New Rails Guide for rails new

rubyonrails-docs
1

rails new is the definitive start for any project, and it’s important to get it right, but documentation on the available options are spread throughout the Rails Guides.

The Command Line guide says you can skip modules. The API-only guide offers the option of adding --api. I could only find information about --database= from Digital Ocean’s guide on working with postgres. --webpacker being an option is just a side-note in this guide on webpacker in rails.

The CLI documentation helps, but there’s not much room for elaboration, and no space to link to additional documentation.

rails new --help
Usage:
  rails new APP_PATH [options]

Options:
      [--skip-namespace], [--no-skip-namespace]              # Skip namespace (affects only isolated engines)
      [--skip-collision-check], [--no-skip-collision-check]  # Skip collision check
  -r, [--ruby=PATH]                                          # Path to the Ruby binary of your choice
                                                             # Default: /Users/rachael.wrightmunn/.rbenv/versions/3.1.0/bin/ruby
  -m, [--template=TEMPLATE]                                  # Path to some application template (can be a filesystem path or URL)
  -d, [--database=DATABASE]                                  # Preconfigure for selected database (options: mysql/postgresql/sqlite3/oracle/sqlserver/jdbcmysql/jdbcsqlite3/jdbcpostgresql/jdbc)
                                                             # Default: sqlite3
  -G, [--skip-git], [--no-skip-git]                          # Skip .gitignore file
      [--skip-keeps], [--no-skip-keeps]                      # Skip source control .keep files
  -M, [--skip-action-mailer], [--no-skip-action-mailer]      # Skip Action Mailer files
      [--skip-action-mailbox], [--no-skip-action-mailbox]    # Skip Action Mailbox gem
      [--skip-action-text], [--no-skip-action-text]          # Skip Action Text gem
  -O, [--skip-active-record], [--no-skip-active-record]      # Skip Active Record files
      [--skip-active-job], [--no-skip-active-job]            # Skip Active Job
      [--skip-active-storage], [--no-skip-active-storage]    # Skip Active Storage files
  -C, [--skip-action-cable], [--no-skip-action-cable]        # Skip Action Cable files
  -A, [--skip-asset-pipeline], [--no-skip-asset-pipeline]    # Indicates when to generate skip asset pipeline
  -a, [--asset-pipeline=ASSET_PIPELINE]                      # Choose your asset pipeline [options: sprockets (default), propshaft]
                                                             # Default: sprockets
  -J, [--skip-javascript], [--no-skip-javascript]            # Skip JavaScript files
      [--skip-hotwire], [--no-skip-hotwire]                  # Skip Hotwire integration
      [--skip-jbuilder], [--no-skip-jbuilder]                # Skip jbuilder gem
  -T, [--skip-test], [--no-skip-test]                        # Skip test files
      [--skip-system-test], [--no-skip-system-test]          # Skip system test files
      [--skip-bootsnap], [--no-skip-bootsnap]                # Skip bootsnap gem
      [--dev], [--no-dev]                                    # Set up the application with Gemfile pointing to your Rails checkout
      [--edge], [--no-edge]                                  # Set up the application with Gemfile pointing to Rails repository
  --master, [--main], [--no-main]                            # Set up the application with Gemfile pointing to Rails repository main branch
      [--rc=RC]                                              # Path to file containing extra configuration options for rails command
      [--no-rc], [--no-no-rc]                                # Skip loading of extra configuration options from .railsrc file
      [--api], [--no-api]                                    # Preconfigure smaller stack for API only apps
      [--minimal], [--no-minimal]                            # Preconfigure a minimal rails app
  -j, [--javascript=JAVASCRIPT]                              # Choose JavaScript approach [options: importmap (default), webpack, esbuild, rollup]
                                                             # Default: importmap
  -c, [--css=CSS]                                            # Choose CSS processor [options: tailwind, bootstrap, bulma, postcss, sass... check https://github.com/rails/cssbundling-rails]
  -B, [--skip-bundle], [--no-skip-bundle]                    # Don't run bundle install

Runtime options:
  -f, [--force]                    # Overwrite files that already exist
  -p, [--pretend], [--no-pretend]  # Run but do not make any changes
  -q, [--quiet], [--no-quiet]      # Suppress status output
  -s, [--skip], [--no-skip]        # Skip files that already exist

Rails options:
  -h, [--help], [--no-help]        # Show this help message and quit
  -v, [--version], [--no-version]  # Show Rails version number and quit

Description:
    The 'rails new' command creates a new Rails application with a default
    directory structure and configuration at the path you specify.

    You can specify extra command-line arguments to be used every time
    'rails new' runs in the .railsrc configuration file in your home directory,
    or in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/rails/railsrc if XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set.

    Note that the arguments specified in the .railsrc file don't affect the
    defaults values shown above in this help message.

Example:
    rails new ~/Code/Ruby/weblog

    This generates a skeletal Rails installation in ~/Code/Ruby/weblog.

It’d be really helpful to have a home for all of these options, and then be able to link to specific pages to support them. Like the aforementioned API-only guide. Also, some people, like myself, like to link to the resources that we used to make decisions, and that’s much harder if the information only exists in the CLI.

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