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‎DOCUMENTATION_IMPROVEMENT_PLAN.md‎

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# React on Rails Documentation Improvement Plan
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## Executive Summary
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After analyzing the current documentation structure and content, I've identified several opportunities to improve clarity, reduce complexity, and enhance visual appeal. This plan focuses on making the documentation more accessible to new users while maintaining comprehensive coverage for advanced users.
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## Key Issues Identified
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### 1. Navigation and Structure Issues
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- **Overwhelming entry points**: Multiple starting points (README, getting-started.md, tutorial.md) with overlapping content
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- **Deep nesting**: Important information buried in subdirectories
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- **Fragmented information**: Related concepts scattered across multiple files
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- **Outdated content**: Some docs reference deprecated patterns or old versions
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### 2. Content Clarity Issues
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- **Technical jargon**: Heavy use of technical terms without clear definitions
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- **Missing context**: Assumptions about user knowledge level
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- **Verbose explanations**: Long paragraphs that could be simplified
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- **Inconsistent formatting**: Different styles across documents
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### 3. Visual Appeal Issues
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- **Wall of text**: Large blocks of text without visual breaks
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- **Missing visual aids**: Few diagrams, screenshots, or illustrations
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- **Poor code formatting**: Inconsistent code block styling
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- **Lack of callouts**: Important information not visually emphasized
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## Improvement Recommendations
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### 1. Restructure Documentation Hierarchy
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**Current Structure:**
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```
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docs/
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├── getting-started.md (202 lines)
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├── guides/ (20 files)
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├── api/ (3 files)
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├── additional-details/ (8 files)
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├── javascript/ (17 files)
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├── rails/ (5 files)
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└── ...
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```
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**Proposed Structure:**
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```
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docs/
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├── README.md (landing page with clear paths)
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├── quick-start/
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│ ├── installation.md
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│ └── first-component.md
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├── guides/
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│ ├── fundamentals/
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│ ├── advanced/
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│ └── deployment/
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├── api-reference/
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└── examples/
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```
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### 2. Content Improvements
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#### A. Create a Clear Learning Path
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1. **Quick Start** (15 min) → Basic installation and first component
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2. **Core Concepts** (30 min) → SSR, Props, Component registration
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3. **Advanced Features** (60 min) → Redux, Router, I18n
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4. **Deployment** (30 min) → Production setup
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#### B. Improve Existing Content
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1. **Add visual elements**: Diagrams showing React-Rails integration
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2. **Include more examples**: Real-world use cases with complete code
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3. **Simplify language**: Replace jargon with plain language
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4. **Add troubleshooting sections**: Common issues and solutions
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### 3. Visual Enhancements
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#### A. Design System
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- Consistent heading hierarchy
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- Standardized code block styling
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- Color-coded callouts (info, warning, tip)
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- Visual separation between sections
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#### B. Interactive Elements
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- Expandable sections for advanced topics
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- Copy-to-clipboard for code examples
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- Progress indicators for multi-step processes
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- Search functionality improvements
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### 4. Specific File Improvements
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#### getting-started.md
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- **Issue**: 202 lines, overwhelming for newcomers
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- **Solution**: Split into "Quick Start" and detailed installation guide
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- **Add**: Visual flow diagram of the setup process
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#### tutorial.md
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- **Issue**: 389 lines, comprehensive but intimidating
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- **Solution**: Break into smaller, focused lessons
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- **Add**: Screenshots of expected outcomes at each step
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#### configuration.md
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- **Issue**: 316 lines of configuration options without context
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- **Solution**: Group by use case with practical examples
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- **Add**: Configuration wizard or decision tree
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### 5. New Content Recommendations
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#### A. Missing Documentation
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1. **Troubleshooting Guide**: Common issues and solutions
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2. **Performance Guide**: Optimization best practices
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3. **Migration Guide**: From other React-Rails solutions
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4. **Architecture Decision Records**: Why certain approaches were chosen
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#### B. Enhanced Examples
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1. **Cookbook**: Common patterns and solutions
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2. **Real-world Examples**: Beyond hello world
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3. **Video Tutorials**: For visual learners
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4. **Interactive Demos**: Live code examples
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## Implementation Priority
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### Phase 1 (High Impact, Low Effort)
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1. Improve README.md with clear navigation
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2. Add visual callouts and better formatting
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3. Simplify getting-started.md
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4. Create quick reference cards
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### Phase 2 (Medium Impact, Medium Effort)
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1. Restructure guide organization
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2. Add diagrams and screenshots
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3. Improve code examples
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4. Create troubleshooting guide
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### Phase 3 (High Impact, High Effort)
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1. Interactive tutorials
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2. Video content
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3. Complete site redesign
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4. Community-driven examples
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## Success Metrics
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1. **Reduced Time to First Success**: New users can render their first component in <15 minutes
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2. **Lower Support Volume**: Fewer basic questions on GitHub issues and forums
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3. **Improved User Onboarding**: Higher conversion from trial to successful implementation
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4. **Better SEO**: Improved search rankings for React Rails integration queries
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## Next Steps
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1. Review this plan with the team
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2. Prioritize improvements based on user feedback
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3. Create detailed implementation tickets
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4. Begin with Phase 1 improvements
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5. Gather user feedback and iterate

