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diff --git a/guides/source/initialization.md b/guides/source/initialization.md index c582acd3a3..fe6b1ad906 100644 --- a/guides/source/initialization.md +++ b/guides/source/initialization.md @@ -4,15 +4,20 @@ The Rails Initialization Process This guide explains the internals of the initialization process in Rails as of Rails 4. It is an extremely in-depth guide and recommended for advanced Rails developers. -* Using `rails server` +After reading this guide, you will know: + +* How to use `rails server`. +* The timeline of Rails' initialization sequence. +* Where different files are required by the boot sequence. +* How the Rails::Server interface is defined and used. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This guide goes through every method call that is required to boot up the Ruby on Rails stack for a default Rails 4 application, explaining each part in detail along the way. For this -guide, we will be focusing on what happens when you execute +rails -server+ to boot your app. +guide, we will be focusing on what happens when you execute `rails server` +to boot your app. NOTE: Paths in this guide are relative to Rails or a Rails application unless otherwise specified. @@ -24,128 +29,18 @@ quickly. Launch! ------- -A Rails application is usually started with the command `rails server`. +Let's start to boot and initialize the app. It all begins with your app's +`bin/rails` executable. A Rails application is usually started by running +`rails console` or `rails server`. ### `bin/rails` -The actual `rails` command is kept in _bin/rails_: - -```ruby -#!/usr/bin/env ruby - -if File.exists?(File.join(File.expand_path('../../..', __FILE__), '.git')) - railties_path = File.expand_path('../../lib', __FILE__) - $:.unshift(railties_path) -end -require "rails/cli" -``` - -This file will first attempt to push the `railties/lib` directory if -present, and then requires `rails/cli`. - -### `railties/lib/rails/cli.rb` - -This file looks like this: - -```ruby -require 'rbconfig' -require 'rails/script_rails_loader' - -# If we are inside a Rails application this method performs an exec and thus -# the rest of this script is not run. -Rails::ScriptRailsLoader.exec_script_rails! - -require 'rails/ruby_version_check' -Signal.trap("INT") { puts; exit(1) } - -if ARGV.first == 'plugin' - ARGV.shift - require 'rails/commands/plugin_new' -else - require 'rails/commands/application' -end -``` - -The `rbconfig` file from the Ruby standard library provides us with the `RbConfig` class which contains detailed information about the Ruby environment, including how Ruby was compiled. We can see this in use in `railties/lib/rails/script_rails_loader`. - -```ruby -require 'pathname' - -module Rails - module ScriptRailsLoader - RUBY = File.join(*RbConfig::CONFIG.values_at("bindir", "ruby_install_name")) + RbConfig::CONFIG["EXEEXT"] - SCRIPT_RAILS = File.join('script', 'rails') - ... - - end -end -``` - -The `rails/script_rails_loader` file uses `RbConfig::Config` to obtain the `bin_dir` and `ruby_install_name` values for the configuration which together form the path to the Ruby interpreter. The `RbConfig::CONFIG["EXEEXT"]` will suffix this path with ".exe" if the script is running on Windows. This constant is used later on in `exec_script_rails!`. As for the `SCRIPT_RAILS` constant, we'll see that when we get to the `in_rails_application?` method. - -Back in `rails/cli`, the next line is this: - -```ruby -Rails::ScriptRailsLoader.exec_script_rails! -``` - -This method is defined in `rails/script_rails_loader`: - -```ruby -def self.exec_script_rails! - cwd = Dir.pwd - return unless in_rails_application? || in_rails_application_subdirectory? - exec RUBY, SCRIPT_RAILS, *ARGV if in_rails_application? - Dir.chdir("..") do - # Recurse in a chdir block: if the search fails we want to be sure - # the application is generated in the original working directory. - exec_script_rails! unless cwd == Dir.pwd - end -rescue SystemCallError - # could not chdir, no problem just return -end -``` - -This method will first check if the current working directory (`cwd`) is a Rails application or a subdirectory of one. This is determined by the `in_rails_application?` method: - -```ruby -def self.in_rails_application? - File.exists?(SCRIPT_RAILS) -end -``` - -The `SCRIPT_RAILS` constant defined earlier is used here, with `File.exists?` checking for its presence in the current directory. If this method returns `false` then `in_rails_application_subdirectory?` will be used: - -```ruby -def self.in_rails_application_subdirectory?(path = Pathname.new(Dir.pwd)) - File.exists?(File.join(path, SCRIPT_RAILS)) || !path.root? && in_rails_application_subdirectory?