Question 1

How do I integrate Ember Islands into a legacy Rails app?

Accepted Answer

Use the Rails helper example from the README: create a view helper to generate HTML with `data-component` and `data-attrs`, and escape JSON with `CGI::escapeHTML` to avoid XSS issues. This allows embedding Ember components directly into Rails templates.

Question 2

Ember Islands vs building a full Ember app: which is better?

Accepted Answer

Ember Islands is best for incrementally modernizing existing server-rendered apps, while a full Ember app suits new projects or complete rewrites. Islands reduce risk by allowing gradual adoption without disrupting current functionality.

Question 3

How can I update components dynamically with non-Ember JavaScript?

Accepted Answer

Expose the `reconcile` function from the addon and call it when the DOM changes; it handles new placeholders, removals, and attribute updates to keep Ember components in sync, as detailed in the Reconciling section.

Question 4

What server-side frameworks work with Ember Islands besides Rails?

Accepted Answer

Any framework outputting HTML can integrate Ember Islands, but you must handle JSON escaping and asset fingerprinting manually, similar to the Rails example. The README doesn't provide specifics for other frameworks, so expect some trial and error.

Question 5

Does Ember Islands slow down page performance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it adds Ember's JavaScript bundle to the page, increasing load times. However, since components are injected selectively, the impact is proportional to the number of islands used and can be optimized with fingerprinting and asset management.

Question 6

How do I migrate from Ember Islands to a fully client-rendered Ember app?

Accepted Answer

Gradually expand the Ember app's scope by adjusting the `rootElement` and adding more routes, replacing server-rendered parts with Ember components over time. The flexible routing setup in the README supports this transition.

ember-islands

What is ember-islands?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions