Can't run rake assets:precompile, "undefined method `hexdigest' for nil:NilClass"

[FrenchDilettante]

Hello folks,

I try to precompile my assets but it doesn't work and the error is not quite talkative...
I first thought it was because of my .htpl files I use for Backbone, but they are declared in my config/application.rb file:

    # Pass template files to requirejs
    config.requirejs.logical_asset_filter += [/\.htpl$/]

When I run rake assets:precompile, I've got:

/usr/local/rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin/ruby /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin/rake requirejs:precompile:all RAILS_ENV=production RAILS_GROUPS=assets
rake aborted!
undefined method `hexdigest' for nil:NilClass
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/requirejs/rails/builder.rb:19:in `digest_for'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:122:in `block (5 levels) in <top (required)>'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:122:in `sub'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:122:in `block (4 levels) in <top (required)>'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:119:in `each'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:119:in `block (3 levels) in <top (required)>'
Tasks: TOP => requirejs:precompile:all => requirejs:precompile:digestify_and_compress
(See full trace by running task with --trace)
rake aborted!
Command failed with status (1): [/usr/local/rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin/...]
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/actionpack-3.2.11/lib/sprockets/assets.rake:12:in `ruby_rake_task'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/gems/requirejs-rails-0.9.1/lib/tasks/requirejs-rails_tasks.rake:85:in `block (3 levels) in <top (required)>'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `eval'
/usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p374/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `<main>'
Tasks: TOP => assets:precompile => requirejs:precompile:external
(See full trace by running task with --trace)

And to be honest, I don't know where to start...

[FrenchDilettante]

Found it! By default, the gem compiles application.js, whatever the requirejs_include_tag you used.

[ncherro]

I also ran into this issue, but for a different reason.

If you're using the asset pipeline //= require ... syntax to build manifests, then using these manifests as dependencies, the manifests need to be called out in your config.assets.precompile array. See here for more info.

This may seem obvious, and it's not a requirejs-rails bug, but I was hung up on it for a while.

[arlm]

My pull request fixes it: #104

[pboling]

I am getting this error after upgrading to Foundation v4. @arim, your PR breaks coffee script, so I can't use it.

[pboling]

@manudwarf I think we may have the same setup. I've just switched to backbone. With just backbone I had no issues, and now starting to add Handlebars I've now got this error. Are you using handlebars_assets? That's what I am trying to use.

[pboling]

@manudwarf: FYI I have forked handlebars_assets and made it requirejs-rails and AMD aware. It works locally. Still trying to get it to work via the compiled assets. Getting this same error when compiling.

EDIT: I've gotten it working in a minified, single file compressed js, deployed environment, and will be documenting it in handlebars_assets as soon as I can.

TL;DR: The problem was with zurb-foundation v4 assets not being available to requirejs-rails for whatever reason. Copying the assets into the app's assets directory fixed it.

[jwhitley]

@ncherro, the use case you cite, using //= Sprockets manifests then turning those into dependencies, is utterly unsupported. If it works, good luck, but There Be Dragons. Really, just use RequireJS as it was meant to be used and don't bring Sprockets' terrible code-mashing into the picture. That's the whole point of this gem!

There is precisely one fully supported way that Sprockets is used: it filters any known filetype as expected, so that templates, transpilers (e.g. CoffeeScript) work as expected. This is handy since you can write in any format that has a Sprockets plugin and emits .js files and RequireJS need be none the wiser.

[ncherro]

@jwhitley I realize my approach was unconventional. I was trying to use the https://github.com/leshill/handlebars_assets gem as @pboling described above, but I had to wrap the handlebars_assets output for AMD support.

I did end up getting things to work, but I get your point about avoiding manifests. I probably could / should have used something like https://github.com/cdata/handlebars-amd to compile the Handlebars templates, but it was just too tempting to try to use the handlebars_assets gem :)

I'll try a more conventional approach next time around.

[pboling]

@ncherro My fork/pull request on handlebars_assets adds AMD support. I'd love to have more input on getting that support added directly to handlebars_assets. @leshill is all for it. If you have time please see if it works with your setup!

[jwhitley]

The handlebars_assets issues seem to be orthogonal to the gem, and the OP's problem appears to have stemmed from not changing the default config as described in the last item in the usage docs. I've incorporated a version of @arlm's improved error messaging in #104 which may help diagnosis of similar situations in the future.

[mkanthan]

Just an FYI - I had this exact error when there was a syntax error in one of my RequireJS modules.