(path.parent) -end -``` - -This climbs the directory tree until it reaches a path which contains a `script/rails` file. If a directory containing this file is reached then this line will run: - -```ruby -exec RUBY, SCRIPT_RAILS, *ARGV if in_rails_application? -``` - -This is effectively the same as running `ruby script/rails [arguments]`, where `[arguments]` at this point in time is simply "server". - -Rails Initialization --------------------- - -Only now we finally start the real initialization process, beginning -with `script/rails`. - -TIP: If you execute `script/rails` directly from your Rails app you will -skip executing all the code that we've just described. - -### `script/rails` - This file is as follows: ```ruby -APP_PATH = File.expand_path('../../config/application', __FILE__) -require File.expand_path('../../config/boot', __FILE__) +#!/usr/bin/env ruby +APP_PATH = File.expand_path('../../config/application', __FILE__) +require_relative '../config/boot' require 'rails/commands' ``` @@ -165,37 +60,36 @@ require 'bundler/setup' if File.exists?(ENV['BUNDLE_GEMFILE']) In a standard Rails application, there's a `Gemfile` which declares all dependencies of the application. `config/boot.rb` sets `ENV['BUNDLE_GEMFILE']` to the location of this file. If the Gemfile -exists, `bundler/setup` is then required. - -The gems that a Rails 4 application depends on are as follows: - -TODO: change these when the Rails 4 release is near. - -* abstract (1.0.0) -* actionmailer (4.0.0.beta) -* actionpack (4.0.0.beta) -* activemodel (4.0.0.beta) -* activerecord (4.0.0.beta) -* activesupport (4.0.0.beta) -* arel (2.0.7) -* builder (3.0.0) -* bundler (1.0.6) -* erubis (2.6.6) -* i18n (0.5.0) -* mail (2.2.12) -* mime-types (1.16) -* polyglot (0.3.1) -* rack (1.2.1) -* rack-cache (0.5.3) -* rack-mount (0.6.13) -* rack-test (0.5.6) -* rails (4.0.0.beta) -* railties (4.0.0.beta) -* rake (0.8.7) -* sqlite3-ruby (1.3.2) -* thor (0.14.6) -* treetop (1.4.9) -* tzinfo (0.3.23) +exists, then `bundler/setup` is required. The require is used by Bundler to +configure the load path for your Gemfile's dependencies. + +A standard Rails application depends on several gems, specifically: + +* abstract +* actionmailer +* actionpack +* activemodel +* activerecord +* activesupport +* arel +* builder +* bundler +* erubis +* i18n +* mail +* mime-types +* polyglot +* rack +* rack-cache +* rack-mount +* rack-test +* rails +* railties +* rake +* sqlite3-ruby +* thor +* treetop +* tzinfo ### `rails/commands.rb` @@ -224,22 +118,22 @@ If we used `s` rather than `server`, Rails will use the `aliases` defined in the ```ruby when 'server' - # Change to the application's path if there is no config.ru file in current dir. - # This allows us to run script/rails server from other directories, but still get + # Change to the application's path if there is no config.ru file in current directory. + # This allows us to run `rails server` from other directories, but still get # the main config.ru and properly set the tmp directory. Dir.chdir(File.expand_path('../../', APP_PATH)) unless File.exists?(File.expand_path("config.ru")) require 'rails/commands/server' - Rails::Server.new.tap { |server| + Rails::Server.new.tap do |server| # We need to require application after the server sets environment, # otherwise the --environment option given to the server won't propagate. require APP_PATH Dir.chdir(Rails.application.root) server.start - } + end ``` -This file will change into the root of the directory (a path two directories back from `APP_PATH` which points at `config/application.rb`), but only if the `config.ru` file isn't found. This then requires `rails/commands/server` which sets up the `Rails::Server` class. +This file will change into the Rails root directory (a path two directories up from `APP_PATH` which points at `config/application.rb`), but only if the `config.ru` file isn't found. This then requires `rails/commands/server` which sets up the `Rails::Server` class. ```ruby require 'fileutils' @@ -255,11 +149,11 @@ module Rails ### `actionpack/lib/action_dispatch.rb` Action Dispatch is the routing component of the Rails framework. -It adds functionalities like routing, session, and common middlewares. +It adds functionality like routing, session, and common middlewares. ### `rails/commands/server.rb` -The `Rails::Server` class is defined in this file as inheriting from `Rack::Server`. When `Rails::Server.new` is called, this calls the `initialize` method in `rails/commands/server.rb`: +The `Rails::Server` class is defined in this file by inheriting from `Rack::Server`. When `Rails::Server.new` is called, this calls the `initialize` method in `rails/commands/server.rb`: ```ruby def initialize(*) @@ -323,12 +217,12 @@ With the `default_options` set to this: ```ruby def default_options { - :environment => ENV['RACK_ENV'] || "development", - :pid => nil, - :Port => 9292, - :Host => "0.0.0.0", - :AccessLog => [], - :config => "config.ru" + environment: ENV['RACK_ENV'] || "development", + pid: nil, + Port: 9292, + Host: "0.0.0.0", + AccessLog: [], + config: "config.ru" } end ``` @@ -361,9 +255,9 @@ set earlier) is required. ### `config/application` -When `require APP_PATH` is executed, `config/application.rb` is loaded. -This file exists in your app and it's free for you to change based -on your needs. +When `require APP_PATH` is executed, `config/application.rb` is loaded (recall +that `APP_PATH` is defined in `bin/rails`). This file exists in your application +and it's free for you to change based on your needs. ### `Rails::Server#start` @@ -374,7 +268,7 @@ def start url = "#{options[:SSLEnable] ? 'https' : 'http'}://#{options[:Host]}:#{options[:Port]}" puts "=> Booting #{ActiveSupport::Inflector.demodulize(server)}" puts "=> Rails #{Rails.version} application starting in #{Rails.env} on #{url}" - puts "=> Call with -d to detach" unless options[:daemonize] + puts "=> Run `rails server -h` for more startup options" trap(:INT) { exit } puts "=> Ctrl-C to shutdown server" unless options[:daemonize] @@ -456,7 +350,7 @@ end The interesting part for a Rails app is the last line, `server.run`. Here we encounter the `wrapped_app` method again, which this time we're going to explore more (even though it was executed before, and -thus memorized by now). +thus memoized by now). ```ruby @wrapped_app ||= build_app app @@ -483,7 +377,7 @@ The `options[:config]` value defaults to `config.ru` which contains this: ```ruby # This file is used by Rack-based servers to start the application. -require ::File.expand_path('../config/environment', __FILE__) +require ::File.expand_path('../config/environment', __FILE__) run <%= app_const %> ``` @@ -498,7 +392,7 @@ app = eval "Rack::Builder.new {( " + cfgfile + "\n )}.to_app", The `initialize` method of `Rack::Builder` will take the block here and execute it within an instance of `Rack::Builder`. This is where the majority of the initialization process of Rails happens. The `require` line for `config/environment.rb` in `config.ru` is the first to run: ```ruby -require ::File.expand_path('../config/environment', __FILE__) +require ::File.expand_path('../config/environment', __FILE__) ``` ### `config/environment.rb` @@ -534,7 +428,7 @@ require "rails" action_controller action_mailer rails/test_unit - sprockets/rails + sprockets ).each do |framework| begin require "#{framework}/railtie" @@ -549,14 +443,16 @@ inside each of those frameworks, but you're encouraged to try and explore them on your own. For now, just keep in mind that common functionality like Rails engines, -I18n and Rails configuration is all being defined here. +I18n and Rails configuration are all being defined here. ### Back to `config/environment.rb` -When `config/application.rb` has finished loading Rails, and defined -your application namespace, you go back to `config/environment.rb`, -where your application is initialized. For example, if you application was called -`Blog`, here you would find `Blog::Application.initialize!`, which is +The rest of `config/application.rb` defines the configuration for the +`Rails::Application` which will be used once the application is fully +initialized. When `config/application.rb` has finished loading Rails and defined +the application namespace, we go back to `config/environment.rb`, +where the application is initialized. For example, if the application was called +`Blog`, here we would find `Blog::Application.initialize!`, which is defined in `rails/application.rb` ### `railties/lib/rails/application.rb` @@ -572,14 +468,31 @@ def initialize!(group=:default) #:nodoc: end ``` -As you can see, you can only initialize an app once. This is also where the initializers are run. +As you can see, you can only initialize an app once. The initializers are run through +the `run_initializers` method which is defined in `railties/lib/rails/initializable.rb` + +```ruby +def run_initializers(group=:default, *args) + return if instance_variable_defined?(:@ran) + initializers.tsort_each do |initializer| + initializer.run(*args) if initializer.belongs_to?(group) + end + @ran = true +end +``` -TODO: review this +The run_initializers code itself is tricky. What Rails is doing here is +traversing all the class ancestors looking for those that respond to an +`initializers` method. It then sorts the ancestors by name, and runs them. +For example, the `Engine` class will make all the engines available by +providing an `initializers` method on them. -The initializers code itself is tricky. What Rails is doing here is it -traverses all the class ancestors looking for an `initializers` method, -sorting them and running them. For example, the `Engine` class will make -all the engines available by providing the `initializers` method. +The `Rails::Application` class, as defined in `railties/lib/rails/application.rb` +defines `bootstrap`, `railtie`, and `finisher` initializers. The `bootstrap` initializers +prepare the application (like initializing the logger) while the `finisher` +initializers (like building the middleware stack) are run last. The `railtie` +initializers are the initializers which have been defined on the `Rails::Application` +itself and are run between the `bootstrap` and `finishers`. After this is done we go back to `Rack::Server` @@ -656,7 +569,7 @@ def self.run(app, options={}) else server.register('/', Rack::Handler::Mongrel.new(app)) end - yield server if block_given? + yield server if block_given? server.run.join end ``` |