Are you looking for a powerful and flexible way to build Elixir applications? Look no further than the Ash framework! In this blog post, we'll introduce you to Ash, explain why it's great for building applications, and show you how to get started. What is Ash Framework? Ash is a declarative, resource-based framework for building Elixir applications. It provides a set of powerful tools and abstractions that make it easier to build complex, data-driven applications while maintaining clean and maintainable code. Why Use Ash Framework? Declarative Design: Ash allows you to define your application's structure and behavior declaratively, making your code more readable and maintainable. Resource-Based Architecture: With Ash, you model your application around resources, which encapsulate data and behavior in a cohesive way. Built-in Features: Ash provides many built-in features like pagination, filtering, and authorization, reducing the amount of boilerplate code you need to write. Extensibility: The framework is highly extensible, allowing you to customize and extend its functionality to fit your specific needs. Integration with Phoenix: Ash integrates seamlessly with Phoenix, making it easy to build web applications with a powerful backend. Installing Ash Framework To get started with Ash in a new or existing Elixir project, you'll need to add the necessary dependencies to your mix.exs file: defp deps do [ {:ash_phoenix, "~> 2.0"}, {:ash, "~> 3.0"}, # ... other dependencies ] end Then, run mix deps.get to install the dependencies. For more detailed installation instructions and configuration options, check out the Ash Installation Guide. Key Features of Ash Framework Let's explore a few key features of Ash that make it powerful for building applications: 1. Ash Resources In Ash, you define your application's data model using resources. Here's an example of a simple Post resource: defmodule AshBlog.Posts.Post do use Ash.Resource, data_layer: AshPostgres.DataLayer, domain: AshBlog.Posts postgres do table "posts" repo AshBlog.Repo end actions do defaults [:read, :destroy, create: :*, update: :*] end attributes do uuid_primary_key :id attribute :title, :string, allow_nil?: false, public?: true attribute :body, :string, allow_nil?: false, public?: true create_timestamp :inserted_at update_timestamp :updated_at end end This resource definition includes attributes, actions, and database configuration. Ash takes care of generating the necessary database schema and provides a high-level API for interacting with your data. 2. Built-in Pagination One of the powerful features of Ash is its built-in support for pagination. Ash comes with both offset and keyset pagination out of the box. With just a few lines of code, you can implement pagination in your application. To setup keyset pagination in your resource, just add this, under actions: # A `:read` action that returns a paginated list of posts, # with a default of 10 posts per page read :list do pagination keyset?: true, default_limit: 10 prepare build(sort: :inserted_at) end And here’s how you can use it in your LiveView: defp list_posts(%{assigns: %{load_more_token: nil}} = socket) do case Posts.read(Post, action: :list, page: [limit: 10]) do {:ok, %{results: posts}} -> load_more_token = List.last(posts) && List.last(posts).__metadata__.keyset socket |> assign(:load_more_token, load_more_token) |> stream(:posts, posts, reset: socket.assigns.load_more_token == nil) {:error, error} -> put_flash(socket, :error, "Error loading posts: #{inspect(error)}") end end defp list_posts(%{assigns: %{load_more_token: load_more_token}} = socket) do case Posts.read(Post, action: :list, page: [after: load_more_token, limit: 10]) do {:ok, %{results: posts}} -> load_more_token = List.last(posts) && List.last(posts).__metadata__.keyset socket |> assign(:load_more_token, load_more_token) |> stream(:posts, posts, at: -1, reset: socket.assigns.load_more_token == nil) {:error, error} -> put_flash(socket, :error, "Error loading posts: #{inspect(error)}") end end This implementation allows for efficient loading of posts as the user scrolls, creating an infinite scrolling behaviour. 3. Ash.Notifier Another powerful feature of Ash is the ability to broadcast changes in resources using Ash.Notifier. This is particularly useful when you want to update the UI in real-time when data changes. Here's an example of how to set up a notifier: defmodule AshBlog.Notifiers do use Ash.Notifier def notify(%{action: %{type: :create}, data: post}) do Phoenix.PubSub.broadcast(AshBlog.PubSub, "post_creation", {:post_created, post}) end end This notifier broadcasts a message whenever a new post is created. Then, add the notifier to your resource: defmodule AshBlog.Posts.Post do use Ash.Resource, data_layer: AshPostgres.DataLayer, domain: AshBlog.Posts, notifiers: [AshBlog.Notifiers] # <-- add this # ...rest of your code end You can then subscribe to these notifications in your Phoenix LiveView to update the UI in real-time. 4. Integration with Phoenix LiveView Ash integrates seamlessly with Phoenix LiveView, allowing you to build reactive user interfaces. Here's an example of how to use Ash with LiveView: defmodule AshBlogWeb.PostLive.Index do use AshBlogWeb, :live_view alias AshBlog.Posts alias AshBlog.Posts.Post @impl Phoenix.LiveView def mount(_params, _session, socket) do if connected?(socket), do: Phoenix.PubSub.subscribe(AshBlog.PubSub, "post_creation") form = Post |> AshPhoenix.Form.for_create(:create) |> to_form() {:ok, socket |> assign(:page_title, "AshBlog Posts") |> assign(:load_more_token, nil) |> assign(:form, form) |> stream(:posts, [])} end # ... other LiveView callbacks and event handlers end This LiveView lists posts, handles pagination, and updates in real-time when new posts are created. To see a complete example of an Ash-powered blog application, you can check out this sample AshBlog project on GitHub Conclusion Ash framework provides a powerful and flexible way to build Elixir applications. Its declarative approach, resource-based architecture, built-in features like pagination, and integration with Phoenix make it an excellent choice for building complex, data-driven applications.To learn more about Ash and dive deeper into its features, check out the following resources: Ash Documentation AshPhoenix Documentation Phoenix LiveView Documentation Phoenix Framework Guides Happy coding with Ash framework!