‎docs/quick-start/README.md‎

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# 15-Minute Quick Start Guide
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> **Get your first React component running in Rails in 15 minutes**
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This guide will have you rendering React components in your Rails app as quickly as possible. We'll skip the theory for now and focus on getting something working.
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## ✅ Prerequisites
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Before starting, make sure you have:
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- **Rails 7+** application
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- **Ruby 3.0+**
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- **Node.js 18+** and **Yarn**
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- **Basic familiarity** with React and Rails
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> 💡 **Don't have a Rails app?** Run `rails new my_react_app` first.
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## 📦 Step 2: Install React on Rails (3 minutes)
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Add the React on Rails gem and run its installer:
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```bash
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# Add the gem
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bundle add react_on_rails --strict
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# Commit your changes (required for generator)
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git add . && git commit -m "Add react_on_rails gem"
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# Run the installer
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bin/rails generate react_on_rails:install
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```
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Take a look at the files created by the generator.
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- jsx files created
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- Shakapacker install
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- React component files in `client/`
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- A sample controller and view
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- Webpack configuration
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## 🎯 Step 3: Start the Development Server (1 minute)
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Start both Rails and the Webpack dev server:
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```bash
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./bin/dev
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```
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This starts both:
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- Rails server on `http://localhost:3000`
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- Webpack dev server for hot reloading
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## 🎨 Step 4: See Your Component (2 minutes)
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Open your browser and navigate to:
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```
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http://localhost:3000/hello_world
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```
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You should see a page with a React component saying "Hello World"!
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🎉 **Congratulations!** You have React running in your Rails app.
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## 🔧 Step 5: Edit Your Component (2 minutes)
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Let's make a quick change to see hot reloading in action:
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1. Open `app/javascript/src/HelloWorld/ror_components/HelloWorld.client.jsx`
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2. Change the text from "Hello World" to "Hello from React!"
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3. Save the file
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4. Watch your browser automatically refresh
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## 🚀 Step 6: Add Components to Existing Views (5 minutes)
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Now let's add a React component to one of your existing Rails views:
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### Create a New Component
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```bash
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# Create a new component directory
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mkdir -p app/javacript/src/SimpleCounter/components
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# Create the component file
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touch app/javascript/src/SimpleCounter/ror_components/SimpleCounter.jsx
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```
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Add this content to `SimpleCounter.jsx`:
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```jsx
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import React, { useState } from 'react';
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const SimpleCounter = ({ initialCount = 0 }) => {
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const [count, setCount] = useState(initialCount);
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return (
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<div style={{ padding: '20px', border: '1px solid #ccc' }}>
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<h3>React Counter</h3>
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<p>
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Current count: <strong>{count}</strong>
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</p>
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<button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Increment</button>
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<button onClick={() => setCount(count - 1)}>Decrement</button>
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<button onClick={() => setCount(0)}>Reset</button>
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</div>
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);
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};
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export default SimpleCounter;
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```
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### Use It in a Rails View (Auto-Bundling)
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With React on Rails auto-bundling, you don't need manual registration! Just add this to any Rails view (like `app/views/application/index.html.erb`):
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```erb
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<h1>My Rails App</h1>
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<p>Here's a React component embedded in this Rails view:</p>
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<%= react_component("SimpleCounter", { initialCount: 5 }, { auto_load_bundle: true }) %>
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```
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Note, your layout needs to include this in the <head>:
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```erb
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<%= stylesheet_pack_tag %>
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<%= javascript_pack_tag %>
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```
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That's it! React on Rails will automatically:
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- ✅ Find your component in any directory named `ror_components` (configurable)
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- ✅ Create the webpack bundle
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- ✅ Register the component
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- ✅ Include the JavaScript on the page
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Restart your server and visit the page - you should see your interactive counter!
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## ✅ What You've Accomplished
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In 15 minutes, you've:
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- ✅ Installed and configured React on Rails
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- ✅ Seen server-side rendering in action
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- ✅ Experienced hot module reloading
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- ✅ Created and used a custom React component with auto-bundling
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- ✅ Passed props from Rails to React
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- ✅ Used zero-configuration automatic bundling (no manual pack setup!)
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## 🎓 Next Steps
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Now that you have React on Rails working, here's what to explore next:
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### Immediate Next Steps
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1. **[Basic Configuration](../getting-started.md)** - Understand the setup
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2. **[View Helpers API](../api/view-helpers-api.md)** - Learn all the options for `react_component`
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3. **[Hot Module Replacement](../guides/development/hot-reloading.md)** - Optimize your dev workflow
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### Dive Deeper
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1. **[Complete Tutorial](../guides/tutorial.md)** - Build a full app with Redux
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2. **[Server-Side Rendering](../guides/fundamentals/server-rendering.md)** - Optimize for SEO and performance
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3. **[Production Deployment](../guides/deployment/README.md)** - Deploy to production
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### Advanced Features
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1. **[Redux Integration](../guides/state-management/redux.md)** - Manage application state
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2. **[React Router](../guides/routing/react-router.md)** - Client-side routing
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3. **[Code Splitting](../javascript/code-splitting.md)** - Optimize bundle size
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## 🆘 Need Help?
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- **[Troubleshooting Guide](../troubleshooting/README.md)** - Common issues and solutions
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- **[React + Rails Slack](https://reactrails.slack.com)** - Join our community
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- **[GitHub Issues](https://github.com/shakacode/react_on_rails/issues)** - Report bugs
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## 📋 Quick Reference
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### Essential Commands
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```bash
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# Start development servers
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./bin/dev
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# Generate React on Rails files
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bin/rails generate react_on_rails:install
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# Create a new component
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bin/rails generate react_on_rails:component MyComponent
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# Build for production
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yarn run build
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```
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### Key File Locations
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- **Components**: `client/app/bundles/[ComponentName]/components/`
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- **Registration**: `client/app/bundles/[ComponentName]/startup/registration.js`
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- **Packs**: `app/javascript/packs/`
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- **Config**: `config/initializers/react_on_rails.rb`
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- **Webpack**: `config/shakapacker.yml`
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---
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**🎉 Welcome to React on Rails!** You're now ready to build amazing full-stack applications with the best of both Rails and React.

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