ActiveLabs blog

from help on irc#merb

I had recurrent issue about inherit a model class from another one in Merb, using ActiveRecord or DataMapper. As it’s ‘magicly’ done on Rails I though the same way in Merb, but the last one load model class in alpha order. then what you have to do is to load the first class with a require:

in your first file:

class Page < ActiveRecord::Base
end

then in second add the require:

require 'page'

class ActivePage < Page
end

Simply using ruby…

Merb is a (future) great framework. Radiant is good CMS. And they have so much in common. I’m curious about porting Radiant to Merb then I started the challenge. For people interested in the same challenge, I set up a repository. Then please feel free to participate.

[update]

I got invited on github then I cloned the git repository to http://github.com/sbusso/merb_radiant/tree/master

Action plan:

Merb is a framework equivalent to Action Pack. It can use Active Record. For generator we can use Rubigen, it s an extract of RailsGenerator.

For this we will use:

• Radiant trunk r742
• Merb (core and more) 0.9.0
• Merb helpers 0.9.0
• Merb ActiveRecord 0.9.0
• ActiveRecord 2.0.2
• Rubigen 1.2.0

The repository tree was build with:

• Hoe (modified) generated skeleton
• Merb application
• Radiant source

1. Move Radiant base:

• use plugins as gem:

* radius 0.5.1
* highline 1.4.0
* rubypants 0.2.0

• use other plugins as ruby libraries:

* bluecloth

• using active record: nothing to do
• radius and other ruby libs: nothing to do
• replace RailsGenerator with Rubigen (Radiant bin)
• work on initializer
• desactivate extension dependencies (first step we move only the base)
• manage Controller and libraries using controllers
• check routes management
• work on views to replace Rails specific code

2. Replace extension system with gems:

• first, activate gem with only code features
• second, deal with extension providing assets

Following the next version of Merb, I’m a bit surprised by the way this new version came out:

Merb 0.9.0

Help of developers is needed for going on 1.0, then install it and try it.

Included :

• merb-core
• merb-action-args
• merb-assets
• merb-gen
• merb-haml
• merb-mailer
• merb-parts
• merb-more
• merb

then

merb-gen myapp