either already used....
Resolution: I switched to using the name Learning for the model and LearningsController for the associated controller. I generated these components successfully and removed the previous partially generated/conflicting Til files and migration. I updated TASK.md and routes.rb accordingly.
Learning: I learned to be aware of potential naming collisions with Rails internals or reserved words, even if not strictly listed. Choosing a slightly more descriptive or different name can avoid generator issues.

Tags: rails-core workflow naming-convention

Learned on: April 08, 2024 Edit