Jenny Shen - An upgrade handbook to Rails 8 - Rails World 2024

Rails 8 upgrade requires minimum Ruby 3.1 and involves moving through patch/minor versions systematically before major upgrades

Key upgrade steps include:

• Running tests to catch potential issues
• Updating gem dependencies
• Running rails app:update
• Fixing deprecated features
• Configuring new framework defaults
• Addressing test failures

Notable Rails 7.2/8 changes:

• Browser support configuration added
• Encrypted secrets configuration deprecated
• Active Job queue adapter changes
• IRB console extension improvements
• Default Puma threads reduced from 5 to 3
• Wijit (Ruby’s JIT compiler) enabled by default

Best practices for maintaining Rails apps:

• Regular minor version updates are easier than large version jumps
• Keep apps on supported versions to receive security updates
• Use automated tools like upgrade gems to assist migration
• Plan upgrades on a regular schedule
• Address deprecation warnings promptly

Tools to help with upgrades:

• Rails upgrade gems automate common upgrade steps
• Solid Track helps monitor Rails versions across multiple apps
• Automated PR creation for upgrade changes
• Test suites to validate changes
• Framework defaults file to manage configuration changes