Yacht

Yacht is an application configuration gem that lets you define settings for multiple environments in YAML files. It is similar to AppConfig with additional features like:

  • use of ClassyStruct for improved performance over OpenStruct

  • protection of sensitive settings by specifying a whitelist in a YAML file

  • easy override of nested keys (not pretty with YAML references)

  • no need for an initializer or constant to store loaded values (just use Yacht.my_key)

Installation

  • Rails: Add this to your Gemfile and run the bundle command.

    gem "yacht"
    
  • Outside of rails, just require the gem as usual:

    require 'rubygems'
    require 'yacht'
    

Getting Started

Step 1: YAML files

First create two (or more) YAML files in the same directory to define your settings:

# config/yacht/base.yml (required)
production:
  cdn_host: 1.2.3.4
  super_secret_info:
    aws_key: foofoo
    twitter_key: barbar
test:
  cdn_host: localhost
  super_secret_info:
    # you can safely overwrite a single value in a nested key
    # YAML references (& and *) don't let you do this
    #   see https://gist.github.com/979804 for an explanation
    aws_key: bazbaz

# config/yacht/whitelist.yml (required)
# any keys specified here can be used as a whitelist filter:
#   Yacht::Loader.to_hash(:apply_whitelist? => true)
#   or
#   Yacht::Loader.to_classy_struct(:apply_whitelist? => true)
#   (by default the whitelist is ignored)
# NOTE: the whitelist is ignored when using Yacht.my_key or Yacht['my_key']
#       you have to use Yacht::Loader#to_hash or
#       Yacht::Loader#to_classy_struct to use the whitelist
- super_secret_info

# config/yacht/local.yml (optional)
# any values set in local.yml will override values set in base.yml
# useful for development and testing
production:
  cdn_host: localhost

Step 2: Use Yacht.my_key or Yacht

  • Rails:

    # now you can access any key set in your YAML files with:
    #   Yacht.my_key
    
  • Outside of rails, you need to tell Yacht where your YAML files are stored, and what environment you want to use.

    Yacht::Loader.dir          = '/path/to/YAML/dir'
    Yacht::Loader.environment  = 'my_environment'
    Yacht.my_key
    

License

Yacht is licensed under the MIT License with one addition: The Software shall be used for Good, not Evil.