If the else branch of a conditional consists solely of an if node, it can be combined with the else to become an elsif. This helps to keep the nesting level from getting too deep.

Example:

# bad
if condition_a
  action_a
else
  if condition_b
    action_b
  else
    action_c
  end
end

# good
if condition_a
  action_a
elsif condition_b
  action_b
else
  action_c
end

This cop checks for the use of output safety calls like htmlsafe, raw, and safeconcat. These methods do not escape content. They simply return a SafeBuffer containing the content as is. Instead, use safe_join to join content and escape it and concat to concatenate content and escape it, ensuring its safety.

Example:

user_content = "hi"

# bad
"
#{user_content}
".html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
hi
"

# good
content_tag(:p, user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
<b>hi</b>
"

# bad
out = ""
out << "
#{user_content}
"
out << "
#{user_content}
"
out.html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
hi
hi
"

# good
out = []
out << content_tag(:li, user_content)
out << content_tag(:li, user_content)
safe_join(out)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "
<b>hi</b>
<b>hi</b>
"

# bad
out = "
trusted content
".html_safe
out.safe_concat(user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
trusted_content
hi"

# good
out = "
trusted content
".html_safe
out.concat(user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "
trusted_content
<b>hi</b>"

# safe, though maybe not good style
out = "trusted content"
result = out.concat(user_content)
# => String "trusted contenthi"
# because when rendered in ERB the String will be escaped:
# <%= result %>
# => trusted content<b>hi</b>

# bad
(user_content + " " + content_tag(:span, user_content)).html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "hi <span><b>hi</b></span>"

# good
safe_join([user_content, " ", content_tag(:span, user_content)])
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "<b>hi</b> <span>&lt;b&gt;hi&lt;/b&gt;</span>"

This cop checks for the use of output safety calls like htmlsafe, raw, and safeconcat. These methods do not escape content. They simply return a SafeBuffer containing the content as is. Instead, use safe_join to join content and escape it and concat to concatenate content and escape it, ensuring its safety.

Example:

user_content = "hi"

# bad
"
#{user_content}
".html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
hi
"

# good
content_tag(:p, user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
<b>hi</b>
"

# bad
out = ""
out << "
#{user_content}
"
out << "
#{user_content}
"
out.html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
hi
hi
"

# good
out = []
out << content_tag(:li, user_content)
out << content_tag(:li, user_content)
safe_join(out)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "
<b>hi</b>
<b>hi</b>
"

# bad
out = "
trusted content
".html_safe
out.safe_concat(user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "
trusted_content
hi"

# good
out = "
trusted content
".html_safe
out.concat(user_content)
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "
trusted_content
<b>hi</b>"

# safe, though maybe not good style
out = "trusted content"
result = out.concat(user_content)
# => String "trusted contenthi"
# because when rendered in ERB the String will be escaped:
# <%= result %>
# => trusted content<b>hi</b>

# bad
(user_content + " " + content_tag(:span, user_content)).html_safe
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer "hi <span><b>hi</b></span>"

# good
safe_join([user_content, " ", content_tag(:span, user_content)])
# => ActiveSupport::SafeBuffer
#    "<b>hi</b> <span>&lt;b&gt;hi&lt;/b&gt;</span>"

Use a guard clause instead of wrapping the code inside a conditional expression

Example:

# bad
def test
  if something
    work
  end
end

# good
def test
  return unless something
  work
end

# also good
def test
  work if something
end

# bad
if something
  raise 'exception'
else
  ok
end

# good
raise 'exception' if something
ok

This cop looks for has(one|many) and belongsto associations where ActiveRecord can't automatically determine the inverse association because of a scope or the options used. This can result in unnecessary queries in some circumstances. :inverse_of must be manually specified for associations to work in both ways, or set to false to opt-out.

Example:

# good
class Blog < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :posts
end

class Post < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :blog
end

Example:

# bad
class Blog < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :posts, -> { order(published_at: :desc) }
end

class Post < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :blog
end

# good
class Blog < ApplicationRecord
  has_many(:posts,
    -> { order(published_at: :desc) },
    inverse_of: :blog
  )
end

class Post < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :blog
end

# good
class Blog < ApplicationRecord
  with_options inverse_of: :blog do
    has_many :posts, -> { order(published_at: :desc) }
  end
end

class Post < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :blog
end

Example:

# bad
class Picture < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :imageable, polymorphic: true
end

class Employee < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :pictures, as: :imageable
end

class Product < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :pictures, as: :imageable
end

