sinatra/README.rdoc

= Sinatra

Sinatra is a DSL for quickly creating web-applications in Ruby with minimal
effort:

  # myapp.rb
  require 'rubygems'
  require 'sinatra'
  get '/' do
    'Hello world!'
  end

Run with <tt>ruby myapp.rb</tt> and view at <tt>http://localhost:4567</tt>

== HTTP Methods

  get '/' do
    .. show things ..
  end

  post '/' do
    .. create something ..
  end

  put '/' do
    .. update something ..
  end

  delete '/' do
    .. annihilate something ..
  end

== Routes

Routes are matched based on the order of declaration. The first route that
matches the request is invoked.

Basic routes:

  get '/hi' do
    ...
  end

Route patterns may include named parameters, accessible via the
<tt>params</tt> hash:

  get '/:name' do
    # matches "GET /foo" and "GET /bar"
    # params[:name] is 'foo' or 'bar'
    "Hello #{params[:name]}!"
  end

Route patterns may also include splat (or wildcard) parameters, accessible
via the <tt>params[:splat]</tt> array.

  get '/say/*/to/*' do
    # matches /say/hello/to/world
    params[:splat] # => ["hello", "world"]
  end

  get '/download/*.*' do
    # matches /download/path/to/file.xml
    params[:splat] # => ["path/to/file", "xml"]
  end

Route matching with Regular Expressions:

  get %r{/hello/([\w]+)} do
    "Hello, #{params[:captures].first}!"
  end

Routes may include a variety of matching conditions, such as the user agent:

  get '/foo', :agent => /Songbird (\d\.\d)[\d\/]*?/ do
    "You're using Songbird version #{params[:agent][0]}"
  end

  get '/foo' do
    # Matches non-songbird browsers
  end

== Static Files

Static files are served from the <tt>./public</tt> directory. You can specify
a different location by setting the <tt>:public</tt> option:

  set :public, File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/static'

== Views / Templates

Templates are assumed to be located directly under a <tt>./views</tt>
directory. To use a different views directory:

  set :views, File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/templates'

=== Haml Templates

The haml gem/library is required to render HAML templates:

  get '/' do
    haml :index
  end

Renders <tt>./views/index.haml</tt>.

=== Erb Templates

  get '/' do
    erb :index
  end

Renders <tt>./views/index.erb</tt>

=== Builder Templates

The builder gem/library is required to render builder templates:

  get '/' do
    content_type 'application/xml', :charset => 'utf-8'
    builder :index
  end

Renders <tt>./views/index.builder</tt>.

=== Sass Templates

The sass gem/library is required to render Sass templates:

  get '/stylesheet.css' do
    content_type 'text/css', :charset => 'utf-8'
    sass :stylesheet
  end

Renders <tt>./views/stylesheet.sass</tt>.

=== Inline Templates

  get '/' do
    haml '%div.title Hello World'
  end

Renders the inlined template string.

=== Accessing Variables

Templates are evaluated within the same context as the route blocks. Instance
variables set in route blocks are available in templates:

  get '/:id' do
    @foo = Foo.find(params[:id])
    haml '%h1= @foo.name'
  end

Or, specify an explicit Hash of local variables:

  get '/:id' do
    foo = Foo.find(params[:id])
    haml '%h1= foo.name', :locals => { :foo => foo }
  end

This is typically used when rendering templates as partials from within
other templates.

=== In-file Templates

Templates may be defined at the end of the source file:

  get '/' do
    haml :index
  end

  use_in_file_templates!

  __END__

  @@ layout
  %html
    = yield

  @@ index
  %div.title Hello world!!!!!

