RailsLayout Gem

Use this gem to set up layout files for your choice of front-end framework:

• Zurb Foundation 5.3
• Bootstrap 4.0
• Bootstrap 3.3

It also will set up Devise views with styling for Bootstrap or Foundation.

RailsLayout is a utility gem to use during development.

The RailsLayout gem is used by Rails Composer tool, an application template used to create starter applications. You can use Rails Composer to generate entire applications.

If you like the RailsLayout gem, you might be interested in the RailsApps Testing gem which sets up a testing framework for Rails.

If the RailsLayout gem is useful to you, please support the RailsApps project by purchasing our tutorials. The RailsApps project provides example applications, tutorials, and starter tools, including the RailsLayout gem.

• $ rails generate layout:install foundation5
• $ rails generate layout:install foundation4
• $ rails generate layout:install bootstrap4
• $ rails generate layout:install bootstrap3
• $ rails generate layout:install bootstrap2
• $ rails generate layout:install simple
• $ rails generate layout:install none

• $ rails generate layout:navigation
• $ rails generate layout:navigation bootstrap4

• $ rails generate layout:devise foundation5
• $ rails generate layout:devise bootstrap3

Refer to instructions for:

• Foundation and Rails
• Bootstrap and Rails

In summary, to install a front-end framework, add the gems you need. Then use the RailsLayout gem. It will set up your assets files.

Add the gems you need to your Rails application Gemfile:

gem 'foundation-rails'

See a note below about a necessary change to the config/application.rb file.

gem 'compass-rails'
gem 'zurb-foundation'

gem 'bootstrap', '~> 4.0.0.alpha3.1'

gem 'bootstrap-sass'

gem 'bootstrap-sass', '~> 2.3.2.2'

Use Bundler to install the gem:

$ bundle install

Add it to your Rails application Gemfile:

group :development do
  gem 'rails_layout'
end

You don’t need the gem deployed to production, so put it in the development group.

If you want to use a newer unreleased version from GitHub:

group :development do
  gem 'rails_layout', github: 'RailsApps/rails_layout'
end

Use Bundler to install the gem:

$ bundle install

The command will rename application.css to application.css.scss.

It will add:

• 1st_load_framework.css.scss

The Rails asset pipeline loads asset files in alphabetical order (unless the assets are specified explicitly in the manifest file). The file is named 1st_load_framework.css.scss so the framework will be loaded first before any custom CSS files added by the developer.

And modify the JavaScript asset file:

• application.js

It will set up a default application layout.

It creates partials for:

• Rails flash messages
• navigation links

Additionally, if Devise or OmniAuth is present, the command will add Sass mixins to accommodate forms. The Sass mixins add form styling to be used with either Bootstrap or Foundation (so we don’t have to maintain separate views for each front-end framework).

You can generate layout files suitable for use with the following front-end frameworks:

• foundation5 – Zurb Foundation 5.3
• foundation4 – Zurb Foundation 4.0
• bootstrap4 – Bootstrap 4.0
• bootstrap3 – Bootstrap 3.3
• bootstrap2 – Bootstrap 2.3
• simple – simple layout
• none – removes all changes

The RailsLayout gem generates application layout files:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation_links.html.erb

If Devise or OmniAuth is installed, there will be an additional file:

• app/views/layouts/_nav_links_for_auth.html.erb

Additionally, when the simple option is selected:

• app/assets/stylesheets/simple.css

The _navigation.html.erb file contains framework-specific styling. Separating the files makes it easy to change the front-end framework without disturbing the links.

The _navigation_links.html.erb file is only a list of links. You can add additional links to this file as needed. It contains no framework-specific styling (except if you are using Bootstrap 4).

The _nav_links_for_auth.html.erb file is created if Devise or OmniAuth is installed.

If you are using ERB for Rails views, the RailsLayout gem will generate ERB files.

If you are using Haml or Slim, the RailsLayout gem will generate Haml or Slim files instead.

See these articles for information about how to set up the application layout:

• Rails Application Layout
• Rails and Bootstrap
• Rails and Foundation

Look at the Learn Rails example application to see how the generated files from the RailsLayout gem are used. You’ll find details about the example application in the book Learn Ruby on Rails.

To create layout files for use with Zurb Foundation 5.3:

$ rails generate layout:install foundation5

Use --force if you want to overwrite existing files:

$ rails generate layout:install foundation5 --force

See the files that are generated:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb

The RailsLayout gem will create the file:

• app/assets/stylesheets/1st_load_framework.css.scss

and modify the file:

• app/assets/javascripts/application.js

The rails_layout gem will make a necessary change to the config/application.rb file. It will add:

module RailsFoundation
  class Application < Rails::Application
    .
    .
    .
    # For Foundation 5
    config.assets.precompile += %w( vendor/modernizr )

  end
end

See issue 19 for an explanation.

