ViewComponents & LookBook

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore how to effectively use ViewComponents in a Rails application along with LookBook for developing and organizing component libraries. This guide is designed for developers looking to enhance their web applications with reusable components, improving both code maintainability and collaboration.

Step 1: Setting Up ViewComponents

• Install ViewComponent Gem

  1. Open your Gemfile and add the following line:

     gem 'view_component'
     

  2. Run the bundle command to install the gem:

     bundle install
     

• Generate a New Component

  1. Use the Rails generator to create a new component:

     rails generate component ComponentName
     

  2. This command will create several files including a Ruby class and a corresponding template.

Step 2: Creating Your First ViewComponent

• Edit the Component Class

  1. Navigate to the generated component file located in app/components/component_name.rb.
  2. Define any necessary initialization parameters and methods.

• Design the Component Template

  1. Open the template file located in app/components/component_name.html.erb.
  2. Add the desired HTML structure and integrate Ruby code as needed.

• Render the Component

  1. In your Rails views, call the component using:

     <%= render(ComponentName.new(parameter: value)) %>
     

Step 3: Integrating LookBook

• Install LookBook Gem

  1. Add LookBook to your Gemfile:

     gem 'lookbook'
     

  2. Run the bundle command to install it:

     bundle install
     

• Set Up LookBook

  1. Generate the LookBook configuration:

     rails generate lookbook:install
     

  2. Start the LookBook server with:

     rails lookbook
     

Step 4: Creating LookBook Stories

• Add Stories for Components

  1. Create a new story file in lookbook/stories.
  2. Define your component's usage scenarios:

     Lookbook::Story.define do
       story "default" do
         render(ComponentName.new(parameter: "value"))
       end
     end
     

• Preview Your Components

  1. Access your LookBook interface by navigating to http://localhost:3000/lookbook.
  2. View and interact with your components in real-time.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered the essential steps to set up and utilize ViewComponents in your Rails application alongside LookBook for component documentation. By following these steps, you can create reusable components, improving your application's efficiency and maintainability. As a next step, consider building more complex components and expanding your LookBook stories to enhance your development workflow.