Live Challenge - Ruby on Rails Interview Project

This is a pre-configured Rails application designed for technical interviews. It provides a realistic blog platform where candidates can demonstrate their Rails skills in a time-constrained environment.

Features

✅ Zero Setup Required - Ready to use with GitHub Codespaces ✅ Production-like Environment - PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker ✅ Pre-seeded Data - Users, posts, and comments for testing ✅ Authentication System - Devise integration ✅ Multiple Task Options - 10-15 minute coding challenges ✅ Realistic Codebase - Follows Rails conventions and best practices

Quick Start with GitHub Codespaces

1. Open in Codespaces: Click the green "Code" button → "Open with Codespaces"
2. Wait for Setup: Environment configures automatically (2-3 minutes)
3. Start Development: Run rails server and start coding!

Test Credentials

• Email: admin@example.com
• Password: password123

Additional test users: john@example.com, jane@example.com, bob@example.com, alice@example.com (all with password: password123)

Technology Stack

• Rails 8.0+
• Ruby 3.3+
• PostgreSQL 16
• Redis 7
• Devise (Authentication)
• RSpec (Testing framework)
• Bootstrap-inspired CSS (No external dependencies)

Project Structure

app/
├── controllers/
│   └── posts_controller.rb     # CRUD for blog posts
├── models/
│   ├── user.rb                 # Devise user with Devise
│   ├── post.rb                 # Blog post with search scope
│   └── comment.rb              # Comments with approval system
└── views/
    ├── layouts/
    │   └── application.html.erb # Navigation and flash messages
    └── posts/                   # Post CRUD views

Key Models and Relationships

User

• Devise authentication
• has_many :posts, :comments
• Full name method

Post

• Belongs to user
• has_many :comments
• Published/draft system
• Search functionality
• Validation for title and content

Comment

• Belongs to user and post
• Approval system (approved/pending)
• Content validation

Available Scopes and Methods

Post Scopes

Post.published          # Only published posts
Post.recent             # Ordered by creation date
Post.search(term)       # Search title and content
Post.by_user(user)      # Posts by specific user

Comment Scopes

Comment.approved        # Only approved comments
Comment.recent          # Ordered by creation date

Development Commands

# Setup (automatic in Codespaces)
bundle install
rails db:create db:migrate db:seed

# Start development server
rails server

# Run tests
rspec

# Rails console
rails console

# Check routes
rails routes

Docker Development (Alternative)

# Start services
docker-compose up

# Run Rails commands
docker-compose exec app rails console
docker-compose exec app rails db:migrate

Environment Configuration

Development

• PostgreSQL database: interview_development
• Mailer: localhost:3000
• Cache: Memory store
• Assets: Live reloading

Test

• PostgreSQL database: interview_test
• RSpec configuration
• Factory Bot for test data

Seed Data

The application comes with realistic seed data:

• 5 users (including admin)
• 6 blog posts (mix of published/draft)
• Multiple comments per post
• Approved and pending comments

Interview Guidelines

For Interviewers

1. Choose appropriate task based on candidate level
2. Allow 10-15 minutes for implementation
3. Focus on Rails conventions and best practices
4. Observe problem-solving approach

For Candidates

1. Read task requirements carefully
2. Ask clarifying questions
3. Follow Rails conventions
4. Test your implementation
5. Explain your approach

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Codespace loading: Wait for full initialization
• Database connection: PostgreSQL may take time to start
• Asset issues: Run rails assets:precompile
• Gem conflicts: Run bundle update

Reset Database

rails db:drop db:create db:migrate db:seed

Contributing

This project is designed for interview purposes. To suggest improvements:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Submit a pull request with clear description

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.