Overview

It's sammarized information throughout working with Active Admin on Rails
(Ruby on rails 4.3)

Target to read this content:
1. Basic knowledge of Ruby on Rails
2. High standard ActiveRecord knowledge

Scope:
Covering to basic integration active admin

Active Admin is a gem to create web page that supports CRUD feature via several kind of parameters configured in Model.

Integrating Device and Cancan, these helps to realize to inject authorization to each pages created.

Formastic is used too generate forms internally.

Validation in pages shall be done by Model's validation settings.

ActiveAdmin
http://activeadmin.info/docs/documentation.html
http://www.rubydoc.info/github/activeadmin/activeadmin

Formastic
http://www.rubydoc.info/github/justinfrench/formtastic/Formtastic/Helpers/InputHelper

CanCan
http://www.rubydoc.info/github/CanCanCommunity/cancancan

1. Overriding each pages

List of model's content #index
Displaying a Model's row information　 #show
Modification of a Model's row #edit
Export & Download csv formatted model 　#csv

Above actions are created by default and files are stored under app/admin/.(File name mustb be $ModelName.rb)

*Model and created file must always one‐to‐one *
Create subclass of original model when you need to create different page from a model.
Below example is basic code to add model and block to ActiveAdmin's register method.

ActiveAdmin.register $ModelName do
# All configuration and process must be threre
end

1.1. Event Handling Controller

Method that is able to override in above block is written in [resource_dsl.rb].
(https://github.com/activeadmin/activeadmin/blob/master/lib/active_admin/resource_dsl.rb)
You can customize pages by filling up block throughout the method provided active admin inside above block '# All configuration and process must be threre'
index

index do
 # check this page
 column : current model's field
 actions　　# show,edit,remove link will be displayed according to permit_params, it will be explained later on this page.
end

show

show do
  show do
    attributes_table do
      row : model's field name
      end
    end
    active_admin_comments　　# comment form
    render 'some_partial'　# can be rendered from view
end

form
Note that this 'f' is ActionView

form do |f|
    inputs 'Title' do
      input :model's field name
    end
end

csv

csv do
    column :model's field name
end

When you need to create original action for adding new pages, you can use action_item.

1.2. Model's handler

Overridable methods in 'controller do' are written in data_access.rb

You can utilize this feature when you need to add condition to retrieving model or override logic.
For example, write something in scoped_collection when you need to customized list in index page.
You will probably face to situation to join table to optimize list.

ActiveRecord's loading featureRemember active record preload or includes to optimize DB access.

controller do
   def scoped_collection
     super　# model call 
     super.where(filter: condition) # Adding condition to model
     $ModelName.includes(:RelatedModelName)
   end
    def find_resource
      # override to find a resouce from model (edit,show)
    end
   def create
      # accept POST request of creating record
   end
   def update
      # accept POST request of modifying record
   end
  end
end

2.Authentication

authentication

2.1. configuration

following configuration must be done in config/initializers/active_admin.rb.

# the method controllers used to force authentication
config.authentication_method = :authenticate_admin_user!

# the method used to access the current user
# It's possible to call this methos in ActiveAdmin.register　.By calling this method it will return AdminUserModel currently logged in.
config.current_user_method = :current_admin_user

2.2. Cancan

After installing ActiveAdmin,following 3 models are created AdminUser,AdminUserAssign,AdminRole
Put CRUD settings for each models inside app/models/ability.rb

cancan

class Ability
  include CanCan::Ability
  def initialize(user)
    can :manage, $ModelName
  end

  def $ロール名
    can :manage, $ModelName
  end
end

2.3. Limitation of resource access

Putting permit_params inside ActiveAdmin.register shall provide access control about each fields of target model.
Writing actions will provide entire CRUD limitation control.
permit_params

permit_params :$FieldName, :$FieldName
actions :all, except: [:update, :destroy]

3. SearchBox and Scope customization

3.1 Search Box

It's posssible to cutomize search box right side on screen.
Adding 'filter' in ActiveAdmin.register will realize customization.
sidebar

filter :モデルのフィールド名
filter :モデルのフィールド名, collection: proc{ #something }.call

3.2 Scope

If you set scope, Scope button shall be displayed upper side of screen.
scope

scope :all, default: true do |user|
  # do something
end
scope :$フィルタ名 do |user|
  # do something
end

4. Other things

4.1 Customizing menus

Keep this in your mind 'it's possible to customize menu always displayed top of pages. You will need this design consideration.
menu

4.2 Creating new pages

If you need to create pages not related specific model,you can use 'ActiveAdmin.register_page'
register_page
It is useful such as normal static page and view.
But mind about scope issue, @instance variable can't be used.
'controller do' or 'show','index' , these are instance of different classes and you can't pass instance variable directory.If you need to extend logic inside view pass it as render's argument.

content do
  render partial: '$page_path'　
  render $page_path'　, { data: @data }
end

Active Admin details tutorial(EN)