rails-engine-reviewer

Rails Engine Reviewer

Use this skill when the task is to review an existing Rails engine or propose improvements.

Prioritize architectural risks over style comments. The main review targets are coupling, unclear host contracts, unsafe initialization, and weak integration coverage.

Quick Reference

Review Area	Key Checks
Namespace	isolate_namespace used; clear boundaries; no host constant leakage
Host integration	Configuration seams, adapters; no direct host model access
Init	No side effects at load time; reload-safe hooks in config.to_prepare
Migrations	Documented, copied via generator; no implicit or destructive steps
Dummy app	Present in spec/; used for integration tests; exercises real mount and config

Review Order

1. Identify the engine type and purpose.

   • Read lib/<engine_name>/engine.rb and lib/<engine_name>/railtie.rb (if present).
   • Confirm whether it is isolated (isolate_namespace) or plain.

2. Inspect the namespace and public API surface.

   • grep -r "isolate_namespace" lib/ — must appear in the engine class.
   • grep -rn "::\|^[A-Z]" lib/ — look for unqualified top-level constant references that may leak into or depend on the host.

3. Check host-app integration points.

   • grep -rn "Rails.application\|::User\|::Account\|::Current" lib/ — flag direct host constant references.
   • Verify that any host dependency flows through a config seam or adapter (e.g., MyEngine.config.user_finder).

4. Check initialization and reload behavior.

   • Inspect every initializer, config.to_prepare, and ActiveSupport.on_load block in engine.rb.
   • grep -n "initializer\|on_load\|to_prepare\|autoload" lib/<engine_name>/engine.rb
   • Flag anything that mutates global state or runs code at require time outside an initializer block.

5. Check migrations, generators, and install flow.

   • Confirm migrations are copied via a generator (rails g <engine>:install) rather than loaded directly.
   • grep -rn "migrations_paths\|railties_order" lib/ — check for implicit or order-dependent migration setup.
   • Check for destructive or irreversible migrations (missing down or change with unsafe operations).

6. Check dummy-app and integration tests.

   • Confirm spec/dummy/ (or test/dummy/) exists and contains a mounted route in config/routes.rb.
   • grep -rn "mount\|routes" spec/dummy/config/routes.rb
   • Verify integration tests boot the dummy app and exercise the mount point, not just unit-test engine classes in isolation.

7. Pre-summary validation checkpoint. Before writing findings, confirm every row in the Quick Reference table has been addressed:

   • Namespace isolation verified
   • Host integration points checked
   • engine.rb initializer blocks inspected
   • Migration/generator flow confirmed
   • Dummy app presence and usage confirmed
   • Integration tests exercise real mount

   If any box cannot be checked (e.g., file not provided), record it as an open assumption.

8. Summarize findings by severity.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Reality
Reviewing code style before architecture	Style is low impact; coupling, host assumptions, and unsafe init cause production failures
Missing dummy app coverage check	Dummy app must exist and be used; engines without it cannot prove host integration works
Ignoring engine.rb	engine.rb often contains boot-time side effects; always inspect it

Severity Tiers

See FINDINGS.md for the full High / Medium / Low severity lists and Common Fixes. Flag High findings first — they cause production failures. Low findings are style; do not surface them before architecture issues.

Output Format

Write findings first. For each finding include:

• severity
• affected file or area
• why it is risky
• the smallest credible fix

Then include:

• open assumptions
• recommended next changes

If no meaningful findings exist, say so explicitly and mention any residual testing gaps.

Examples

High-severity finding (engine reaching into host):

# Bad: engine assumes host model
class MyEngine::SomeService
  def call
    User.find(current_user_id)  # User is host app; engine is coupled
  end
end

• Severity: High. Area: MyEngine::SomeService. Risk: Engine depends on host User; breaks when used in another app. Fix: Introduce config: MyEngine.config.user_finder = ->(id) { User.find(id) } (or an adapter), and use that in the engine.

Good (configuration seam):

# Good: engine uses configured dependency
class MyEngine::SomeService
  def call
    MyEngine.config.user_finder.call(current_user_id)
  end
end

Integration

Skill	When to chain
rails-engine-author	When implementing suggested fixes or refactoring the engine
rails-engine-testing	When adding missing dummy-app or integration coverage
rails-engine-compatibility	When assessing Rails/Ruby version support or deprecation impact

Assets

• assets/examples.md