Ruby - Complete Ruby and Rails Extension for VS Code

The ultimate Ruby extension and Rails extension for Visual Studio Code. Complete Ruby language support with IntelliSense, debugging, testing (RSpec, Minitest), Rails navigation, RuboCop formatting, and code intelligence.

Features

✅ Ruby IntelliSense - Smart code completion with Solargraph ✅ Visual Debugger - Debug Ruby and Rails apps with breakpoints (rdbg) ✅ Test Explorer - Run and debug RSpec & Minitest tests visually ✅ Rails Navigation - Jump between models, controllers, views, migrations ✅ Template Intelligence - ERB/Haml/Slim with Rails helpers, path helpers, and smart navigation ✅ RuboCop Integration - Auto-format and lint your Ruby code ✅ Go to Definition - Navigate to method and class definitions ✅ Find References - Find all usages of symbols ✅ ActiveRecord Intelligence - Smart completion for Rails models ✅ Ruby Syntax Highlighting - Full Ruby language support

Quick Start

Installation

1. Install from VS Code Marketplace
2. Install required Ruby gems:

   gem install solargraph rubocop debug
   

3. Open any Ruby or Rails project
4. Start coding! IntelliSense, debugging, and testing work immediately

First Steps

• Code Completion: Type and see Ruby IntelliSense suggestions
• Debug: Press F5 to debug your Ruby file
• Test Explorer: Click the beaker icon to see all your RSpec/Minitest tests
• Rails Commands: Click the Ruby icon in the status bar for Rails features

Core Features

Intelligent Code Navigation

Professional-grade code intelligence built directly into the extension:

• Go to Definition (F12) - Jump to any class, method, module, or constant
• Find All References (Shift+F12) - See everywhere a symbol is used across your project
• Symbol Search (Ctrl+T) - Quickly find and navigate to any symbol in your workspace
• Hover Documentation - View method signatures and documentation on mouse hover
• Type Hierarchy - Visualize class inheritance trees and module inclusions
• Call Hierarchy - Understand method call relationships throughout your codebase

Smart Detection - Recognizes Ruby patterns including:

• Direct method calls, method chains, and dynamic sends
• Symbols, hash keys, delegates, and aliases
• Block parameters, instance variables, and class variables
• ActiveRecord associations and Rails-specific patterns

Deep Rails Integration

Seamlessly navigate and work with Ruby on Rails projects:

• Smart Navigation - Quick jump between Models ↔ Controllers ↔ Views ↔ Specs ↔ Migrations
• Route Explorer - Browse and search Rails routes with instant navigation
• Schema Intelligence - Jump to table definitions and view database schema
• Rails Console - Integrated terminal access to rails console
• Generators - Create models, controllers, migrations, and scaffolds from the command palette
• Database Tools - Run migrations and rollbacks with one click

Full Debugging Support

Integrated debugging powered by Ruby's official debug gem:

• One-Click Debugging - Press F5 to debug current file instantly
• Breakpoints - Line breakpoints, conditional breakpoints, and exception breakpoints
• Variable Inspection - Examine local variables, instance variables, and expressions
• Step Debugging - Step through code line by line with full call stack visibility
• Rails Debugging - Debug Rails servers, console sessions, and Rake tasks
• Test Debugging - Debug RSpec and Minitest tests with breakpoint support

Integrated Test Explorer

Visual testing interface for RSpec and Minitest:

• Test Tree View - Hierarchical display of all tests in your project
• Run & Debug - Execute or debug individual tests, suites, or entire files
• Live Results - See test results with pass/fail indicators and execution times
• Auto-Discovery - Automatically detects and watches for test file changes
• Gutter Icons - Run/debug tests directly from the editor

Code Quality & Analysis

Built-in tools to maintain code quality:

• RuboCop Integration - Real-time linting with auto-fix capabilities
• Auto-Formatting - Format document or selection with RuboCop (Alt+Shift+F)
• Format on Save - Automatically format Ruby files when saving (configurable)
• Auto-Insert End - Automatically insert 'end' keyword for Ruby blocks (def, class, if, etc.)
• N+1 Query Detection - Identify potential performance issues in ActiveRecord queries
• Dead Code Detection - Find unused classes, methods, and constants
• Code Snippets - 40+ Ruby and Rails snippets for faster coding

