# Plugin best practices

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/plugin-best-practices/147314>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 30, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/plugin-best-practices/147314 "2008-08-30T22:51:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/plugin-best-practices/147314/1 "2008-08-30T22:51:37Z")

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I’ve created plugins by using generators and by just creating the  
application directory structure in the plugin itself and putting the  
models, views,etc in the plugin. With the exception of migrations,  
I’m hard pressed to see why generators are a better solution. Naming  
conflicts are possible, but that’s easily solved. Thoughts?

Chris

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**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/plugin-best-practices/147314/2 "2008-08-30T23:33:10Z")

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On 30 Aug 2008, at 21:50, snacktime wrote:

> I’ve created plugins by using generators and by just creating the  
> application directory structure in the plugin itself and putting the  
> models, views,etc in the plugin. With the exception of migrations,  
> I’m hard pressed to see why generators are a better solution. Naming  
> conflicts are possible, but that’s easily solved. Thoughts?

I think ultimately it depends whether you’re generating something you  
expect the enduser to extend or customise or whether your plugin is  
essentially a library of code.

Fred