# good
class Picture < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :imageable, polymorphic: true
end

class Employee < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :pictures, as: :imageable, inverse_of: :imageable
end

class Product < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :pictures, as: :imageable, inverse_of: :imageable
end

Example:

# bad
# However, RuboCop can not detect this pattern...
class Physician < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :appointments
  has_many :patients, through: :appointments
end

class Appointment < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :physician
  belongs_to :patient
end

class Patient < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :appointments
  has_many :physicians, through: :appointments
end

# good
class Physician < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :appointments
  has_many :patients, through: :appointments
end

class Appointment < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :physician, inverse_of: :appointments
  belongs_to :patient, inverse_of: :appointments
end

class Patient < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :appointments
  has_many :physicians, through: :appointments
end

@see http://guides.rubyonrails.org/association_basics.html#bi-directional-associations @see http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html#module-ActiveRecord::Associations::ClassMethods-label-Setting+Inverses

This cop checks for implicit string concatenation of string literals which are on the same line.

Example:

# bad

array = ['Item 1' 'Item 2']

Example:

# good

array = ['Item 1Item 2']
array = ['Item 1' + 'Item 2']
array = [
  'Item 1' \
  'Item 2'
]

This cop checks for uses of DateTime that should be replaced by Date or Time.

Example:

# bad - uses `DateTime` for current time
DateTime.now

# good - uses `Time` for current time
Time.now

# bad - uses `DateTime` for modern date
DateTime.iso8601('2016-06-29')

# good - uses `Date` for modern date
Date.iso8601('2016-06-29')

# good - uses `DateTime` with start argument for historical date
DateTime.iso8601('1751-04-23', Date::ENGLAND)

This cop looks for uses of the for keyword, or each method. The preferred alternative is set in the EnforcedStyle configuration parameter. An each call with a block on a single line is always allowed, however.

This cop looks for uses of the for keyword, or each method. The preferred alternative is set in the EnforcedStyle configuration parameter. An each call with a block on a single line is always allowed, however.

This cop is used to identify usages of where.first and change them to use find_by instead.

Example:

# bad
User.where(name: 'Bruce').first
User.where(name: 'Bruce').take

# good
User.find_by(name: 'Bruce')

This cop checks for optional arguments to methods that do not come at the end of the argument list

Example:

# bad
def foo(a = 1, b, c)
end

# good
def baz(a, b, c = 1)
end

def foobar(a = 1, b = 2, c = 3)
end

This cop makes sure that accessor methods are named properly.

Example:

# bad
def set_attribute(value)
end

# good
def attribute=(value)
end

# bad
def get_attribute
end

# good
def attribute
end

This cop looks for has_many or has_one associations that don't specify a :dependent option. It doesn't register an offense if :through option was specified.

Example:

# bad
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_many :comments
  has_one :avatar
end

# good
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_many :comments, dependent: :restrict_with_exception
  has_one :avatar, dependent: :destroy
  has_many :patients, through: :appointments
end

This cop checks for extra/unnecessary whitespace.

Example:

# good if AllowForAlignment is true
name      = "RuboCop"
# Some comment and an empty line

website  += "/bbatsov/rubocop" unless cond
puts        "rubocop"          if     debug

# bad for any configuration
set_app("RuboCop")
website  = "https://github.com/bbatsov/rubocop"

This cop checks for every useless assignment to local variable in every scope. The basic idea for this cop was from the warning of ruby -cw:

assigned but unused variable - foo

Currently this cop has advanced logic that detects unreferenced reassignments and properly handles varied cases such as branch, loop, rescue, ensure, etc.

Example:

# bad

def some_method
  some_var = 1
  do_something
end

Example:

# good

def some_method
  some_var = 1
  do_something(some_var)
end

This cop checks for uses of DateTime that should be replaced by Date or Time.

Example:

# bad - uses `DateTime` for current time
DateTime.now

# good - uses `Time` for current time
Time.now

# bad - uses `DateTime` for modern date
DateTime.iso8601('2016-06-29')

# good - uses `Date` for modern date
Date.iso8601('2016-06-29')

# good - uses `DateTime` with start argument for historical date
DateTime.iso8601('1751-04-23', Date::ENGLAND)

This cop is used to identify usages of where.first and change them to use find_by instead.

Example:

# bad
User.where(name: 'Bruce').first
User.where(name: 'Bruce').take

# good
User.find_by(name: 'Bruce')