hotwire

Typing indicators can be done without a complex protocol. I broadcast a small turbo stream replace to a typing_indicator target when a user starts typing, and another replace to clear it after a timeout. On the client, a Stimulus controller sends “typ

When I need a modal (new/edit/show), I avoid client-side templating by using a dedicated turbo_frame_tag as the modal container (often id='modal'). Links target that frame, so the response only replaces the modal content. Closing the modal is just swa

Turbo Drive caches pages aggressively, which is usually great. For volatile admin dashboards (counts, queues, toggles) you often want no-cache to avoid confusing “stale UI” bugs. turbo_cache_control makes the intent explicit.

Direct uploads are great because they keep file traffic away from your Rails dynos, but the default UX is opaque. I attach a Stimulus controller that listens for Active Storage’s direct-upload:* events and updates a progress bar. This keeps the markup

A lot of Rails apps have records that transition through states: queued, processing, done. With Hotwire, I render a status badge partial and broadcast replacements when the state changes. A background job updates the record, and the model broadcasts a

Client-side debounce is best done in Stimulus (not in view helpers). This controller submits the nearest form after a short pause, while letting Turbo handle the navigation and frame replacement.

Turbo includes a progress bar at the top of the page, and it’s a surprisingly visible part of perceived quality. I like to set the color and height to match the app’s brand. This is pure CSS: target .turbo-progress-bar. You can also make it slightly t

Some UI elements should survive navigation: a music player, a search input, or a navbar with an open dropdown. Turbo’s data-turbo-permanent lets you mark a DOM node that shouldn’t be replaced during visits. I use it carefully—permanent nodes can keep

My favorite Hotwire demo is the classic “inline create” on an index page. The form sits at the top of the page. When submitted, the create action returns turbo streams that (1) prepend the new item into the list and (2) replace the form with a fresh,

Sometimes you want only part of the screen to navigate—like a sidebar list updating the main content. Turbo Frames can do this cleanly: render the sidebar normally, and make its links target a turbo_frame_tag called main. Clicking a link swaps the mai

A common UI is a list on the left and a details panel (drawer) on the right. With Turbo Frames, each list item link can target a details frame. Clicking an item swaps the drawer content while leaving the list intact. The server still renders HTML, so

For batch operations, Stimulus can manage the UI state (select all, indeterminate checkbox) while Turbo submits a regular form. This keeps the server in charge of authorization and the UI simple.