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Upgrade guide ​

We'll update this page when we release new Avo 3 versions.

If you're looking for the Avo 2 to Avo 3 upgrade guide, please visit the dedicated page.

Upgrade to 3.18.0 ​

read_only and disabled options on has_one fields

The read_only and disabled options were interfering with the rendering of attach/create buttons on has_one fields, while leaving other association fields like has_many unaffected. To preserve consistency, these options have been excised from the attach/create functionality. The attach/create operations are now controlled exclusively by authorization.

Breaking Changes ​

  • The read_only and disabled options no longer influence the behavior of has_one fields.
  • Attach/create actions are now controlled solely via authorization. For further details, refer to:

Steps to Update ​

Please search for all has_one fields that still utilize the read_only or disabled options and update them with the appropriate authorization methods as outlined above.

Avo's mounting point update

We have refactored how Avo and its engines are mounted, eliminating the need for options like mount_avo_engines and custom engine mounting via Avo.mount_engines.

As a result, both mount_avo_engines and Avo.mount_engines are now obsolete. The new mounting approach simplifies integration and removes the need for custom logic.

Breaking Change ​

  • mount_avo_engines and Avo.mount_engines are obsolete and should no longer be used.
  • Replace Avo mounting point with the new mount_avo approach.

Steps to Update ​

  1. Remove all references to mount_avo_engines and Avo.mount_engines from your application.
  2. Update your routes.rb file by replacing:
    • mount Avo::Engine, at: Avo.configuration.root_path → with → mount_avo
    • If using a custom path (mount Avo::Engine, at: "custom/path"), replace it with mount_avo at: "custom/path"

By following these steps, your application will be fully compatible with the new mounting strategy.

ruby
# config/routes.rb
Rails.application.routes.draw do
  mount Avo::Engine, at: Avo.configuration.root_path
  mount_avo 
end
ruby
# config/routes.rb
Rails.application.routes.draw do
  mount Avo::Engine, at: "custom/path"
  mount_avo at: "custom/path"
end

Preview Policy

As of 3.18.0, a new policy method is available: preview?.

This method determines whether a preview request is authorized.

Breaking Change: Previously, the preview endpoint was always authorized. Now, access is denied unless the preview? policy method explicitly returns true.

Steps to Update ​

To maintain the previous behavior of preview fields, add the preview? method returning true in your base policy class:

ruby
# app/policies/application_policy.rb
class ApplicationPolicy
  def preview? = true
end

You can now refine this method to restrict access for specific users or even default it to false. The example above simply ensures that behavior remains unchanged after upgrading.

Deprecation of row

The row DSL has been available but undocumented for some time. As of 3.18.0, it has been officially deprecated in favor of cluster, which is now properly documented here.

Steps to Update ​

Replace all row do with cluster do.

ruby
# app/avo/resources/user.rb
class Avo::Resources::Person < Avo::BaseResource
  def fields
    panel "Address" do
      row do
      cluster do
        field :street_address, stacked: true do
          "1234 Elm Street"
        end

        field :city, stacked: true do
          "Los Angeles"
        end

        field :zip_code, stacked: true do
          "15234"
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

Upgrade from 3.16.2 to 3.16.3 ​

Row controls configuration

This release introduces a breaking change to the way resource row controls configuration is handled. If you previously customized row controls placement, you'll need to update your configurations to match the new API.

What changed? ​

The previous configuration methods have been replaced with a new structure to provide better flexibility and consistency.

Previous configuration (obsolete) ​

Global configuration:

ruby
# config/initializers/avo.rb
Avo.configure do |config|
  config.resource_controls_placement = :left
end

Resource configuration:

ruby
# app/avo/resources/user.rb
class Avo::Resources::User < Avo::BaseResource
  self.controls_placement = :left
end

New configuration ​

Global configuration:

ruby
# config/initializers/avo.rb
Avo.configure do |config|
  config.resource_row_controls_config = {
    placement: :left,
  }
end

Resource configuration:

ruby
# app/avo/resources/user.rb
class Avo::Resources::User < Avo::BaseResource
  self.row_controls_config = {
    placement: :left,
  }
end

Associations Fields Structural Updates

We've introduced enhancements and adjustments to the association fields (has_many, has_and_belongs_to_many, etc.) to improve functionality, maintainability, and consistency. While these changes are not breaking, it's important to be aware of the following:

  • Customizations & Monkey Patches: If you've implemented any monkey patches or custom overrides for association fields or their related classes, ensure these customizations still function as intended.
  • Impact Areas: These adjustments might affect areas where the internal structure or behavior of association fields was previously relied upon. Although core functionality remains intact, custom modifications may require a review.

