Writing routes

Skill chrisrackstallion/pitchd-rails-cursor-plugin/skills/writing-routes

Declare Rails routes in DHH/37signals style — REST-first resources, shallow nesting, clear path helpers, constraints for wiring not auth, boring routes.rb. Use when editing config/routes.rb, adding resources, namespaces, member/collection routes, API boundaries, or when the user mentions routing, rails routes, paths, or URL design.From its SKILL.md

Install

npx -y skills add chrisrackstallion/pitchd-rails-cursor-plugin --skill writing-routes

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One thing to look at

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SKILL.md

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Writing Rails Routes

<objective> Shape URLs and `config/routes.rb` so they read like a table of contents: REST as default, shallow nesting where parents scope identity, member vs collection used correctly, constraints for real routing predicates only, and no clever meta-programming that hides the map of the app. Follow DHH/37signals instincts — boring routes, predictable helpers, monolith-friendly clarity. </objective>

Process

1. Determine What You're Building

Task	Action
New resource	Read `references/patterns.md` § REST Resources
Nested routes	Read `references/patterns.md` § Shallow Nesting
Custom action / verb on URL	Read `references/patterns.md` § Custom Actions vs New Resources; align with writing-controllers REST mapping
Singleton (`session`, `account`)	Read `references/patterns.md` § Singleton `resource`
API namespace	Read `references/patterns.md` § API vs HTML
Format / host / subdomain	Read `references/patterns.md` § Constraints
Redirects and legacy URLs	Read `references/patterns.md` § Redirects
Code review	Read all references, run PR checklist below

2. Decision Hints

Should this be nested? Nest when the child does not make sense without the parent in the URL for index / create. Use shallow: true so member routes drop the parent prefix.

Member or collection? One record → member; the collection → collection. Otherwise consider index with query params or a new resource.

Non-RESTful route? Allowed when rare, named, and honest — not as a junk drawer. Prefer new resources + CRUD (see writing-controllers) when the custom verb keeps multiplying.

3. Verification

Before finishing, verify:

rails routes output is scannable — no unexplained duplication of huge blocks
Nesting is at most one parent deep for member routes, or shallowing is used
only / except match real controller actions
Path helpers read clearly in views (*_path / *_url — no ambiguous names)
constraints are for format/host/subdomain — not user permissions
No meta-programmed route tables that obscure rails routes
Custom routes are justified in a comment or PR (why not standard REST?)

References

For examples, edge cases, and testing notes, see references/patterns.md.