README

This is a demo/code view of some concepts I've toyed with using Ruby on Rails and Stimulus.js.

Toyed with mean that they probably have no real value as is, I just wanted to try something to prove I could do it!

• Ruby version. 2.7.2
• Rails version. 6.1.3
• System dependencies
  • gem 'slim-rails'
  • gem 'activerecord_where_assoc'
  • stimulus.js, 2.0
  • marked.js
  • hightlight.js

WhatsitToYou? A Back to the Past! version of Whatsit! or Wow! Howd All That Stuff Get In There!

Whatsit! was a command line database program I first saw at the 1978 West Coast Computer Fair. I think I actually bought it and was amazed by what it could do. I had made several attempts over the years to replicate it using RoR, just for fun. It's alway been a learning attempt, not something that I had any real use for. I decided to make another attempt, but going back to original command line interface.

The terminal/CLI interface is implemented with:

• Stimulus fetching the inputs/queries from the terminal/console.
• A Rails helper controlling the flow based on Rail.ujs parameters and formating the responses.
• A Whatsit class to parse the queries, generate the response, and update the database if needed.

While Whatsit is 40+ year old technology, it was nothing more than a classic join table, linking a Subject and a Value with a Tag. Basically in index card application:

• Steve's HomePhone's 888.555.1212

A query steve would return all 3Tuples {subject,tag,value} for Steve. homePhone would display all homePhone numbers, Steve's cellPhone's 888.555.1213 would respond with a confirmation prompt to add a new relation (if it was not found).

I could not find that much about Whatsit and lost what little I had. There is a whatsit.md that was part of the documentation that came with the application. There is also a whatsittoyou.md that give a little more information.

The terminal/console interface is almost like a chat or txt message view, except you're chatting with the DB!

Marked - A rudimentary Stimulus WYSIWYG markdown editor

I wrota a post on dev.to A rudimentary Stimulus WYSIWYG markdown editor that describes what this demo does. I didn't get much response but I that I might as will put up a demo.

Installation

If you just want to look at the code, that's fine. Since I started with Basic/Assembler/FORTRAN over 40 years ago, there is still some Steve Code out there - but I keep trying.

If you want to run the application, it just a standard ROR clone.

• clone the application
• bundle install stuff
• bin/rails db:reset should create the db and seed a few tuples for Whatsit.

WhatsitToYou is the root page. There is a link in the page to look at the marked demo and vise versa.