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Master Hotwire

Build Modern Web Apps with Rails Simplicity

An e-book for experienced Rails developers to quickly get up to speed with Hotwire.

Written by Radan Skorić.

Can modern web UI be simple and fun to build?

Do you feel like the mainstream approaches to building a modern web UI have become too complicated? You’re spending more time plugging everything together than actually implementing the solution.

It used to be so simple. Write the backend logic, sprinkle jQuery effects, add some AJAX calls and you’re golden. Unfortunately that was hard to maintain when the application grew. And users expect a more polished experience. It’s no longer enough.

The usual industry solution are Single Page Applications (SPAs). They deliver a great UX but also bring many problems:

Imagine that you can develop with the old speed and simplicity but still deliver a polished and modern user experience. How good would that be?

Is HTML-over-the-wire the fix?

Hotwire, or HTML over the wire, recaptures the old ease of development while keeping the modern user experience. Everything we need to render the correct HTML is already right here on the server, in our backend logic. It’s crazy to have to serialise it to JSON, ship to a completely different frontend application, deserialise it, pass it through a dozen nested components which update the Virtual DOM which then, finally, finally, updates the counter widget. Yes, of course, I’m paraphrasing but I think you get the point.

HTML-over-the-wire is a game changer, especially when paired with a super productive backend framework like Ruby on Rails. It’s doing a full circle. It’s going back to tried and true, “boring” Hypermedia technology: HTTP and HTML. This time, thanks to browser advancements, Hotwire enhances it so it can be used for building a highly responsive and modern user experience.

Can picking Hotwire turn out to be a mistake?

However, Hotwire is not a free lunch. A poorly designed Hotwire application can:

It’s a different way of developing the applications and it has its quirks and gotchas. If you don’t understand how to use it, you can end up questioning your lifestyle choices.

Used correctly it will dramatically boost your productivity. But if you use it incorrectly you can be left feeling like you’re fighting it. Good news is that you definitely can avoid the negative scenario.

Used correctly it will not be a mistake

It’s absolutely possible to build a complex application with Hotwire that’s maintainable and a joy to work on.

However, you do need to:

Hotwire is a powerful tool that powers a very fast, productive and high quality way of developing applications. You can recapture the simplicity of development you once enjoyed while still delivering a modern user experience. Implementing UIs really can be fun!

“I am trying to understand it and find it extremely convoluted”

A poorly designed Hotwire application can get out of hand by:

Just like Ruby and Ruby on Rails, Hotwire is a sharp knife. It’s very powerful but you can cut yourself. As with all such technologies the secret is in getting proficient at using it.

Once you master a sharp knife you can get a lot done quickly without the danger of cutting yourself.

What would it mean if you were as fluent with Hotwire as you are with Rails itself?

You could:

Hotwire applications can turn into spaghetti code with RESTless Rails controllers and hard to follow Stimulus controllers, but they don’t have to. Once you understand it you can avoid its pitfalls and play to its strengths. This is what you did with all powerful technologies that you mastered before. The best antidote to pitfalls of a powerful tool is your deep understanding of how it works and how best to use it.

How much more confident would you be if you had that understanding?

Ready? Buy the book right now at Beta version price and get all the future updates: Note sure yet? Subscribe to get the free sample chapters and be notified of future book updates and discounts. Click here to subscribe and receive the sample chapters.

“How would you implement this UI with Hotwire?”

A common question is how one would implement a particular UI using Hotwire.

You already know how to implement the actual problem solving part but you don’t know how to assemble it using Hotwire in an elegant and maintainable way.

What if:

You could focus most of your energy on the really interesting part, on the part of the code that is actually solving the user problem. You would be able to reap full benefits of Hotwire’s compression of complexity.

This is what is waiting for you inside my short e-book: “Master Hotwire”.

Learn in bite-sized step by step lessons, guiding you through development of a collaborative Kanban board application. Immediately actionable knowledge is delivered in every lesson, starting with the very first one. You could even develop your own application in parallel, as you go.

An image sample of Kanban board building part

Get a deep understanding to implement the best solution

Official documentation and most online tutorials and courses explain how to use Hotwire. That is enough for you to build your application but it’s not enough to really know if you picked the best approach and built a long term maintainable application. It’s not enough to quickly fix unexpected issues. For that you need a deep understanding.