It's also possible to define named templates using the top-level template
method:

  template :layout do
    "%html\n  =yield\n"
  end

  template :index do
    '%div.title Hello World!'
  end

  get '/' do
    haml :index
  end

If a template named "layout" exists, it will be used each time a template
is rendered. You can disable layouts by passing <tt>:layout => false</tt>.

  get '/' do
    haml :index, :layout => !request.xhr?
  end

== Helpers

Use the top-level <tt>helpers</tt> method to define helper methods for use in
route blocks and templates:

  helpers do
    def bar(name)
      "#{name}bar"
    end
  end

  get '/:name' do
    bar(params[:name])
  end

== Filters

Before filters are evaluated before each request within the context of the
request and can modify the request and response. Instance variables set in
filters are accessible by routes and templates.

  before do
    @note = 'Hi!'
    request.path_info = '/foo/bar/baz'
  end

  get '/foo/*' do
    @note #=> 'Hi!'
    params[:splat] #=> 'bar/baz'
  end

== Halting

To immediately stop a request during a before filter or route use:

  halt

You can also specify a body when halting ...

  halt 'this will be the body'

Set the status and body ...

  halt 401, 'go away!'

== Passing

A route can punt processing to the next matching route using the <tt>pass</tt>
statement:

  get '/guess/:who' do
    pass unless params[:who] == 'Frank'
    "You got me!"
  end

  get '/guess/*' do
    "You missed!"
  end

The route block is immediately exited and control continues with the next
matching route. If no matching route is found, a 404 is returned.

== Configuration and Reloading

Sinatra supports multiple environments and reloading. Reloading happens
before each request when running under the <tt>:development</tt>
environment. Wrap your configurations (e.g., database connections, constants,
etc.) in <tt>configure</tt> blocks to protect them from reloading or to
target specific environments.

Run once, at startup, in any environment:

  configure do
    ...
  end

Run only when the environment (RACK_ENV environment variable) is set to
<tt>:production</tt>.

  configure :production do
    ...
  end

Run when the environment (RACK_ENV environment variable) is set to
either <tt>:production</tt> or <tt>:test</tt>.

  configure :production, :test do
    ...
  end

== Error handling

Error handlers run within the same context as routes and before filters, which
means you get all the goodies it has to offer, like <tt>haml</tt>, <tt>erb</tt>,
<tt>halt</tt>, etc.

=== Not Found

When a <tt>Sinatra::NotFound</tt> exception is raised, or the response's status
code is 404, the <tt>not_found</tt> handler is invoked:

  not_found do
    'This is nowhere to be found'
  end

=== Error

The +error+ handler is invoked any time an exception is raised from a route
block or before filter. The exception object can be obtained from the
'sinatra.error' Rack variable:

  error do
    'Sorry there was a nasty error - ' + env['sinatra.error'].name
  end

Custom errors:

  error MyCustomError do
    'So what happened was...' + request.env['sinatra.error'].message
  end

Then, if this happens:

  get '/' do
    raise MyCustomError, 'something bad'
  end

You get this:

  So what happened was... something bad

Sinatra installs special not_found and error handlers when running under
the development environment.

== Mime types

When using <tt>send_file</tt> or static files you may have mime types Sinatra
doesn't understand. Use +mime+ to register them by file extension:

  mime :foo, 'text/foo'

== Rack Middleware

Sinatra rides on Rack[http://rack.rubyforge.org/], a minimal standard
interface for Ruby web frameworks. One of Rack's most interesting capabilities
for application developers is support for "middleware" -- components that sit
between the server and your application monitoring and/or manipulating the
HTTP request/response to provide various types of common functionality.

Sinatra makes building Rack middleware pipelines a cinch via a top-level
+use+ method:

  require 'sinatra'
  require 'my_custom_middleware'

  use Rack::Lint
  use MyCustomMiddleware

  get '/hello' do
    'Hello World'
  end

The semantics of +use+ are identical to those defined for the
Rack::Builder[http://rack.rubyforge.org/doc/classes/Rack/Builder.html] DSL
(most frequently used from rackup files). For example, the +use+ method
accepts multiple/variable args as well as blocks:

  use Rack::Auth::Basic do |username, password|
    username == 'admin' && password == 'secret'
  end

Rack is distributed with a variety of standard middleware for logging,
debugging, URL routing, authentication, and session handling. Sinatra uses
many of of these components automatically based on configuration so you
typically don't have to +use+ them explicitly.