In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, it's essential to keep our tools lean, efficient, and up-to-date. We're excited to share the latest updates to phx.tools, the complete development environment for Elixir and Phoenix. If you’ve been following our journey since the initial release (as documented in our previous blog post), you’ll appreciate the enhancements we've made to streamline and modernize the toolset. Removal of Unnecessary Software One of the primary goals of this update was to eliminate any bloatware that didn’t contribute directly to the development workflow. We took a closer look at the included software packages and some of the removed packages are: Chrome and Chromedriver: While these tools are useful in some contexts, they aren't always needed for the Elixir and Phoenix development tasks. By removing them, we've reduced the overall footprint of phx.tools, making it more efficient and less resource-intensive. Docker: Docker is a powerful tool, but it’s not a necessity for all developers. Recognizing that not every project requires containerization, we’ve removed Docker to simplify the environment. Developers who need it can still easily install it separately. Node.js: Node.js is a powerful tool, but it’s not a necessity for all Phoenix projects. Recognizing that not every project requires Node.js, we’ve removed it to simplify the environment. Developers who need it can still easily install it separately. These removals not only slim down the installation but also reduce potential security vulnerabilities and maintenance overhead. Updated Software Versions In addition, all the remaining software has been updated to their latest versions. This ensures you have access to the most recent features and improvements, providing a more robust and up-to-date development setup. mise: A Superior Replacement for asdf In this update, we've also replaced asdf with mise as our tool for managing language and package versions. Mise, available at mise.jdx.dev, offers a more streamlined and efficient experience compared to asdf. Performance: Mise is optimized for speed, significantly reducing the time it takes to switch between versions of Elixir, Erlang, or other tools. It also installs multiple tools in parallel. This performance boost helps you maintain your flow without the delays often encountered with asdf. Simplicity: Mise has a more intuitive setup and fewer dependencies, making it easier to configure and use. Unlike asdf, which often requires additional tools like direnv to manage environment variables, mise natively reads your .env file, eliminating the need for external software and simplifying your workflow. Erlang Build Support: When building Erlang, mise automatically takes into account your ~/.kerlrc configuration file, ensuring that your custom settings are applied seamlessly. By adopting mise, we've made phx.tools faster and more user-friendly, ensuring that you have the best possible tools at your disposal. Shell Flexibility Perhaps the most user-friendly update is the change in how we handle shell environments. Previously, we "forced" users to adopt the Zsh shell. While Zsh offers many powerful features, we recognized that forcing a specific shell setup could disrupt developers who were accustomed to their existing environments. phx.tools now automatically detects your current shell configuration and uses it, whether you’re working with Bash or Zsh. This change ensures a smoother, more personalized experience, allowing you to work in the environment you’re most comfortable with. Conclusion The latest update to phx.tools represents our commitment to creating a streamlined, up-to-date, and user-friendly development environment. By removing unnecessary software, updating the remaining tools, and introducing shell flexibility, we’ve made phx.tools more efficient and adaptable to your needs. We’re excited to see how these changes enhance your development experience. As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to continuing to evolve phx.tools to meet the needs of the Elixir community. Stay tuned for more updates, and happy coding!

In the Elixir DevOps blog post series we wrote about our development workflows and the infrastructure facilitating them. Those are the tools we reach for on most of the projects. Fly.io is our platform of choice, but even when we’re not the ones making that decision, we at least set up the continuous integration the way we described in the Optimum Elixir CI with GitHub Actions. There are many moving pieces involved in the infrastructure setup, which can incur a great cost in terms of developer hours, even if following along our blog post series. As a small business owner, development team lead, or anyone involved in decision-making, you’ll have a tough time justifying money spent on developers reinventing the wheel which is a CI/CD pipeline and other aspects of infrastructure setup versus taking an off-the-shelf solution. We didn’t want to do this manually on all our projects, so we created a generator that simplifies the process greatly. And now we offer that to everyone else, too. We target startups and small businesses that don’t yet require a huge infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud, Terraform, Kubernetes, custom setup on bare metal, you name it). Even if you’re already on Kubernetes, maybe you should reconsider whether it’s appropriate for your needs and your scale.   Anyway, the generator serves as a glue between different tools we covered in the blog post series: Optimum CI with a revolutionary yet simple caching strategy automatic deployment to the staging server on Fly.io on merge automatic creation of preview apps on Fly.io on PR creation and updates config for the production server on Fly.io   Plus: AppSignal configuration health check mise setup   Whether you’re working on an existing app, or a completely new one, we got you. Both plain Elixir and Phoenix apps are supported with different feature sets.   If you’re working on an Elixir app without Phoenix you get: mise config (.tool-versions file, reading env variables from .env file) local code checks (compilation warnings, Credo, Dialyzer, dependencies audit, Sobelow, Prettier formatting, Elixir formatting, tests, and coverage) CI on GitHub Actions docs release setup   If you’re working on a Phoenix app, on top of that, you get: health checks AppSignal configuration Dockerfile for environments on Fly.io preview, staging, and production environments config for Fly.io CI and CD on GitHub Actions setup for preview apps and staging deployment   We offer all of this at a predictable, streamlined pricing. The regular price is $499, but for a limited time only, you can get it for $299 $399. Buy it once and run it as many times as you want on any project that you want. We support both plain Elixir and Phoenix apps. Running the generator in Elixir apps sets up mise and CI (locally and on GitHub), while for Phoenix apps it additionally set up CD. Visit hex.codecodeship.com/package/optimum_gen_infra to get started.