# Is Rails DRY?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 14, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028 "2008-07-14T16:55:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/llinklater)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028/1 "2008-07-14T16:55:41Z")

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I note that every time a new rails app is made, there is a huge bunch of  
directories and files generated. As this is the same thing every time,  
is it really DRY? It just seems that there would be a way to have a  
standard set of directories and the classes could be extended when  
required.

Am I just being naive?

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**Author:** ![llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/llinklater)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028/2 "2008-07-14T20:37:25Z")

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Lloyd L. wrote:

> I note that every time a new rails app is made, there is a huge bunch of  
> directories and files generated. As this is the same thing every time,  
> is it really DRY? It just seems that there would be a way to have a  
> standard set of directories and the classes could be extended when  
> required.

DRY refers to code that you - the end-developer - must maintain.

For example, if you generate two projects, most of the boilerplate code  
is  
indeed duplicated, but you don’t need to maintain it.

You will indeed need to deploy it! That’s where it goes to work.

But if, for example, your two projects share a common Member model - you  
should  
use some extra-Rails facility to merge them together, such as a library  
folder  
at RAILS\_ROOT + ‘/…/lib’.

(Remember to pass all tests in both projects each time you integrate!)

So DRY at the level of Rails source is really “meta-DRY”. Its excesses  
allow  
your own code to remain DRY.

–  
Phlip

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/llinklater)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028/3 "2008-07-14T17:13:29Z")

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There are not that many files. Most of them are for configuration  
and a few defaults like application\_helper.rb or application.rb  
They’re necessary anyway.  
Then there are lots of directories. Most of them empty to start with,  
but nearly all of them necessary, too.

Sorry, but I can’t see your point. Maybe give us some example,  
which directories or files you think are unneeded?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/llinklater)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028/4 "2008-07-14T22:32:08Z")

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Phlip wrote:

> But if, for example, your two projects share a common Member model - you  
> should  
> use some extra-Rails facility to merge them together, such as a library  
> folder  
> at RAILS\_ROOT + ‘/…/lib’.
> 
> (Remember to pass all tests in both projects each time you integrate!)
> 
> So DRY at the level of Rails source is really “meta-DRY”. Its excesses  
> allow  
> your own code to remain DRY.

Thanks, Phlip! I will look into how to join common members.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@llinklater](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/llinklater)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/is-rails-dry/143028/5 "2008-07-15T03:54:49Z")

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Lloyd L. wrote:

> > But if, for example, your two projects share a common Member model - you  
> > should  
> > use some extra-Rails facility to merge them together, such as a library  
> > folder  
> > at RAILS\_ROOT + ‘/…/lib’.

> Thanks, Phlip! I will look into how to join common members.

Ask a new question here on how to. I’m sure my first few attempts would  
be  
“wrong”. Not irreversibly wrong, but sub-level compared to the state of  
the art  
here.