sorry to flog a dead horse - but just read through:
http://weblog.rubyonrails.com/articles/2005/11/11/why-engines-and-components-are-not-evil-but-distracting
I both disagree and agree with that post.
The following both seem like good ideas to me:
-
Keep rails core simple
-
Allow 3rd parties to add functionality through plugins
I want a simple auth/login system. And I don’t want to write one.
Just like I want a nice MVC web app framework, and a I don’t have to
write one.
I don’t mind if the login system is not perfectly tailored to my needs.
I don’t care if it has a lot of features I don’t need.
So does MS Excel, but I still enjoy it for the features I do need.
Okay bad example. What about Firefox. Simple out of the box. I add
plugins for what I need/want. Many of those plugins have features I
don’t need, but that doesn’t bother me much.
Okay digressing.
Basically, I’m not in school, and I’m learning a lot with the rails
development I’m doing for the core of my project, so I don’t want the
intellectual exercise of coding my own auth/login features.
I want to reuse something someone else has done.
If the solution for that is rails-engines, then YAY engines! Go plugins!
Yippee for components.
When the only alternative offered is to code it myself for the value of
having it fit my needs and the learning process involved, well then, the
argument is pretty weak.
So I guess, in the end, I was wrong at the start - I don’t really agree
with DHH’s post.
DRY is a great philosophy, but lets not forget DREE too!
(Don’t Repeat Everyone Else)