# alba-inertia

Configures Alba serializers and Typelizer for Inertia Rails. Generates TypeScript types and replaces as_json with typed Ruby resources.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 376 installs · ★ 70
- Author: inertia-rails
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/inertia-rails/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-01
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/alba-inertia

## What it does

The skill guides your agent to structure Inertia Rails props using `alba`, `typelizer`, and `alba-inertia` gems. It splits serialization into entity resources for reusable models, action-specific page resources like `UsersIndexResource`, and shared props.

When loaded, this skill overrides standard `render inertia: { ... }` calls in favor of convention-based instance variable rendering. A variable like `@users` in a controller action gets serialized automatically. It also maps Inertia prop parameters (`:defer`, `:optional`, `:once`, `merge`) directly onto Alba attributes.

Your project must include `alba`, `typelizer`, and `alba-inertia` in its `Gemfile`. Without explicit `typelize_from` declarations on non-matching resource names, Typelizer emits `unknown` for TypeScript types.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inertia-rails/skills --skill alba-inertia -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/alba-inertia/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inertia-rails/skills --skill alba-inertia -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inertia-rails/skills --skill alba-inertia -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install inertia-rails/skills alba-inertia
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inertia-rails/skills --skill alba-inertia -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/inertia-rails/skills --path skills/alba-inertia
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inertia-rails/skills --skill alba-inertia -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/inertia-rails/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/alba-inertia/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- Replace untyped `as_json` calls with structured Alba resources
- Generate TypeScript definitions from Ruby models automatically
- Configure deferred, merged, or optional Inertia props inside serializers
- Organize session and auth data in a dedicated `SharedPropsResource`

## Example prompts
- Create an Alba UserResource with Typelizer support for Inertia
- Set up UsersIndexResource for the controller action using convention rendering
- Add a deferred prop attribute using the inertia option in our stats resource

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 2fb9759e40a66848.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 2fb9759e40a66848
````text
---
name: alba-inertia
description: >-
  Alba serializers + Typelizer for type-safe Inertia Rails props with auto-generated TypeScript types. Use when
  serializing models for Inertia responses, setting up Alba resources, generating TypeScript types from Ruby, or
  using Inertia prop options (defer, once, merge, scroll) with Alba attributes. Replaces as_json with structured,
  auto-typed ApplicationResource, page resources, and shared props resources. When active, OVERRIDES the
  `render inertia: { ... }` pattern from other skills — use convention-based instance variable rendering instead.
---

# Alba + Typelizer for Inertia Rails

Requires: `alba`, `typelizer`, `alba-inertia` gems in Gemfile.

Alba serializers for Inertia props with auto-generated TypeScript types.
Replaces `as_json(only: [...])` with structured, type-safe resources.

**Before creating a resource, ask:**
- **Reusable data shape (user, course)?** → Entity resource (`UserResource`) — shared across pages
- **Page-specific props bundle?** → Page resource (`UsersIndexResource`) — one per controller action
- **Global data (auth, notifications)?** → Shared props resource (`SharedPropsResource`)

**NEVER:**
- Use `as_json` when Alba is set up — it bypasses type generation and creates untyped props
- Skip `typelize_from` when resource name differs from model — Typelizer can't infer column types and generates `unknown`
- Put `declare module` augmentations in `serializers/index.ts` — Typelizer-generated types go in `serializers/index.ts`, manual InertiaConfig goes in `globals.d.ts`

## Setup

### ApplicationResource (all resources inherit from this)

```ruby
# app/resources/application_resource.rb
class ApplicationResource
  include Alba::Resource

  helper Typelizer::DSL          # enables typelize, typelize_from
  helper Alba::Inertia::Resource # enables inertia: option on attributes

  include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
end
```

### Controller Integration

```ruby
# app/controllers/inertia_controller.rb
class InertiaController < ApplicationController
  include Alba::Inertia::Controller

  inertia_share { SharedPropsResource.new(self).to_inertia }
end
```

## Resource Types

### Entity Resource (reusable data shape)

```ruby
# app/resources/user_resource.rb
class UserResource < ApplicationResource
  typelize_from User  # needed when resource name doesn't match model

  attributes :id, :name, :email

  typelize :string?
  attribute :avatar_url do |user|
    user.avatar.attached? ? rails_blob_path(user.avatar, only_path: true) : nil
  end
end
```

### Page Resource (page-specific props)

```ruby
# app/resources/users/index_resource.rb
# Naming convention: {Controller}{Action}Resource
class UsersIndexResource < ApplicationResource
  has_many :users, resource: UserResource

  typelize :string
  attribute :search do |obj, _|
    obj.params.dig(:filters, :search)
  end
end
```

### Shared Props Resource
````
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