ActiveAdmin has been a popular administrative framework in the Ruby on Rails ecosystem for over a decade. It provides developers with a quick and efficient way to build administrative interfaces with minimal code.

With the release of ActiveAdmin v4 Beta, the tool has seen substantial upgrades, introducing new features and improvements to streamline admin dashboard development, boost performance, and improve the overall developer experience.

In this post, we'll explore the major changes and enhancements in ActiveAdmin v4 Beta, the process for upgrading from earlier versions, and practical examples to get the most out of the new features.

If you're a Rails developer using ActiveAdmin for your projects, this update will help you understand the benefits of upgrading and ensure a smooth transition to the latest version.

Key Changes in ActiveAdmin v4 Beta

1. Rails 7 and Hotwire Support

One of the most anticipated updates in ActiveAdmin v4 is its full compatibility with Rails 7.

The framework now takes advantage of Hotwire—Rails' built-in technology for building real-time applications without relying heavily on JavaScript.

This opens up new possibilities for creating more dynamic and interactive admin interfaces while staying within the Rails ecosystem.

In earlier versions, creating real-time interfaces often required external dependencies like WebSockets or JavaScript libraries.

With Hotwire’s Turbo and Stimulus integration, ActiveAdmin can handle real-time updates natively, making it easier to build admin dashboards that respond quickly to user actions without needing custom JavaScript.

Example: Turbo in ActiveAdmin v4

ActiveAdmin.register Post do
  permit_params :title, :content

  index do
    column :title
    column :content
    actions
  end

  form do |f|
    f.input :title
    f.input :content
    f.actions
  end

  controller do
    def create
      super
      Turbo::StreamsChannel.broadcast_append_to "posts", target: "posts_list"
    end
  end
end

In this example, when a new Post is created, the post list on the page is updated in real time without requiring a page refresh.

2. Improved Theming System

ActiveAdmin v4 also introduces an improved theming system that allows developers to easily customize the appearance of admin dashboards.

With this version, CSS variables are widely supported, giving you the flexibility to tweak styles without diving into complex overrides or custom CSS files.

You can now quickly adapt the look and feel of your ActiveAdmin dashboard to match your application's branding, including colors, fonts, and layout.

Moreover, these changes can be made dynamically across all resources using the new configuration options in active_admin.rb.

Example: Customizing CSS Variables

:root {
  --aa-primary-color: #3498db;
  --aa-secondary-color: #2ecc71;
  --aa-font-family: "Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif";
}

With just a few lines of code, the admin interface can now have a completely different visual style.

3. Flexible Filter Improvements

Another significant update in v4 is the enhancement of filtering capabilities.

While previous versions of ActiveAdmin allowed for basic filtering of data, v4 makes it more powerful by introducing dynamic filter components. These components allow for a more intuitive user experience and provide greater flexibility in how filters are applied to data tables.

For instance, you can now create filters that are context-aware, meaning they adapt based on other active filters. This improves usability for administrators working with large datasets, helping them drill down into specific records more effectively.

Example: Dynamic Filter Configuration

ActiveAdmin.register Order do
  filter :status, as: :select, collection: Order.statuses.keys
  filter :created_at
end

In this example, the status filter dynamically lists all possible statuses for an order. Users can now apply multiple filters more efficiently, improving their workflow when managing complex datasets.

4. Enhanced Batch Actions

The new Batch Actions feature in ActiveAdmin v4 allows admins to perform bulk actions on records in a more intuitive way.

In previous versions, batch actions were somewhat limited in terms of customizability and execution.

With v4, batch actions are more flexible and can be customized to suit the specific needs of your application.

You can define custom batch actions, configure how they should behave, and even include validation before they are executed.

Example: Custom Batch Action

ActiveAdmin.register User do
  batch_action :mark_as_verified do |ids|
    batch_action_collection.find(ids).each do |user|
      user.update(verified: true)
    end
    redirect_to collection_path, alert: "Users marked as verified"
  end
end

In this example, administrators can select multiple users and mark them as "verified" with a single action, streamlining their workflow.

5. Performance Optimizations

Performance is always a critical concern for admin dashboards, especially for applications dealing with large datasets.

ActiveAdmin v4 comes with several performance improvements, including lazy loading of resources and optimized query handling. These changes result in faster load times and smoother navigation within the admin interface.

Lazy loading ensures that resources and related data are only loaded when they are needed, reducing the initial load time for pages with many associated records.

The framework also leverages Rails' improved query optimizations, minimizing the number of SQL queries executed when displaying complex datasets.

6. Updated Documentation and Examples

The release of ActiveAdmin v4 Beta comes with a new set of documentation that helps developers get started quickly with the new features.

Additionally, there are several example applications available, such as the Faqstiger repository, which showcases how to implement the most common use case of using ActionText (Trix Editor) with the latest version of ActiveAdmin.

The upgraded documentation is more detailed and includes code examples, migration guides, and best practices for working with the new features.

Upgrading from ActiveAdmin v3

Upgrading to ActiveAdmin v4 from version 3 is straightforward but requires attention to certain breaking changes. Here’s a brief overview of the steps involved:

Update the Gemfile: Change your ActiveAdmin version to v4.0.0.beta13 in your Gemfile:

gem "activeadmin", "4.0.0.beta13"

Run Bundle Install: After updating your Gemfile, run gem install activeadmin --pre to install the latest version of ActiveAdmin.

Review Deprecations: Check the UPGRADING.md guide for any deprecations or breaking changes that may affect your project.

Test Thoroughly: After upgrading, thoroughly test your application, paying close attention to custom components, batch actions, and filters, as these areas are most likely to be affected by changes.

Conclusion

ActiveAdmin v4 Beta brings significant improvements, from Hotwire support to an improved theming system and more powerful filters.

These updates make it easier for developers to build robust, user-friendly admin interfaces with minimal overhead.

If you're using ActiveAdmin in your Rails application, upgrading to version 4 will give you access to these new features and set you up for long-term support in the Rails 7 ecosystem.

Make sure to review the upgrade guide and test your application thoroughly before migrating to ActiveAdmin v4 Beta.

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Originally Published at: https://blog.bestwebventures.in/activeadmin-v4-beta-features-upgrade-guide.

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