autoload lib directory rails

autoload lib directory is a feature in Ruby that allows you to automatically load classes and modules from a specified directory when they are referenced for the first time. In the context of Rails, you can use autoload to load classes and modules from the lib directory, which is a common practice for organizing custom code in a Rails application.

The process involves defining the autoload paths in the application's configuration file, such as application.rb or an initializer file. This is done using the ActiveSupport::Dependencies module, which provides the autoload method for specifying the directories to be autoloaded.

When a constant is referenced for the first time, the autoload feature triggers the loading of the corresponding file from the specified directory. This lazy loading mechanism helps in optimizing the application's performance by deferring the loading of code until it is actually needed.

Overall, using autoload with the lib directory in Rails allows for efficient organization and loading of custom code, contributing to a well-structured and performant application architecture.