Andrea Fomera - Pushing the boundaries with ActiveStorage - Rails World 2024

ActiveStorage provides a flexible system for file management in Rails applications, supporting local storage and cloud providers like S3, Google Cloud, and Azure

Custom providers can be created to integrate third-party services like Wistia and Pexels, extending ActiveStorage’s functionality beyond traditional file storage

Adding a user_id to active_storage_attachments table enables tracking file ownership and building user-specific media libraries

The providers_for method allows defining multiple providers for a single attachment, making it possible to handle files from different sources

Media libraries can be built by:

• Adding search functionality for filenames
• Implementing user-specific file filtering
• Creating custom upload interfaces
• Integrating third-party services seamlessly

Performance optimizations can include:

• Background job processing for file operations
• Preventing duplicate file uploads
• Managing file variations efficiently

Security considerations:

• Use short-lived expiring tokens for file access
• Implement proper user authentication
• Control file deletion permissions

Custom services should implement key methods:

• upload
• delete
• download
• download_chunk
• public_url

Integration with third-party services can be achieved through:

• Custom providers
• JavaScript API integration
• Webhook handling
• Metadata management

ActiveStorage’s architecture relies on three main tables:

• active_storage_blobs
• active_storage_attachments
• active_storage_variant_records