I’m working on a Rails project to create an online store. I’ve looked into gems like Spree but I’m not sure if they’ll cover all my needs. Here’s what I want the store to do:
- Let customers search by price, brand, product name, and other filters
- Give companies their own accounts to add and edit products
- Allow users to create accounts and make purchases
- Provide a dedicated staff panel for managing new orders and monitoring activities
Has anyone built something similar before? What gems would you recommend? If one main gem is used, how challenging is it to incorporate features like company profiles and an admin dashboard?
I’m still learning about large Rails projects, so I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks!
I’ve actually tackled a similar project recently. While Spree is powerful, I found it a bit restrictive for some custom features. Instead, I’d recommend a more modular approach.
For search functionality, Elasticsearch with the Searchkick gem works wonders. It’s highly customizable and handles complex filters well.
Devise is great for user authentication, including separate company accounts. You can extend it with CanCanCan for role-based permissions.
For the product catalog and order management, consider building custom models. It gives you more control and isn’t as complex as it might seem.
For the admin panel, ActiveAdmin or RailsAdmin are solid choices. They’re quite extensible and can be customized to fit your specific needs.
Remember, integrating these components takes time, but it offers much more flexibility than an all-in-one solution. Good luck with your project!
hey there! i’ve done smthin similar. instead of spree, try using separate gems. Searchkick for filtering, Devise for user stuff, and maybe ActiveAdmin for the dashboard. it’s a bit more work, but you’ll have way more control over everything. good luck with ur project!