Rails 3.1 Sprockets require directives - is there a way to exclude particular files?

Question

If I'm using //=require_tree . in application.css, is there a way to exclude particular files other than resorting to //=require_directory and tree organization?

Perhaps something like //= require_tree ., {except: 'something'}

Answer 1

This is possible with Sprocket's new stub directive which is available in Sprockets v2.2.0 and up. However, Rails 3.2 will only ever use Sprockets v2.1.3 which does not have this feature. As of now, the current Edge Rails has the stub directive and it will officially be in Rails 4.0 and above.

Usage:

//= require jquery
//= require_tree .
//= stub unwanted_js

stub directives can not be overridden by subsequent require or include directives.

If you want to use the stub directive in your Rails 3.2 project you will have to switch to Edge Rails, or branch your Rails gem with its Sprockets dependency modified to version 2.2.0.

Answer 2

Since the release of rails 3.2.9, it has support to lock the sprockets to version 2.2.x so that we can use the //= stub directive that latest sprockets have.

//= stub unwanted_js

http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2012/11/12/ann-rails-3-2-9-has-been-released/

So, to use it, just upgrade to Rails 3.2.9

Answer 3

NB: This answer is now out of date, with an update to Sprockets having this feature. See the answer below.

===

This is not possible with current Sprockets directives, but it seems like a handy feature.

The other way to to manually list each file you want.

Perhaps you could file this as a feature request over on the Sprockets repo? :-)

Answer 4

The following monkey patch solves this for me:

module Sprockets
  class DirectiveProcessor
    # support for: require_tree . exclude: "", "some_other"
    def process_require_tree_directive(path = ".", *args)
      if relative?(path)
        root = pathname.dirname.join(path).expand_path

        unless (stats = stat(root)) && stats.directory?
          raise ArgumentError, "require_tree argument must be a directory"
        end

        exclude = args.shift == 'exclude:' ? args.map {|arg| arg.sub(/,$/, '')} : []

        context.depend_on(root)

        each_entry(root) do |pathname|
          if pathname.to_s == self.file or exclude.include?(pathname.basename(pathname.extname).to_s)
            next
          elsif stat(pathname).directory?
            context.depend_on(pathname)
          elsif context.asset_requirable?(pathname)
            context.require_asset(pathname)
          end
        end
      else
        # The path must be relative and start with a `./`.
        raise ArgumentError, "require_tree argument must be a relative path"
      end
    end
  end

end

Answer 5

Try better the https://github.com/QubitProducts/miniMerge

It supports not only JS and is in basic mode sprockets compatible.

You can exclude not only on file levels but block or even lines.

Full depenedncies managment with multiple source bases.

I used sprockets in past and this one is better, I use it also for CSS.