Ultra Light Wizard v0.1.4 (beta)

No time to manage a wizard state machine, session variables, or complicated controllers? Use Ultra Light Wizard!! A RESTful session-less validation-friendly simple multi-step form architectural pattern in Rails.

This RailsConf 2014 talk video explains it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muyfoiKHMMA

And, this blog summarizes it:
https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2013/10/ultra-light-maintainable-wizards-in.html

Principles

• REST: wizard (multi-step form) steps are represented as REST nested resources under the model resource being built
• MVC: respects MVC separation of concerns
• OO: honors OO principles of low coupling and high cohesion
• Design Patterns: wizard (multi-step form) is simply a model Builder
• DDD: supports domain concepts directly with customizable vocabulary
• Non-Functional Requirements:
  • Productivity: minimum effort for adding wizards (multi-step forms) and wizard steps
  • Maintainability: minimum code to maintain while adhering to other principles
  • Performance: stateless design means scalability
  • Security: stateless design is compatible with Rails security measures

Details

To learn more about the Ultra Light Wizard architectural pattern philosophy and function, please read this blog post: Ultra Light & Maintainable Wizard in Rails

Note: Since Ultra Light Wizard is an architectural pattern that can be applied whether using this library or not, it is more important to understand it well first through watching the video and reading the article provided above. Afterward, you may use the library (or an Ultra Light Wizard compatible gem like Wicked) to get started quickly via Rails scaffolding for new project models or otherwise avoid by applying pattern manually for existing project models.

Instructions

Add the following to your Rails project Gemfile:

gem 'ultra_light_wizard', '~> 0.1.4'

Run the command:

bundle

Then, use the following command in place of the Rails scaffold generator, and it will scaffold both standard resource components and wizard-related components:

rails generate ultra_light_wizard:scaffold (resource) steps:(step1),(step2),(step3),... attributes:(attribute1:db_type1),(attribute2:db_type2),...

This will generate wizard (multi-step form) step routes, controller, models, and views

Example:

rails generate ultra_light_wizard:scaffold Project steps:basic_info,project_detail,file_uploads,preview attributes:name:string,description:text,start_date:date,delivery_date:date

Output:

generate  scaffold
  invoke  active_record
  create    db/migrate/20160201025849_create_projects.rb
  create    app/models/project.rb
  invoke    test_unit
  create      test/models/project_test.rb
  create      test/fixtures/projects.yml
  invoke  resource_route
   route    resources :projects
  invoke  scaffold_controller
  create    app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
  invoke    erb
  create      app/views/projects
  create      app/views/projects/index.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/edit.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/show.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/new.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/_form.html.erb
  invoke    test_unit
  create      test/controllers/projects_controller_test.rb
  invoke    helper
  create      app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
  invoke      test_unit
  invoke    jbuilder
  create      app/views/projects/index.json.jbuilder
  create      app/views/projects/show.json.jbuilder
  invoke  assets
  invoke    coffee
  create      app/assets/javascripts/projects.coffee
  invoke    scss
  create      app/assets/stylesheets/projects.scss
  invoke  scss
identical    app/assets/stylesheets/scaffolds.scss
    gsub  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
    gsub  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
  insert  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
    gsub  app/views/projects/index.html.erb
  create  app/controllers/project_steps_controller.rb
  create  app/helpers/project_steps_helper.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/_step_navigation.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/name.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/name.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/description.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/description.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/start_date.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/start_date.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/delivery_date.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/delivery_date.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/preview.rb
  create  app/views/project_steps/preview.html.erb
   route  resources :projects, only: [:create, :show] do
resources :project_steps, only: [:edit, :update]
end

Once the files are generated, you can proceed to place your own code customizations in the wizard step models and views.

To kick-off wizard, simply trigger the main model controller create action, and it will transition to the wizard step first step edit action.

For example, the following will kick-off the project wizard by creating a project and automatically redirecting to first step:

<%= link_to 'New Project', projects_path, method: :post %>

If you’d like to customize the term “step”, you can add a step_alias:(alias) option as in the following:

Example:

rails generate ultra_light_wizard:scaffold Project step_alias:part steps:basic_info,project_detail,file_uploads,preview attributes:name:string,description:text,start_date:date,delivery_date:date

Output:

generate  scaffold
  invoke  active_record
  create    db/migrate/20160201025849_create_projects.rb
  create    app/models/project.rb
  invoke    test_unit
  create      test/models/project_test.rb
  create      test/fixtures/projects.yml
  invoke  resource_route
   route    resources :projects
  invoke  scaffold_controller
  create    app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
  invoke    erb
  create      app/views/projects
  create      app/views/projects/index.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/edit.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/show.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/new.html.erb
  create      app/views/projects/_form.html.erb
  invoke    test_unit
  create      test/controllers/projects_controller_test.rb
  invoke    helper
  create      app/helpers/projects_helper.rb
  invoke      test_unit
  invoke    jbuilder
  create      app/views/projects/index.json.jbuilder
  create      app/views/projects/show.json.jbuilder
  invoke  assets
  invoke    coffee
  create      app/assets/javascripts/projects.coffee
  invoke    scss
  create      app/assets/stylesheets/projects.scss
  invoke  scss
identical    app/assets/stylesheets/scaffolds.scss
    gsub  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
    gsub  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
  insert  app/controllers/projects_controller.rb
    gsub  app/views/projects/index.html.erb
  create  app/controllers/project_parts_controller.rb
  create  app/helpers/project_parts_helper.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/_part_navigation.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/name.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/name.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/description.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/description.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/start_date.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/start_date.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/delivery_date.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/delivery_date.html.erb
  create  app/models/project/preview.rb
  create  app/views/project_parts/preview.html.erb
   route  resources :projects, only: [:create, :show] do
resources :project_parts, only: [:edit, :update]
end

Features

• Ultra Light Wizard scaffold generator
  • Scaffolding of main model controller/views/migration
  • Routes
  • Controller steps
  • Model parts
  • View parts
  • View navigation
  • Helper for ultra light wizard support
  • Route helper methods
  • Wizard kick-off helper/view
  • Forms
  • Support for attributes
  • Form fields
  • Custom name conventions
  • Wizard step breadcrumb with easily stylable semantic markup
  • [UPCOMING] JS Ajax support

Enhancements

If you are interested in having enhancements implemented, please report via a GitHub issue, describing the problem, providing use case examples, and suggesting solutions to implement.

History

v0.1.4 Step breadcrumb, having easily customizable semantic markup
v0.1.3 test coverage with feature specs / fixed issue 4 Generate routes in the right order
v0.1.2 ensure resource creation redirects to first step / include step helper in resource controller
v0.1.1 includes permitted params and edit/update actions
v0.1.0 initial implementation

License

MIT