A Rails gem for asynchronously rendering partials via AJAX to improve page load speed.
render_async is a Ruby on Rails gem that allows developers to load parts of a web page asynchronously via AJAX. It solves the problem of slow page loads by deferring the rendering of non-essential or resource-intensive partials, so users see the main content faster. The gem integrates seamlessly with Rails' view helpers and routing system.
Rails developers looking to improve frontend performance without moving to a full single-page application architecture. It's ideal for teams maintaining server-rendered Rails apps who want faster perceived load times.
Developers choose render_async because it provides a simple, Rails-native way to implement asynchronous rendering without complex JavaScript frameworks. Its minimal configuration and compatibility with Rails tools like Turbolinks and caching make it a lightweight performance booster.
render_async lets you include pages asynchronously with AJAX
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Uses Rails view helpers and routing out of the box, allowing async partials with minimal code changes, as demonstrated in the basic usage example with render_async helper and controller actions.
Supports container IDs, classes, placeholders, event-driven updates, and polling, detailed in advanced usage sections for fine-grained control over async rendering.
Includes configurable error messages, retry counts, and delays for reliable AJAX requests, evidenced by the retry on failure and error event options in the README.
Integrates with Rails fragment caching via render_async_cache to avoid redundant calls, improving efficiency as shown in the caching section with cache keys.
Must inject JavaScript via content_for in the layout, which can conflict with Content Security Policies or teams preferring zero-JavaScript solutions.
Relies on AJAX polling for dynamic updates, which can cause unnecessary server load and slower real-time responses compared to WebSockets or SSE.
The README admits caching issues with Turbolinks and Turbo if not configured correctly, leading to empty divs and requiring extra setup steps.