Recommended Actions:

  • Audit any custom patches or overrides tied to association fields.
  • Test the relevant functionality in your project after upgrading.

For additional context and technical details, refer to the related pull request: #3469.

Upgrade from 3.16.1 to 3.16.2 ​

markdown renamed to easy_mde

We added a new GitHub-inspired markdown field which supports ActiveStorage and gives us better control over the whole experience.

This lead to us renaming the old markdown field to easy_mde and naming this new one markdown. If you'd like your app to work the same as before, rename all your :markdown field to :easy_mde. Otherwise leave them like that and enjoy the new field.

Upgrade from 3.15.3 to 3.15.4 ​

The config.cache_resource_filters option is now obsolete and has been replaced with config.persistence. If you previously had:

ruby
config.cache_resource_filters = true

You should update your configuration to:

ruby
config.persistence = { driver: :session }

This updated setting preserves the same behavior, ensuring resource filters and association pagination states persist across requests for a consistent user experience. For additional details, refer to the persistence documentation.

Persistent Pagination Behavior ​

By default, pagination settings for associations are no longer stored in the session. If your application requires persistent pagination, you must explicitly enable the persistence configuration:

ruby
Avo.configure do |config|
  config.persistence = { driver: :session }
end

WARNING

Important: When enabling this feature, it is strongly recommended to update the session store to avoid potential cookie overflow errors. The default Rails cookie store has a size limit of 4096 bytes, and persisting multiple pagination states or filters can exceed this limit. For more information, refer to the persistence configuration documentation.

Upgrade from 3.14.0 to 3.14.1 ​

We’ve introduced the associations_lookup_list_limit configuration option to prevent crashing when listing associations on large collections. The new default limit is set to a 1000 records.

ruby
config.associations_lookup_list_limit = 1000

Upgrade from 3.13.6 to 3.13.7 ​

The implicit_authorization option has been renamed to explicit_authorization to better align with the feature's functionality. The underlying logic remains unchanged, so you only need to perform a rename if you're already using it.

ruby
config.implicit_authorization = true
config.explicit_authorization = true

Upgrade from 3.13.3 to 3.13.4 ​

implicit_authorization

Option Renamed

Since v3.13.7 this option was renamed to explicit_authorization.

We’ve introduced the implicit_authorization configuration option to enhance the security of your applications. This option allows you to define how missing policy classes or methods are handled. When set to true, any action without an explicitly defined policy will automatically be denied, ensuring that unprotected actions are not unintentionally accessible. This new behavior offers a more secure approach for authorization.

For new applications, implicit_authorization is enabled by default, but existing applications will retain the legacy behavior (false), allowing missing policies or methods to authorize actions. We encourage you to adopt this new setting by enabling implicit_authorization, as it provides greater control over your authorization flow and reduces the risk of unauthorized access due to missing policies. Before enabling it, be sure to review your policy classes to ensure all necessary methods are defined, preventing any unintended access restrictions.

We highly recommend taking a moment to read through the entire implicit_authorization documentation section before making any changes. Understanding this feature is crucial to ensuring your application's security and functionality, so don’t skip it!

Upgrade from 3.11.7 to 3.11.8 ​

Dynamic filters query

Since v3.11.8 the default filtering system is no longer applied when a query is specified on a dynamic filter.

Upgrade from 3.10.10 to 3.11.3 ​

Unexpected behavior

Between versions 3.10.10 and 3.11.2 you might encounter some unexpected behavior, such as issues with applying dynamic filters or duplicated flash messages. This occurs specifically when the cookie that stores the sidebar status (open/close) is missing.

However, if the browser already has this cookie from a previous interaction, the issue does not occur.This issue is resolved Since v3.11.3, so we recommend updating directly to that version.

Upgrade from 3.10.9 to 3.10.10 ​

Array filter

Custom dynamic filter type array was duplicated and is now obsolete in favor of tags.

ruby
def filters
  dynamic_filter :the_filter,
    type: :array
    type: :tags

Upgrade from 3.10.6 to 3.10.7 ​

Boolean field

In versions lower than 3.10.6, boolean fields with a nil value were represented by a red X, which could be misleading. Since v3.10.7 when a boolean field has a nil value, it is displayed with a dash (—) instead of a red X.

