Sarah Mitchell

Rack middleware processes HTTP requests/responses in Rails' stack. Middleware sits between web server and application, modifying requests before they reach controllers. I build custom middleware for logging, authentication, rate limiting, request modi

Pundit provides simple, object-oriented authorization. Policies encapsulate authorization rules in plain Ruby classes. Each model gets a policy class defining who can perform actions. I use Pundit for fine-grained permissions—different users see diffe

ActionCable integrates WebSockets seamlessly with Rails. Channels handle pub/sub messaging between server and clients. I use ActionCable for chat, notifications, live updates. Channels subscribe clients to streams; broadcasting pushes data to subscrib

Hotwire Turbo delivers SPA speed without JavaScript complexity. Turbo Drive accelerates navigation by replacing page body without full reload. Turbo Frames update page sections independently—click a frame link, only that frame refreshes. Turbo Streams

Query objects encapsulate complex database queries in reusable, testable classes. I use query objects when scopes become too complex or require parameters. Query objects compose smaller scopes, handle conditionals, and apply filtering logic. They're i

Form objects encapsulate form logic separate from models. I use form objects for multi-model forms, complex validations, or forms not directly mapping to models. Form objects include ActiveModel modules for validations and callbacks. They handle param

Rails migrations evolve database schema over time. I use change method for reversible migrations. Migrations create tables, add/remove columns, add indices. up and down methods provide explicit control. Irreversible migrations like data transformation

Factory Bot creates test data with minimal boilerplate. Factories define blueprints for model creation. I use traits for variations—published posts, admin users. Sequences generate unique values. Associations automatically create related records. Tran

Ruby's exception handling uses begin/rescue/ensure/end. I rescue specific exceptions before general ones. rescue catches exceptions; ensure runs cleanup code always. retry attempts operation again; raise re-raises exceptions. Custom exceptions inherit

Ruby's regex engine provides powerful text processing. I use =~ for matching, match for captures. Character classes \d, \w, \s match digits, words, whitespace. Quantifiers *, +, ?, {n,m} control repetition. Anchors ^ and $ match start/end. Groups () c

Rails conventions support RESTful API development. I use resourceful routing for standard CRUD operations. Controllers inherit from ActionController::API for API-only apps. JSON serialization with Jbuilder or Active Model Serializers structures respon

Rails caching dramatically improves performance by avoiding expensive computations and queries. Fragment caching caches view partials. Russian doll caching nests cache fragments for efficient invalidation. Low-level caching stores arbitrary data. Rail