After introducing each concept, the book takes another step and explains how each part of Hotwire actually works under the hood. This is what you need to know that you picked the best solution. This is what enables you to debug issues in minutes, not hours.

An image sample of a deep dive chapter

What if you’re too busy?

You’re probably busy, you don’t have much time to read another book.

This is why the book is aimed at experienced developers! Most tutorials spend a lot of time with the basics. But you’re experienced and you don’t need that much hand holding.

Because you are experienced, I can condense the material, saving you time. I can then dig under the hood, giving you a deeper understanding. A junior developer would be overwhelmed by it but for you this might be the most interesting part.

It’s condensed experienced that you are able to consume in a short amount of time because of your existing expertise.

You will gain an accurate mental model and understanding of Hotwire. You will be able to connect it to the body of knowledge and experience you already posses to develop new or introduce Hotwire to existing applications with complete confidence.

Ready? Buy the book right now at Beta version price and get all the future updates: Note sure yet? Subscribe to get the free sample chapters and be notified of future book updates and discounts. Click here to subscribe and receive the sample chapters.

What readers are saying

Right from the outset, this book is very clear about its objectives and its audience. Radan's writing is engaging and entertaining, precisely detailed and comprehensive. If you're an experienced Rails developer and want to really understand Hotwire, this book is for you. Part I easily stands alone; Parts II and III are eagerly anticipated!
Ian Hall, software developer
Having worked alongside Radan for many years, I can vouch that this book is exactly what you'd expect from him - breaking down Turbo Drive, Frames, Streams, and all that Hotwire goodness in that annoyingly clear way he does. I've been using the Hotwire stack since its release, yet I still learned a ton of new insights and practical approaches.
Miha Rekar, software developer
As a Rails developer who had some Hotwire experience but is definitely not an expert, I've enjoyed this book's thorough guide through the Hotwire universe – it helps with an overarching understanding, something that the official docs alone could not achieve for me. It also explains in detail how some parts actually work under the hood and provides links to the relevant locations on GitHub – very helpful for a deeper understanding.
Tilmann Singer, software developer
This book is an excellent companion for implementing real-world applications with Hotwire. Unlike many entry-level tutorials that quickly jump into "draw the rest of the owl" territory, Radan guides us through incrementally more complex problems, demonstrating how to tackle them with great pedagogy. As a bonus, each step includes a detailed paragraph explaining the framework's internals and why everything works as it does. I highly recommend Master Hotwire to any Ruby on Rails developer looking to enhance their application with Hotwire.
Fabien Loup, software developer

List of chapters

Wondering what’s inside? Here’s the list of chapter titles:

Build that side-project in record time

If your day job is a huge legacy application, switching to Hotwire might seem like an impossible task. And while the course also has a special section on introducing Hotwire to a legacy application, it’s also perfect for launching a side-project.

Hotwire and Rails are arguably the most productive combination for launching an application from scratch.

The course is structured so that you can immediately start building an application and then enhance it as you learn new concepts. Even if you only have a few hours a week that will be enough to work through the course in a few weeks and build the first version of your application along side it.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m having issues with the book. Who can I contact?

Oh no! Send an email to me@radanskoric.com.

How much will the book cost?

The book is currently in Beta and selling for €28. For that price you will receive the fully completed part I (see list of chapters above for details), and lifetime access to all future versions.

What is included in the beta version purchase?

Immediately upon purchase you will receive a PDF of the current version of the book. The list of chapters above outlines exactly what is currently finished.

You will also receive all future updates to the PDF version and all future format additions. A website version is in the process of being created and an epub version is planned in the future. You will get all of that included for the beta price and will get life time access to all updates to the book.

Is there a money back guarantee?

If, for any reason, you find yourself less than fully satisfied with the book, you may request a refund any time within 30 days of the purchase. Just send an e-mail to me@radanskoric.com and include your reason for requesting the refund.

Can I get an invoice?

Absolutely! After making a purchase you will automatically receive a receipt. If you need a more detailed invoice, just e-mail me.

Ready? Buy the book right now at Beta version price and get all the future updates: Note sure yet? Subscribe to get the free sample chapters and be notified of future book updates and discounts. Click here to subscribe and receive the sample chapters.