Template Intelligence

Professional-grade ERB, Haml, and Slim template editing with complete Rails integration:

Smart Completions:

• 60+ Rails Helpers - IntelliSense for link_to, form_with, render, image_tag, and more
• Path Helpers from Routes - Auto-complete user_path, edit_user_path, new_admin_user_path, etc.
• Instance Variables - Completion for @user, @posts from controller context
• I18n Keys - Translation key completion for t('.key') from locale files
• Smart Snippets - Tab-complete helpers with proper argument placeholders

Go to Definition:

• String Partials - render 'users/form' → jumps to _form.html.erb
• Model-Based - render @user → jumps to _user.html.erb
• Collections - render @users → jumps to _user.html.erb (singularized)
• Layouts - render layout: 'admin' → jumps to layouts/admin.html.erb
• Custom Helpers - current_user, admin? → jumps to helper definition
• Path Helpers - user_path → jumps to route definition in routes.rb

Pattern Support:

<!-- All these patterns work -->
<%= render 'shared/header' %>
<%= render partial: 'form', locals: { user: @user } %>
<%= render @user %>
<%= render @users %>
<%= render layout: 'admin' %>
<%= render template: 'users/show' %>
<%= render file: '/path/to/file' %>

<!-- Path helpers with IntelliSense -->
<%= link_to 'Profile', user_path(@user) %>
<%= link_to 'Edit', edit_user_path(@user) %>

<!-- Custom helpers navigate to definition -->
<% if current_user.admin? %>
  <%= render 'admin/dashboard' %>
<% end %>

Quick Start

Installation

1. Install RubyMate from the VS Code Marketplace
2. Open a Ruby or Rails project in VS Code
3. Start coding - RubyMate activates automatically

That's it! No additional configuration needed.

Requirements

• Ruby 2.7 or higher (automatically detected via rbenv, rvm, chruby, or asdf)
• Bundler (standard with Ruby installations)
• Rails 6.0 or higher (optional, for Rails-specific features)

Optional dependencies for enhanced features:

# Gemfile
group :development do
  gem 'debug'        # For debugging (Ruby 3.0+)
  gem 'rubocop'      # For linting and formatting
  gem 'rspec'        # For RSpec test support
end

First Steps

1. Try Navigation - Open a Ruby file, place cursor on a method name, press F12 to jump to definition
2. Explore References - Select a method, press Shift+F12 to see all usages
3. Rails Projects - Click the Ruby icon in the status bar for Rails commands
4. Run Tests - Open the Testing sidebar to see and run your test suite
5. Debug Code - Set a breakpoint, press F5 to start debugging

Essential Shortcuts

Rails Navigation (Command Palette)

Access via Ctrl+Shift+P or status bar Ruby icon:

• RubyMate: Navigate to Model - Jump to related model
• RubyMate: Navigate to Controller - Jump to related controller
• RubyMate: Navigate to View - Jump to view template
• RubyMate: Toggle Between Code and Spec - Switch between implementation and tests
• RubyMate: Show Rails Routes - Browse all application routes
• RubyMate: Rails Console - Open interactive Rails console

Configuration

RubyMate works with sensible defaults. Customize via VS Code settings if needed:

Common Settings

{
  // Auto-format Ruby files on save
  "rubymate.formatOnSave": false,

  // Auto-insert 'end' keyword for Ruby blocks
  "rubymate.autoInsertEnd": true,

  // Ruby executable (auto-detected by default)
  "rubymate.rubyPath": "ruby",

  // Test framework (auto-detected)
  "rubymate.testFramework": "auto",  // "rspec" | "minitest" | "auto"

  // Enable Rails features (auto-detected)
  "rubymate.enableRailsSupport": true,

  // N+1 query detection
  "rubymate.enableN1Detection": true,
  "rubymate.n1DetectionExcludePaths": ["**/lib/**"]
}