== Testing

The Sinatra::Test module includes a variety of helper methods for testing
your Sinatra app. Sinatra includes support for Test::Unit, test-spec, RSpec,
and Bacon through separate source files.

=== Test::Unit

  require 'sinatra'
  require 'sinatra/test/unit'
  require 'my_sinatra_app'

  class MyAppTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
    def test_my_default
      get '/'
      assert_equal 'My Default Page!', @response.body
    end

    def test_with_agent
      get '/', :agent => 'Songbird'
      assert_equal 'You're in Songbird!', @response.body
    end

    ...
  end

=== Test::Spec

Install the test-spec gem and require <tt>'sinatra/test/spec'</tt> before
your app:

  require 'sinatra'
  require 'sinatra/test/spec'
  require 'my_sinatra_app'

  describe 'My app' do
    it "should show a default page" do
      get '/'
      should.be.ok
      body.should.equal 'My Default Page!'
    end

    ...
  end

=== RSpec

Install the rspec gem and require <tt>'sinatra/test/rspec'</tt> before
your app:

  require 'sinatra'
  require 'sinatra/test/rspec'
  require 'my_sinatra_app'

  describe 'My app' do
    it 'should show a default page' do
      get '/'
      @response.should be_ok
      @response.body.should == 'My Default Page!'
    end

    ...

  end

See Sinatra::Test::Methods for more information on +get_it+, +post_it+,
+put_it+, and friends.

== Command line

Sinatra applications can be run directly:

  ruby myapp.rb [-h] [-x] [-p PORT] [-e ENVIRONMENT]

Options are:

  -h # help
  -p # set the port (default is 4567)
  -e # set the environment (default is development)
  -x # turn on the mutex lock (default is off)

== Contributing

=== Tools

Besides Ruby itself, you only need a text editor, preferably one that supports
Ruby syntax hilighting. VIM and Emacs are a fine choice on any platform, but
feel free to use whatever you're familiar with.

Sinatra uses the Git source code management system. If you're unfamiliar with
Git, you can find more information and tutorials on http://git.or.cz/ as well
as http://git-scm.com/.  Scott Chacon created a great series of introductory
screencasts about Git, which you can find here: http://www.gitcasts.com/

=== First Time: Cloning The Sinatra Repo

  cd where/you/keep/your/projects
  git clone git://github.com/bmizerany/sinatra.git
  cd sinatra
  cd path/to/your_project
  ln -s ../sinatra/

=== Updating Your Existing Sinatra Clone

  cd where/you/keep/sinatra
  git pull

=== Using Edge Sinatra in Your App

at the top of your sinatra_app.rb file:

  $LOAD_PATH.unshift File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/sinatra/lib'
  require 'sinatra'

  get '/about' do
    "I'm running on Version " + Sinatra::VERSION
  end

=== Contributing a Patch

There are several ways to do this. Probably the easiest (and preferred) way is
to fork Sinatra on GitHub (http://github.com/bmizerany/sinatra), push your
changes to your Sinatra repo, and then send Blake Mizerany (bmizerany on
GitHub) a pull request.

You can also create a patch file and attach it to a feature request or bug fix
on the issue tracker (see below) or send it to the mailing list (see Community
section).

=== Issue Tracking and Feature Requests

http://sinatra.lighthouseapp.com/

== Community

=== Mailing List

http://groups.google.com/group/sinatrarb

If you have a problem or question, please make sure to include all the
relevant information in your mail, like the Sinatra version you're using, what
version of Ruby you have, and so on.

=== IRC Channel

You can find us on the Freenode network in the channel #sinatra
(irc://chat.freenode.net/#sinatra)

There's usually someone online at any given time, but we cannot pay attention
to the channel all the time, so please stick around for a while after asking a
question.