Standard Ruby Styleguide

We've started writing our Ruby code in the same way we do our JavaScript code and we've never been happier. We call this approach srs, because we're totally serious.

Use semicolons on statements

End all your statements with semicolons. Semicolons are optional, but you should always put them in for consistency. Semicolons are fine in Ruby. All Ruby interpreters like MRI, Rubinius and JRuby will be able to parse your code correctly.

def create_user(name)
  user = User.create({ name: name });
  user.validate!();
  user.save();
end

Only use semicolons on statements

Don't use semicolons on anything but statements. Lines that start or end blocks should have no semicolons.

class Warewolf < Wolf
  def bark
    puts('awoooo');
  end
end

It may be difficult to remember which things should have semicolons and which should not. Don't worry! There aren't many exceptions to keep note of. Just memorize this ridiculous list of keywords:

if unless elsif else while do end def class module begin rescue ensure catch case when until

Never omit parentheses

Although parentheses are optional in Ruby, prefer to always put them so that your code will be consistent.

# ✓ OK
role = :admin;
if model.valid_for?(role)
  return model.save();
end

# ✗ Wtf is this
role = :admin
if model.valid?(role)
  model.save
end

Don't forget the curly braces

Inconsistency is the root of all evil. Even if they're inferred, prefer to be explicit with your curly braces around hashes. Why would you place your faith in Ruby's ACI (automatic curly-brace insertion)?

# ✓ OK
book = Book.new({ title: 'Pride & Prejudice', author: 'J. Austen' });

# ✗ This is terrible
book = Book.new(title: 'Pride & Prejudice', author: 'J. Austen')

# ✗✗✗ Seriously, do you even Ruby?
book = Book.new title: 'Pride & Prejudice', author: 'J. Austen'

Write in other languages in the same way

Since we're trying to be consistent here, why limit yourself to just Ruby and JavaScript? Do the same with Python!

class Dolphin:
    """Nothing can escape our love for semicolons.""";
    def bark(self):
        gimp = 'silly animal';
        print('I cannot bark, you ' + gimp);

FAQ

Is this actually valid Ruby?

Yes, 100%. There is a growing movement to enforce a semicolon-less style in languages like Ruby and Python. Don't believe the hype! Semicolons have existed since 1494, and there's a good reason why Ruby's syntax allows semicolons. If it weren't necessary, then the language wouldn't have it, eh?

Isn't it easier simply to not use semicolons?

Yes. Actually it is.

Are you really serious?

This document is satire in case you haven't picked up on that yet. If you want a real styleguide, look at bbatsov/ruby-style-guide.

What now?

</satire> — A lot of modern languages are semicolon-optional. This list includes Ruby, Python, JavaScript, Lua, Groovy and Go. In all but one of these languages, semicolons are recommended for use as a statement separator when including 2 statements in one line. JavaScript, on the other hand, has an abundancy of documentation that recommends all lines should be terminated with semicolons, despite it being only necessary as a statement separator.

Why not start writing your JavaScript without semicolons? If it's good enough for npm, it's good enough for me :) Start by checking the Standard JavaScript style guide—I promise it'd bring much sanity to your development process.