Rails 8 Removes Channels From Default App Structure.

ActionCable integrates websockets with our app which allows two-way communication between the server and client without the need for continuous page refreshes, making real-time updates possible.

Channels are similar to controllers in that we define methods for broadcasting or streaming data to connected clients.

Before

By default, Rails would create a channels folder in the app/ directory to store these channel definitions, allowing developers to easily set up real-time features.

# Before Rails 8 when we generate rails new app

# Rails app folder structure
/app
  /assets
  /channels
  /controllers
  /helpers
  /javascript
  /jobs
  /mailers
  /models
  /views

After

Rails 8 now removes channels from default app/ structure when we generate new app with rails new command.

Now that Hotwire is the default in Rails, this change drops the channels folder from default app/ structure.

# Rails app folder structure looks like

/app
  /assets
  /controllers
  /helpers
  /javascript
  /jobs
  /mailers
  /models
  /views

The folder still gets created when using the channel generator if needed.

bin/rails generate channel