Steps for creating a new rails app with a Postgres database, Haml, RSpec and FactoryGirl

rails_new.md

Steps

1. Create app, skipping TestUnit and specifying a Postgres db: $ rails new app_name -T --database=postgresql

2. Update the Gemfile: Gemfile:

   gem 'haml'
   gem 'haml-rails'
   
   group :development, :test do
      gem 'rspec-rails'
      gem 'factory_girl_rails'
      gem 'shoulda-matchers', '~> 3.1'
      gem 'faker'
      gem 'database_cleaner'

3. Bundle: $ bundle

4. Install RSpec: $ rails g rspec:install

5. Create spec/support/factory_girl.rb:

   RSpec.configure do |config|
     config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
   end

6. Update rails_helper.rb:

   require 'spec_helper'
   require 'rspec/rails'
   require 'database_cleaner'
   
   # Require support files
   Dir[Rails.root.join("spec/support/**/*.rb")].each { |f| require f }
   
   # Configure shoulda matchers
   Shoulda::Matchers.configure do |config|
     config.integrate do |with|
       with.test_framework :rspec
       with.library :rails
     end
   end
   
   Rspec.configure do |config|
     # ...
     config.include FactoryGirl::Syntax::Methods
   
     config.before(:suite) do
       DatabaseCleaner.clean_with(:truncation)
       DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :transaction
     end
   
     config.around(:each) do |example|
       DatabaseCleaner.cleaning do
         example.run
       end
     end

7. Convert app layout to haml: $ rails g haml:application_layout convert

8. Set up db: $ rake db:create db:migrate