How to put and autoload POROs under app/components directory

[hachi8833]

I've been wondering how to create ViewComponent-specific POROs and autoload it (without namespaces if possible).

I found the following component for RailsDev.com:

# https://github.com/joemasilotti/railsdevs.com/blob/main/app/components/nav_bar/base_component.rb
module NavBar
  class BaseComponent < ApplicationComponent
    private attr_reader :user

    def initialize(user)
      @user = user
    end

    def component
      if user.present?
        NavBar::UserComponent.new(user, links:)
      else
        NavBar::GuestComponent.new(links:)
      end
    end

    private

    def links
      links = []
      links << Link.new(t(".home"), root_path) if helpers.turbo_native_app?
      links << Link.new(t(".developers"), developers_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".pricing"), pricing_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".about"), about_path)
      links
    end
  end
end

I got a bit amazed with the fact that the Link class is under app/models:

# https://github.com/joemasilotti/railsdevs.com/blob/main/app/models/link.rb
Link = Struct.new(:title, :path)

I tried moving the Link class to the NavBar module, and it did not work:

module NavBar
  class BaseComponent < ApplicationComponent
    private attr_reader :user

    def initialize(user)
      @user = user
    end

    def component
      if user.present?
        NavBar::UserComponent.new(user, links:)
      else
        NavBar::GuestComponent.new(links:)
      end
    end

    private

    def links
      links = []
      links << Link.new(t(".home"), root_path) if helpers.turbo_native_app?
      links << Link.new(t(".developers"), developers_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".pricing"), pricing_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".about"), about_path)
      links
    end
  end

  class Link # not working
    Link = Struct.new(:title, :path)
  end
end

Does it mean that we have no way to put and autoload POROs under app/components?
I'd like to know the "official way" to do that.

[hachi8833]

I got the solution: https://viewcomponent.org/guide/slots.html#rendering-collections

[Spone]

Yes, slots are definitely intended for this use case.

To reply to the original question, you're free to define your Link class either in app/models/link.rb or another app subfolder (if it's reused between components) or directly in your component class (in which case it will be namespaced NavBar::BaseComponent::Link).

[hachi8833]

Thank you for the comment!

Well, now I have an idea that using Data.define is much better than Link = Struct.new(:title, :path)

...
    private

    Link = Data.define(:title, :path)

    def links
      links = []
      links << Link.new(t(".home"), root_path) if helpers.turbo_native_app?
      links << Link.new(t(".developers"), developers_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".pricing"), pricing_path)
      links << Link.new(t(".about"), about_path)
      links
    end
  end