js:routes

js:routes is a simple rake task that gives you access to your Rails routes on the client side.

Features

• Lightweight
• Compatible with Rails 2.x.x and 3.x.x
• Generates vanilla JavaScript - no external library requirements
• Supports setting custom filename

Explanation

js:routes is a single file you can place into your lib/tasks directory to give you access to the js:routes rake task. This task provides your rails-style routes on the client side.

# First, place the js.rake file in /lib/tasks
your_app/lib/tasks/js.rake

# You can generate your routes file by doing the following:
rake js:routes

# The above commands will place the routes in your_app/public/javascripts/rails_routes.js
# You can specify your own filename like so:

rake js:routes[custom_name.js]

What does this change?

For example, let's say you have a NotesController with an update action. You have a post-it note style interface, and need to update the position of a note once the user stops dragging it around the screen. Your code might look something like this:

$.ajax({
    url: "/note/" + post_id;
    method: 'PUT',
    data:{
        x: post_x,
        y: post_y
    }
});

You'll notice the inelegant way that the route is being constructed. js:routes alleviates this by providing your Rails routes. The above code becomes much more elegant:

$.ajax({
    url: note_path({id: post_id})
    method: 'PUT',
    data:{
        x: post_x,
        y: post_y
    }
});

Hangups

• The generated routes don't have anything to do with the associated HTTP Verb. You need to specify that yourself, as usual, and as demonstrated in the example above.
• If a route is not available on the client side, please be sure you've re-run rake js:routes to regenerate the JavaScript routes file (It's not automatic!)
• This project is not available as a plugin/gem. This is because it provides no application level functionality, and is very specific to the Rails environment. Simply clone the file into your lib/tasks and you're off to the races

Copyright and Licensing

Copyright (c) 2011 Mike Trpcic, released under the MIT license.