To create layout files for use with Zurb Foundation 4.0:

$ rails generate layout:install foundation4

Use --force if you want to overwrite existing files:

$ rails generate layout:install foundation4 --force

See the files that are generated:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb

The RailsLayout gem will create the file:

• app/assets/stylesheets/1st_load_framework.css.scss

and modify the file:

• app/assets/javascripts/application.js

To create layout files for use with Bootstrap 4.0:

$ rails generate layout:install bootstrap4

To create layout files for use with Bootstrap 3.3:

$ rails generate layout:install bootstrap3

Use --force if you want to overwrite existing files:

$ rails generate layout:install bootstrap3 --force

See the files that are generated:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb

The RailsLayout gem will create the file:

• app/assets/stylesheets/1st_load_framework.css.scss

and modify the file:

• app/assets/javascripts/application.js

To create layout files for use with Bootstrap 2.3:

$ rails generate layout:install bootstrap2

Use --force if you want to overwrite existing files:

$ rails generate layout:install bootstrap2 --force

See the files that are generated:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb

The RailsLayout gem will create the file:

• app/assets/stylesheets/1st_load_framework.css.scss

and modify the file:

• app/assets/javascripts/application.js

To create a set of simple layout files:

$ rails generate layout:install simple

Use --force if you want to overwrite existing files:

$ rails generate layout:install simple --force

See the files that are generated:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb
• app/assets/stylesheets/simple.css

The RailsLayout gem will create the file:

• app/assets/stylesheets/application.css.scss

To revert your application to a default application layout:

$ rails generate layout:install none

The RailsLayout gem will remove any files it may have added:

• app/views/layouts/_messages.html.erb
• app/views/layouts/_navigation.html.erb
• app/assets/stylesheets/simple.css
• app/assets/stylesheets/bootstrap_and_overrides.css.scss
• app/assets/stylesheets/foundation_and_overrides.css.scss
• app/assets/stylesheets/1st_load_framework.css.scss

Additionally, it will restore these files to the default versions:

• app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
• app/assets/javascripts/application.js

The file app/assets/stylesheets/application.css.scss will contain a CSS rule but you can ignore it or remove it.

If you are using Devise or OmniAuth for authentication, you can generate a navigation links partial containing appropriate links.

This command is used to populate the navigation bar in starter applications created by the Rails Composer tool.

$ rails generate layout:navigation --force

Here’s an example of a file app/views/layouts/_nav_links_for_auth.html.erb appropriate for Devise:

<%# add navigation links to this file %>
<li><%= link_to 'Home', root_path %></li>
<li><%= link_to 'About', page_path('about') %></li>
<li><%= link_to 'Contact', new_contact_path %></li>
<% if user_signed_in? %>
  <li><%= link_to 'Edit account', edit_user_registration_path %></li>
  <li><%= link_to 'Sign out', destroy_user_session_path, :method=>'delete' %></li>
<% else %>
  <li><%= link_to 'Sign in', new_user_session_path %></li>
  <li><%= link_to 'Sign up', new_user_registration_path %></li>
<% end %>
<% if user_signed_in? %>
  <% if current_user.has_role? :admin %>
    <li><%= link_to 'Admin', users_path %></li>
  <% end %>
<% end %>

The full set of links will be created if initialization files are found for Devise or OmniAuth.

Devise is a gem for authentication and user management (signup, login, and related features). Devise provides a utility command rails generate devise:views. The Devise command creates view files for signup, login, and related features. However, the views generated by Devise lack CSS styling.

Use the RailsLayout gem to generate Devise views with styling for Bootstrap or Foundation.

• $ rails generate layout:devise foundation5
• $ rails generate layout:devise bootstrap3

The command will create (or replace) these files:

• app/views/devise/sessions/new.html.erb
• app/views/devise/passwords/new.html.erb
• app/views/devise/registrations/edit.html.erb
• app/views/devise/registrations/new.html.erb

At this time, with the “layout:devise” command, only Foundation 5 or Bootstrap 3 are supported. Files are not generated for Haml or Slim.

Any issues? Please create an issue on GitHub. Reporting issues (and patching!) helps everyone.

Daniel Kehoe maintains this gem as part of the RailsApps project.

Please see the CHANGELOG for a list of contributors.

Is the gem useful to you? Follow the project on Twitter: @rails_apps. I’d love to know you were helped out by the gem.

MIT License

Copyright © 2013-2014 Daniel Kehoe