Workspace Settings

For team consistency, add to .vscode/settings.json in your project:

{
  "rubymate.formatOnSave": true,
  "rubymate.testFramework": "rspec"
}

Comparison with Other Solutions

RubyMate vs. Multiple Extensions

RubyMate vs. Language Server Protocol (LSP) Extensions

Advanced Features

Type Hierarchy

Visualize class inheritance and module relationships:

1. Place cursor on a class name
2. Right-click → "Show Type Hierarchy"
3. See inheritance chain, included modules, and all subclasses

Call Hierarchy

Understand method call relationships:

1. Place cursor on a method name
2. Right-click → "Show Call Hierarchy"
3. View incoming calls (who calls this method) and outgoing calls (what it calls)

Smart Search

Context-aware search that understands Ruby code:

1. Open command palette → "RubyMate: Smart Search"
2. Type any symbol name
3. Results ranked by relevance, usage frequency, and recency

Dead Code Detection

Find unused code to keep your project clean:

1. Command palette → "RubyMate: Detect Dead Code"
2. Review list of potentially unused classes and methods
3. Safely remove or refactor dead code

Debugging Guide

Debug Current File

1. Open a Ruby file
2. Set breakpoints by clicking left of line numbers
3. Press F5 or use Run → Start Debugging
4. Code execution pauses at breakpoints

Debug Rails Application

1. Create launch configuration (F5 → "Create launch.json")
2. Select "Debug Rails Server"
3. Start debugging - Rails server runs in debug mode
4. Visit routes in browser - execution pauses at breakpoints

Debug Tests

From Test Explorer:

1. Open Testing sidebar (beaker icon)
2. Click debug icon next to any test
3. Test runs with debugger attached

From Editor:

1. Open test file
2. Place cursor in test
3. Command palette → "Test: Debug Test at Cursor"

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Activating

• Check Ruby installation: Run ruby -v in terminal
• Verify project has Ruby files: Extension activates on .rb files
• Check extension status: View → Extensions → RubyMate → Check for errors

Navigation Not Working

• Wait for indexing: First-time indexing takes 5-15 seconds
• Check file is saved: Save file before using navigation features
• Reload window: Command palette → "Developer: Reload Window"

Debugging Issues

• Install debug gem: Add gem 'debug' to Gemfile (development group)
• Check Ruby version: Debug gem requires Ruby 3.0+ (use byebug for Ruby 2.7)
• Verify launch configuration: Check .vscode/launch.json is valid

Test Explorer Not Showing Tests

• Verify test framework: RSpec or Minitest installed in project
• Check file patterns: Tests in spec/ or test/ directories
• Refresh tests: Click refresh icon in Test Explorer

User Testimonials

Share your experience! If RubyMate has improved your Ruby development workflow, we'd love to hear from you. Open a discussion to share your story.

Roadmap

We're continuously improving RubyMate. Upcoming features:

• Enhanced refactoring tools
• Code metrics and complexity analysis
• Advanced search and replace with Ruby patterns
• AI-powered code suggestions
• Bundler integration and gem management

Have a feature request? Open an issue on GitHub.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:

• Report bugs - Open an issue
• Suggest features - Start a discussion
• Submit pull requests - See CONTRIBUTING.md
• Star the project - Show your support on GitHub
• Spread the word - Share with fellow Ruby developers

Development Setup

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Balaji2682/rubymate.git
cd rubymate

# Install dependencies
npm run install:all

# Build extension
cd extension && npm run compile

# Launch Extension Development Host
# Press F5 in VS Code

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history and release notes.

Support & Resources

• Documentation - GitHub Wiki
• Discussions - GitHub Discussions
• Bug Reports - GitHub Issues
• Updates - Release Notes
• Star on GitHub - github.com/Balaji2682/rubymate

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

RubyMate integrates with excellent Ruby tools:

• Ruby Debug - Official Ruby debugger by the Ruby core team
• RuboCop - Ruby static code analyzer and formatter

Built with ❤️ for the Ruby community.