rails-engine-author

Rails Engine Author

Use this skill when the task is to create, scaffold, or refactor a Rails engine.

Favor maintainability over cleverness. A good engine has a narrow purpose, a clear host-app integration story, and a small public API.

Keep this skill focused on structure and design. Use adjacent skills for installer details, deep test coverage, release workflow, or documentation work.

Quick Reference

Engine Type	When to Use
Plain gem	No Rails hooks or app directories needed; pure Ruby library
Railtie	Needs Rails initialization hooks but not models/controllers/routes/views
Engine	Needs Rails autoload paths, initializers, migrations, assets, jobs, or host integration
Mountable engine	Needs its own routes, controllers, views, assets, and namespace boundary

HARD-GATE

Before engine work is complete, confirm all of the following:

1. The root file is minimal: requires version, configuration, and engine only.
2. Public-facing engines use isolate_namespace.
3. The root module exposes .configure yielding a Configuration object.
4. Host model references stay configurable strings (e.g. "User"), never ::User.
5. Engine code never auto-applies migrations at boot (no config.paths['db/migrate'] or ActiveRecord::Migrator).
6. The host contract is documented per the Host App Contract section.
7. Initializers are idempotent and safe in development reloads.
8. Assets and generators are namespaced and idempotent.
9. Dummy app exists and integration tests pass.
10. Mount the engine in the dummy app and verify routes load correctly.
11. Search engine files for hard-coded host constants (::User, ::Employee).
12. Search engine boot code for migration auto-apply patterns (db:migrate, ActiveRecord::Migrator, config.paths['db/migrate']).
13. Expose integration seams through services, adapters, or hooks — not direct host constants.

Workflow

1. Identify the engine type before writing code. Scaffold with the correct generator:

   rails plugin new my_engine --mountable   # mountable engine
   rails plugin new my_engine --full        # full engine (non-isolated)
   rails plugin new my_engine               # plain Railtie/gem
   

2. Define the host-app contract (see Host App Contract section).
3. Create the minimal engine structure. Checkpoint: bundle exec rake inside the engine must pass.
4. Implement features behind the namespace. Checkpoint: mount engine in dummy app routes and verify with bundle exec rails routes.
5. Plan and write minimum integration coverage through the dummy app.
6. Document the host-app contract clearly enough for follow-on work.

If the user does not specify the engine type, infer it from the requested behavior and say which type you chose.

Recommended Structure

Use a structure close to this:

my_engine/
  lib/
    my_engine.rb
    my_engine/version.rb
    my_engine/engine.rb
    generators/
  app/
    controllers/
    models/
    jobs/
    views/
  config/
    routes.rb
    locales/
  db/
    migrate/
  spec/ or test/
    dummy/

Keep the root module small:

• lib/my_engine.rb: requires version, engine, and public configuration entrypoints.
• lib/my_engine/engine.rb: engine class, initializers, autoload/eager-load behavior, asset/config hooks.
• lib/my_engine/version.rb: version only.

Host App Contract

This is the single authoritative definition of the engine's integration surface. Define it before implementation and keep it updated throughout.

• What the host app must add: mount route, initializer, migrations, credentials, background jobs, or assets.
• What the engine exposes: models, controllers, helpers, configuration, rake tasks, generators, middleware, or events.
• Which extension points are supported: config block, adapter interface, callbacks, or service objects.

Prefer one explicit configuration surface, for example:

MyEngine.configure do |config|
  config.user_class = "User"
  config.audit_events = true
end

Do not scatter configuration across unrelated constants and initializers.

Testing Expectations

Minimum coverage through the dummy app (not just isolated classes):

• Engine integration tests through the mounted dummy app.
• Routing/request tests for all mountable engine endpoints.
• Configuration tests for each supported host customization option.
• Generator tests when install/setup generators exist.

Examples

Minimal root module:

# lib/my_engine.rb
require "my_engine/version"
require "my_engine/configuration"
require "my_engine/engine"

module MyEngine
  class << self
    def configuration
      @configuration ||= Configuration.new
    end

    def configure
      yield(configuration)
    end
  end
end

Minimal mountable engine class:

# lib/my_engine/engine.rb
module MyEngine
  class Engine < ::Rails::Engine
    isolate_namespace MyEngine

    config.generators do |g|
      g.test_framework :rspec
      g.fixture_replacement :factory_bot
    end
  end
end

Routes namespaced under engine:

# config/routes.rb
MyEngine::Engine.routes.draw do
  root to: 'dashboard#index'
  resources :widgets, only: %i[index show]
end

Optional Reference Pattern

For a reusable starter layout and file stubs, read reference.md.

Integration

Skill	When to chain
rails-engine-testing	Dummy app setup, integration tests, regression coverage
rails-engine-reviewer	Findings-first audits, structural review
rails-engine-docs	README, installation guide, host-app contract documentation
rails-engine-installers	Generator-heavy setup, install scripts, copy migrations
api-rest-collection	When the engine exposes HTTP endpoints (generate/update Postman collection)

Assets

• assets/examples.md
• assets/release-checklist.md