Manual Installation Overview
TODO: Review this file
This file summarizes what the React on Rails generator does.
Configure the /client
Directory
This directory has no references to Rails outside of the destination directory for the files created by the various Webpack config files.
The only requirements within this directory for basic React on Rails integration are:
- Your webpack configuration files:
- Create outputs in a directory like
/public/webpack
, which is customizable in yourconfig/initializers/react_on_rails.rb
. - Provide server rendering if you wish to use that feature.
- Create outputs in a directory like
- Your JavaScript code "registers" any components and stores per the ReactOnRails APIs of ReactOnRails.register(components) and ReactOnRails.registerStore(stores). See API docs in README.md and the ReactOnRails.js source.
- Set your registration file as an "entry" point in your Webpack configs.
- Add the Manifest plugin to your config. For examples see dummy config.
The default path:
public/webpack
can be loaded with webpackConfigLoader as shown in the dummy example. - You create scripts in
client/package.json
per the example apps. These are used for building your Webpack assets. Also do this for your top levelpackage.json
.
Rails Steps (outside of /client)
- Add
gem "webpacker"
to the Gemfile, run bundle. The gem provides thestylesheet_pack_tag
andjavascript_pack_tag
helpers which is used to load the bundled assets to your layouts.Dummy Example - Configure the
config/initializers/react_on_rails.rb
. You can adjust some necessary settings and defaults. See file spec/dummy/config/initializers/react_on_rails.rb for a detailed example of configuration, including comments on the different values to configure. - Configure your Procfiles per the example apps. These are at the root of your Rails installation.
- Configure your top level JavaScript files for inclusion in your layout. You'll want a version that you use for static assets, and you want a file for any files in your setup that are not part of your webpack build. The reason for this is for use with hot-reloading. If you are not using hot reloading, then you only need to configure your
application.js
file to include your Webpack generated files. For more information on hot reloading, see Hot Reloading of Assets For Rails Development - If you are deploying to Heroku, see heroku-deployment.md
If I missed anything, please submit a PR or file an issue.