Upgrade from 3.10 to 3.11 ​

Actions no longer need to be registered inside actions method ​

Actions inside customizable blocks no longer need to be declared in the actions method.

ruby
# Before

class Avo::Resources::Fish < Avo::BaseResource
  self.title = :name

  self.show_controls = -> do
    # In order to use it here
    action Avo::Actions::ReleaseFish, style: :primary, color: :fuchsia, arguments: {
      action_on_show_controls: "Will use this arguments"
    }
  end

  # 👇 Also declare it here 👇
  def actions
    action Avo::Actions::ReleaseFish, style: :primary, color: :fuchsia, arguments: {
      action_on_show_controls: "Will use this arguments"
    }
  end
end

# After

class Avo::Resources::Fish < Avo::BaseResource
  self.title = :name

  self.show_controls = -> do
    # In order to use it here
    action Avo::Actions::ReleaseFish, style: :primary, color: :fuchsia, arguments: {
      action_on_show_controls: "Will use this arguments"
    }
  end

  # 👇 No need to declare it here 👇
  def actions
  end
end

Upgrade from 3.9.2 to 3.10 ​

Deprecated fetch_labels option in favor of format_using on tags field.

Upgrade from 3.9.1 to 3.9.2 ​

We tweaked the way locales and i18n work with Avo. In theory nothing should change in your setup, but please read the guide once more to see how it works.

Upgrade from 3.7.4 to 3.9.1 ​

Update to Rails 7.2 or greater

Rails 7.1 has a bug (explanation) which would break path helpers for nested mounted engines.

Steps to update ​

  1. Update avo, avo-pro, or avo-advanced to version 3.9.1
  2. Update rails to at least 7.2.0.beta2 (or greater when available)
  3. Run bundle update rails avo-advanced
ruby
# Gemfile

# Use Rails 7.2 or greater
gem "rails", ">= 7.2.0.beta2"

# or

# You can also run off `main`
gem "rails", github: "rails/rails", branch: "main"

# Update Avo
gem "avo-advanced", ">= 3.9.1"

# Use `ransack` version `4.2.0` for searching
gem "ransack", ">= 4.2.0"

# This version of acts-as-taggable-on is compatible with
# Follow this PR to get the fix in the library
# https://github.com/mbleigh/acts-as-taggable-on/pull/1126
gem "acts-as-taggable-on", github: "avo-hq/acts-as-taggable-on"
bash
bundle update rails avo-advanced

Skip versions 3.8.x and 3.9.0 ​

From Avo 3.7.4 you should update straight to 3.9.1. The other intermediary versions introduced a bug when we tried to improve support for Rails 7.1+

More on that on this issue.

Upgrade from 3.6.1 to 3.6.2 ​

Cache

From version 3.6.1 to version 3.6.2 table cache logic suffered some changes. Old cached table may break with this change, we recommend to clear cache on production after upgrade (Rails.cache.clear).

Versions 3.6.2 / 3.6.3 have some issues around cache, we recommend to upgrade directly to 3.6.4.

Upgrade from 3.5.4 to 3.5.5 ​

Record errors

With version 3.5.5 we introduced a stricter error check. Now when the record has any error attached the save action will fail automatically. This allow you to do things like:

ruby
before_update do
  if validation_fail?
    errors.add(:field_id, "Error message")
  end
end

Upgrade from 3.4.2 to 3.4.3 ​

turbo configuration

In version 3.4.2 we introduced turbo configuration with instantclick option. We decided that instant_click is a more appropriate name.

ruby
config.turbo = {
  instantclick: true
  instant_click: true
}

Upgrade from 3.4.1 to 3.4.2 ​

Basic Filters URL param changed to encoded_filters

When we added the Dynamic Filters feature, by mistake we introduced a bug where you couldn't use the Basic and Dynamic Filters together because they are both using the filters URL param.

This is not what we intended.

