Reusing your frontend JS on the server with The Ruby Racer and/or Ruby Rhino
summary
Shows how a Rails app embeds V8 via Ruby Racer (or Ruby Rhino on JRuby) to execute the same CoffeeScript Backbone models server‑side, avoiding duplication. Uses thin Ruby wrappers to inject a Ruby view into JS layouts and renders PDFs with Prawn, reusing 50+ tiny financial models (15 core ratios) so one change updates browser UI and a 34‑page PDF. Prototype compiles assets on the fly, handles fake window/console, and produces a 34‑page PDF from ~200 lines of Ruby.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction and context
- 1:00Business model challenges
- 2:45Front-end architecture
- 4:25The PDF generation dilemma
- 6:19Implementing cross-platform logic
- 9:01Server-side integration
- 10:53Layout and view wrappers
- 14:24Benefits and results
- 15:54Q&A and closing
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