Question 1

How do I set up RABL caching in a Rails app?

Accepted Answer

Enable caching by setting `perform_caching` to true in the configuration and using the `cache` directive in templates with objects as keys. The README notes that caching is only fully supported in Rails and requires a cache engine like Rails' default.

Question 2

RABL vs Jbuilder: which is better for JSON APIs?

Accepted Answer

RABL uses a Ruby DSL focused on multi-format support and complex nesting, while Jbuilder is JSON-specific with a block-based syntax. Choose RABL if you need XML or MessagePack output, but Jbuilder might be simpler for pure JSON with Rails conventions.

Question 3

Can RABL handle deeply nested associations in API responses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, RABL supports deep nesting through child nodes and inheritance, as demonstrated in the 'Deep Nesting' section with quizzes, questions, and answers, allowing hierarchical data representation.

Question 4

How to render a RABL template without a controller?

Accepted Answer

Use `Rabl.render` or `Rabl::Renderer` methods, passing the object, template path, and format. The README provides examples for Rake tasks or message queues, noting that view paths and locals can be specified.

Question 5

What JSON engines does RABL support?

Accepted Answer

RABL defaults to JSON gem but integrates with Oj for better performance; configure via `json_engine` setting. The README recommends adding Oj to the Gemfile for automatic optimization in Rails apps.

Question 6

Does RABL automatically set content-type headers?

Accepted Answer

No, RABL does not set content-type headers automatically to remain framework-agnostic. You must manually set them in your controller or middleware, which adds boilerplate code.

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