To fix this we are changing the URL param of the Basic Filters from filters to encoded_filters so now you can have a URL with both filters.

md
# Before
https://example.com/avo/resources/users?filters[first_name][contains][]=Jason&page=1&filters=eyJBdm86OkZpbHRlcnM6OklzQWRtaW4iOlsiYWRtaW5zIl19

# After
https://example.com/avo/resources/users?filters[first_name][contains][]=Jason&page=1&encoded_filters=eyJBdm86OkZpbHRlcnM6OklzQWRtaW4iOlsiYWRtaW5zIl19

What to do? ​

If you have hardcoded links where you reference the filters param, change that to encoded_filters. These links might be in Tools, Resource Tools, Menu Items, or regular view partials (yes, basically anywhere you might have added them 🫤).

A quick search through your codebase should reveal them.

Add active_record_extended gem to your Gemfile

In order to extend Avo's filtering capabilities for arrays and tags fields, we use the active_record_extended gem.

This gem uses postgres and was breaking for those who use any other database like sqlite.

If you want to keep Contained in option on arrays and tags filters you should include the active_record_extended gem to your Gemfile.

Multiple action flux

First iteration of multiple action flux was using redirect_to with turbo_frame: "actions_show". With the update to turbo 8 the redirect was giving some troubles and we decided that is time to improve this experience with a proper response type, navigate_to_action.

If you have a multiple action flux implemented with redirect_to you should change it to navigate_to_action.

Action link_arguments method handles the arguments encoding and encryption internally now so you only need to pass the arguments as a hash and the returned path will already include the encoded arguments.

ruby
field :name,
  as: :text,
  filterable: true,
  name: "name (click to edit)",
  only_on: :index do

  arguments = Base64.encode64 Avo::Services::EncryptionService.encrypt( 
    message: {                                                          
      cities: Array[resource.record.id],                                
      render_name: true
    },                                                                  
    purpose: :action_arguments
  )                                                                     

  arguments = {                                                         
    cities: Array[resource.record.id],                                  
    render_name: true
  }                                                                     

  path, data = Avo::Actions::City::Update.link_arguments(
    resource: resource,
    arguments: arguments
  )

  link_to resource.record.name, path, data: data
end

resource.record or record as nil on visibility blocks

You may notice that resource.record == nil on some visibility blocks. That happens when evaluating the field visibility to render header columns. On index, there is no record.

This is a consequence of a bug fix where resource.record was wrongly storing the last record of the index table.

Check this discussion for more details

Upgrade from 3.3.0 to 3.4.0 ​

Ruby 3.0 is end-of-life and we pushed some code that only works with Ruby 3.1.

Upgrade from 3.2.2 to 3.3.0 ​

may_download_file deprecated

Actions now fully operate with turbo leading to the deprecation of may_download_file option. It can be safely removed from all actions.

Status field failed_when and loading_when default to and empty array

We found some issues with declaring defaults to failed_when and loading_when field options so we are now defaulting them to empty arrays.

If you need that behavior back, add it to your fields.

ruby
field :status,
  as: :status,
  failed_when: [:failed],
  loading_when: [:waiting, :running]

Scopes namespace change

Scopes changed namespace from Avo::Pro::Scopes to Avo::Advanced::Scopes.

TailwindCSS integration

The symlink generated by avo:sym_link task was renamed from tmp/avo/base.css to tmp/avo/avo.base.css. If your application has the TailwindCSS integration generated before Avo 3.3.0 you should replace @import '../../../../tmp/avo/base.css'; with '../../../../tmp/avo/avo.base.css'; in app/assets/stylesheets/avo/avo.tailwind.css.

css
/* app/assets/stylesheets/avo/avo.tailwind.css */

@import '../../../../tmp/avo/base.css'; // [!code --]
@import '../../../../tmp/avo/avo.base.css';

Upgrade from 3.1.3 to 3.1.4 ​

Avo::Filters::BaseFilter.decode_filters

We removed the rescue that would return {} on parsing error. This rescue block was occasionally concealing pertinent errors. Ensure that when invoking Avo::Filters::BaseFilter.decode_filters the argument is not nil and has been encoded using the Avo::Filters::BaseFilter.encode_filters method.

Upgrade from 3.0.1.beta24 to 3.0.2 ​

We introduced the main_panel option and also refactored the way that fields are fetched from the resource, now we allow multiple sidebars per panel but each sidebar should be defined inside a panel or main_panel block.

We suggest to read panels and sidebars sections for more information and to be aware of the new possibilities.

