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Today
Rabarber v6: Major Update for the Rails Authorization Gem
Rabarber, a role-based authorization gem for Rails, releases v6.0.0. The new version finalizes the API cleanup started in v5 and reworks the caching mechanism to improve reliability and fix a bug that prevented Rabarber from working correctly with Memcached.
Practical CSS: simplifying UI code with pseudo-classes
When a small UI interaction gets tricky, it’s easy for Stimulus/JS to end up full of class toggling that’s really just presentation logic. This article is for that exact situation: it walks through a real tag-input widget and shows which CSS pseudo-classes can handle states like “empty,” “single item,” or “show/hide controls,” so your JavaScript can stay focused on behavior. Practical CSS: simplifying UI code with pseudo-classes
The Git Commands I Run Before Reading Any Code
Five git one-liners I run on every new codebase before opening a file. Churn hotspots, bus factor, bug clusters, commit velocity, and crisis patterns. The post covers what the output actually means and how I use it to decide where to start reading. Framework-agnostic, works on any repo. [more inside]
Become a Founding Sponsor of the Ruby Users Forum
We’re building the Ruby Users Forum, a growing community focused on knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous learning. [more inside]
The Ultimate Guide to Universal Linux Apps: Snap, Flatpak, and AppImage
Very often I find myself remembering the “bad old days” of Linux. If you wanted to install a simple… [more inside]
Dear Heroku: Uhh... What’s Going On?
If you’ve been following any of the recent Heroku announcements… https://judoscale.com/blog/heroku-whats-going-on
Guard rails, not gatekeeping
I’ve written an article about how I make it simpler for new developers to contribute to projects, rather than throw up barriers to keep people out.
llm.rb v4.11.0 released
llm.rb v4.11.0 introduces streaming tool execution—tools can start while the model is still responding, overlapping latency with output. It adds MCP support over both stdio and HTTP (with connection pooling), OpenAI’s Responses API, and a complete concurrency model with threads, fibers, and async tasks. [more inside]
Stop Using RVM: The Ultimate Guide to Ruby Version Managers
rbenv vs rvm vs asdf vs mise vs chruby vs direnv Very often I see beginners getting… [more inside]
How to Use Rails Magic Methods in Plain Ruby Scripts
Very often I find myself writing small, standalone Ruby scripts. Maybe it’s a web scraper, a small… [more inside]
Ruby 4.0 Default to Bundled Gems: What Does That Mean, Anyway?
Ruby 4.0 has continued the tradition of moved gems from “default” to “bundled status” - but to many Ruby developers, the exact difference isn’t clear. For that matter, is a default gem the same as a core library? [more inside]
Dynamic Ruby And Hidden Maintenance Costs
I nearly removed a working feature because a dynamic Rails abstraction hid its callers from search. Here’s a look at the hidden maintenance costs of elegant abstractions https://danielabaron.me/blog/dynamic-ruby-and-long-term-maintenance/
The Signals That Predict a Difficult Rails Upgrade
Rails upgrades don’t become difficult because of Rails. They become difficult because systems accumulate structure. [more inside]
Everyday Rails Testing with RSpec updated for 2026
Hello! I’ve just released updates to my introductory Rails on RSpec book for Rails 8 and Ruby 4. It’s available now on Leanpub, and as always a free update for all who’ve purchased it in the past. Thanks for your support over the years! https://leanpub.com/everydayrailsrspec
The Ultimate Showdown: Rails 8 vs Phoenix LiveView
If you are a Ruby on Rails developer, you have definitely heard about Elixir and the Phoenix… [more inside]
Internator now runs on OpenCode (bye Codex)
Internator is still the Ruby CLI that: [more inside]
Ditch Node.js: A Simple Guide to Rails Importmaps
How Importmaps Work in Rails (And Why You Don’t Need Webpack) When I first started… [more inside]
Planning for the Rails 8.0 EOL and the 8.1 Upgrade
Rails 8.0 is going EOL soon; if you’ve already got it done, great! If you’re stuck with a legacy project and need to plan an upgrade, though, this guide gives details on how you can do that, with some specific pitfalls to avoid. Fortunately, a bunch of the games that were stuck on Rails 8.0 support - like audited and active admin - are now working with Rails 8.0, so if you tried before and had a hard time, you will be pleasantly surprised. [more inside]
Competent vs Incompetent Ruby Devs When Encountering React
Competent vs Incompetent Ruby Devs When Encountering React: https://andymaleh.blogspot.com/2026/04/competent-vs-incompetent-ruby-devs-when.html