Pretty URLs with gem friendly_id

• Gem Friendly_id
• Example implementation - Superails

1. Minimal setup - no additional column #

bundle add friendly_id
# will install the gem

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
  friendly_id :name

#app/controllers/inboxes_controller.rb
  def set_inbox
--    @inbox = Inbox.find(params[:id])
++    @inbox = Inbox.friendly.find(params[:id])
  end

2. :finders - always add it! #

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
--  friendly_id :name
++  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders]

#app/controllers/inboxes_controller.rb
  def set_inbox
++    @inbox = Inbox.find(params[:id])
--    @inbox = Inbox.friendly.find(params[:id])
  end

2. :slugged - always add it too! #

rails g migration AddSlugToInboxes slug:uniq
# will add column that will store the friendly_id

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
--  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders]
++  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders, :slugged]

Inbox.find_each(&:save)
# update the slug for all existing records
# in the above case, slug = name

• 2.1. you can create non-attribute slug names, like randoms

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
--  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders, :slugged]
++  friendly_id :generate_random_slug, use: [:finders, :slugged]
++  def generate_random_slug
++    slug? ? slug : SecureRandom.uuid
++  end

• 2.2. candidates - use longer option if shorer one is taken

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
--  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders, :slugged]
++  friendly_id :slug_candidates, use: [:finders, :slugged]
++   def slug_candidates
++     [
++       :name,
++       [:name, :description],
++       [:name, :descroption, :created_at]
++     ]
++   end

4. Conditionally auto-update slug #

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
  friendly_id :name
++  def should_generate_new_friendly_id?
++    name_changed?
++  end

• Dirty - check if attrubite changed
• Good post about *_changed

NOTE: this can be a bit buggy:

• go to edit
• change name to something invalid
• submit, get normal validation error
• change name to something valid
• submit, get ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound (can't find record with friendly id: "ger"):

5. :history. Customizing friendly_id.rb #

All the new slugs will be saved in a separate database table -> you will be able to access records via their OLD URLs!

#app/models/inbox.rb
  extend FriendlyId
--  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders, :slugged]
++  friendly_id :name, use: [:finders, :slugged, :history]

rails generate friendly_id
# create db/migrate/20211105220542_create_friendly_id_slugs.rb
# create config/initializers/friendly_id.rb