Dashboards visibility and authorization

Previously, if the visible attribute was set to false on dashboards, visiting them was impossible because the controller would trigger a "Not found" error. In cases where authorize returned false, the controller would block access but still keep the dashboard visible.

This behavior has been enhanced. Now, even if visible is set to false, the dashboard remains accessible but won't appear in the menu. Additionally, if authorize returns false, the dashboards are now hidden.

Actions

We've internally implemented some changes around actions to resolve certain bugs. No action is needed from your end, but if you happen to notice any anomalies in the actions flow, please get in touch with us so we can address them promptly. Thank you.

Attachments eager load

Attachments are no longer automatically eager loading. If you want to eager load attachments there are at least two ways:

Use self.includes option ​

ruby
class Avo::Resources::PhotoComment < Avo::BaseResource
  self.includes = [:user, [photo_attachment: :blob]]

  def fields
    field :user, as: :belongs_to
    field :photo, as: :file, is_image: true
  end

Use self.index_query option ​

ruby
class Avo::Resources::Product < Avo::BaseResource
   self.index_query = -> {
    query.includes image_attachment: :blob
  }

  def fields
    field :image, as: :file, is_image: true
  end

Upgrade from 3.0.1.beta23 to 3.0.1.beta24 ​

Cards

With the new feature that allow cards on resources we've realized that it's no longer logical to retain cards within the Dashboard namespace scope. Consequently, each card is now located within the Avo::Cards namespace.

ruby
# Before
class Avo::Cards::AmountRaised < Avo::Dashboards::MetricCard
class Avo::Cards::ExampleAreaChart < Avo::Dashboards::ChartkickCard
class Avo::Cards::ExampleBarChart < Avo::Dashboards::ChartkickCard
# ...

# After
class Avo::Cards::AmountRaised < Avo::Cards::MetricCard
class Avo::Cards::ExampleAreaChart < Avo::Cards::ChartkickCard
class Avo::Cards::ExampleBarChart < Avo::Cards::ChartkickCard
# ...

Upgrade from 3.0.1.beta22 to 3.0.1.beta23 ​

Caching

Since there are many available cache stores and we were allowing only few we changed the way of computing the cache store to be used by Avo.

One of our concerns was to maintain the status quo, but if you notice any caching issues there is a new configurable option config.cache_store that allows you to tell Avo what cache_store to use.

Check cache page for more details.

Upgrade from 3.0.1.beta8 to 3.0.1.beta9 ​

Heading as field

Heading option changed declaration mode, one of the main reasons for this change is to be able to generate a clear data-field-id on the DOM

For more information about heading field syntax check heading field's documentation.

ruby
heading "personal information"
heading "contact"
heading '<div class="underline uppercase font-bold">DEV</div>', as_html: true
ruby
field :personal_information, as: :heading       # data-field-id == "personal_information"
field :heading, as: :heading, label: "Contact"  # data-field-id == "heading"
field :dev, as: :heading, as_html: true, label: '<div class="underline uppercase font-bold">DEV</div>'

Badge field secondary option renamed to neutral

We believe that the term neutral better reflects the intended use.

ruby
field :stage,
  as: :badge,
  options: {
    info: [:discovery, :idea],
    success: :done,
    warning: "on hold",
    danger: :cancelled,
    secondary: :drafting
  }
ruby
field :stage,
  as: :badge,
  options: {
    info: [:discovery, :idea],
    success: :done,
    warning: "on hold",
    danger: :cancelled,
    neutral: :drafting
  }

link_to_resource was renamed to link_to_record.

ruby
class Avo::Resources::User < Avo::BaseResource
  def fields
    field :id, as: :id, link_to_resource: true
    field :email, as: :gravatar, link_to_resource: true
  end
end
ruby
class Avo::Resources::User < Avo::BaseResource
  def fields
    field :id, as: :id, link_to_record: true
    field :email, as: :gravatar, link_to_record: true
  end
end

Upgrade from 3.0.1.beta5 to 3.0.1.beta6 ​

The status field changed behavior

Before, for the status you'd set the failed and loading states and everything else fell under success. That felt unnatural. We needed a neutral state. Now we changed the field so you'll set the failed, loading, and success values and the rest fall under neutral.

ruby
# Before
field :status,
  as: :status,
  failed_when: :failed,
  loading_when: :loading

# After
field :status,
  as: :status,
  failed_when: :failed,
  loading_when: :loading
  success_when: :deployed # specify the success state

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