Phase 2: Developer Experience

Completed: 2026-02-07

Overview

Phase 2 focused on improving developer experience and reducing configuration complexity while maintaining full backward compatibility.

Results:

✅ Created 5 configuration presets
✅ Added factory methods for easier setup
✅ Improved documentation and examples
✅ All 346 tests passing
✅ Zero breaking changes

Implementation 1: Configuration Presets

Problem

The Configuration class has 35+ options, creating decision paralysis for developers. Most users want sensible defaults for common scenarios (development, production, etc.) rather than configuring every option manually.

Solution

Created a Presets module with 5 pre-configured scenarios:

File: src/presets.cr (107 lines)

Available Presets

1. Development (`Presets.development`)

Purpose: Local development with minimal friction

Settings:

30-minute timeout
No secret validation required
No encryption
Sliding expiration enabled
Circuit breaker disabled
Retry disabled
Compression disabled

Usage:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:development)
  config.provider = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).provider
end

2. Production (`Presets.production`)

Purpose: Balanced security and performance for production deployments

Settings:

1-hour timeout
Secure secret required
Redis data encryption enabled
Sliding expiration enabled
Circuit breaker enabled
Retry enabled
Compression enabled (threshold: 256 bytes)
KDF enabled with SHA-256

Usage:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:production)
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  redis = Redis.new(host: ENV["REDIS_HOST"]?)
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider(client: redis)
end

3. High Security (`Presets.high_security`)

Purpose: Maximum security for sensitive applications

Settings:

15-minute timeout (short for security)
Secure secret required
Redis data encryption with KDF (100k iterations)
Client binding enabled (IP + User-Agent)
Sliding expiration enabled
Circuit breaker enabled
Retry enabled
Compression enabled
Fail fast on corruption
No digest fallback to SHA-1

Usage:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:high_security)
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  pool_config = Session::ConnectionPoolConfig.new(size: 10)
  config.provider = Session::PooledRedisStore(UserSession).new(pool_config)
end

4. Testing (`Presets.testing`)

Purpose: Fast, simple configuration for test suites

Settings:

5-minute timeout
No secret validation
No encryption
No sliding expiration
No error logging (cleaner test output)
Circuit breaker disabled
Retry disabled
Compression disabled
No client binding

Usage:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:testing)
  config.provider = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).provider
end

5. Clustered (`Presets.clustered`)

Purpose: Multi-node deployments with Redis pub/sub

Settings:

Based on production preset
Clustering enabled
Local cache enabled (30s TTL, 10k max size)
All production security settings

Usage:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:clustered)
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  config.cluster.node_id = ENV["NODE_ID"]? || UUID.random.to_s

  redis = Redis.new(host: ENV["REDIS_HOST"]?)
  cluster_config = Session::ClusterConfig.new(enabled: true)
  config.provider = Session::ClusteredRedisStore(UserSession).new(redis, cluster_config)
end

API: Configuration.from_preset

Added to Configuration class:

def self.from_preset(preset : Symbol) : Configuration
  case preset
  when :development then Presets.development
  when :production then Presets.production
  when :high_security then Presets.high_security
  when :testing then Presets.testing
  when :clustered then Presets.clustered
  else
    raise ArgumentError.new("Unknown preset: #{preset}")
  end
end

Raises: ArgumentError for unknown presets

Implementation 2: Enhanced Documentation

Store Class Documentation

File: src/store.cr

Added comprehensive usage example:

# Abstract base class for session storage backends
#
# Generic Constraint:
#   T must include the SessionData module for proper serialization and validation
#   T must provide a parameterless constructor (T.new)
#
# Example usage:
#   ```
#   struct UserSession
#     include Session::SessionData
#     property user_id : Int64?
#     property? authenticated : Bool = false
#   end
#
#   # Use memory store for development
#   store = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).new
#
#   # Use Redis for production
#   store = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).new(Redis.new)
#   ```
abstract class Store(T)
  # ...
end

Implementation 3: Comprehensive Examples

File: examples/configuration_examples.cr (187 lines)

Created a complete examples file demonstrating:

Using each preset - Development, Production, High Security, Testing, Clustered
Manual configuration - Configuring without presets
Preset with overrides - Start with preset, customize specific options
Environment-based setup - Switch configuration based on ENV variables
Session data structure - Example UserSession implementation

Key examples:

Environment-Based Configuration

Session.configure do |config|
  case ENV["ENVIRONMENT"]?
  when "development"
    config = Configuration.from_preset(:development)
    config.provider = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).provider

  when "production"
    config = Configuration.from_preset(:high_security)
    config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
    pool_config = Session::ConnectionPoolConfig.new(size: 20)
    config.provider = Session::PooledRedisStore(UserSession).new(pool_config)
  end
end

Preset with Selective Overrides

Session.configure do |config|
  # Start with production preset
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:production)

  # Override only what you need
  config.timeout = 8.hours
  config.bind_to_user_agent = true
  config.compression_threshold = 1024

  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider
end

Implementation 4: Require Order Fix

Problem

configuration.cr referenced CircuitBreakerConfig but retry.cr was required after it, causing compilation errors.

Solution

Moved require "./retry" before require "./configuration" in session.cr:

Before:

require "./configuration"
require "./presets"
require "./session_id"
require "./retry"

After:

require "./retry"
require "./configuration"
require "./presets"
require "./session_id"

Impact: Clean compilation, proper dependency order

Benefits

1. Reduced Configuration Complexity

Before Phase 2:

Session.configure do |config|
  config.timeout = 1.hour
  config.require_secure_secret = true
  config.encrypt_redis_data = true
  config.sliding_expiration = true
  config.log_errors = true
  config.circuit_breaker_enabled = true
  config.enable_retry = true
  config.compress_data = true
  config.compression_threshold = 256
  config.use_kdf = true
  config.digest_algorithm = :sha256
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider
end

After Phase 2:

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:production)
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider
end

Result: 14 lines → 4 lines (71% reduction)

2. Better Security Defaults

Presets encode security best practices:

Production requires secure secrets
High security enables client binding
Encryption enabled by default in production
KDF enabled for key derivation

Impact: Users get secure configurations by default

3. Improved Onboarding

New users can:

Choose a preset matching their environment
Override only what's specific to their app
Reference comprehensive examples

Impact: Faster time to production, fewer configuration mistakes

4. Clear Intent

Preset names clearly communicate intent:

:development - "I'm developing locally"
:production - "I'm deploying to production"
:high_security - "Security is critical"
:testing - "I'm running tests"
:clustered - "I have multiple nodes"

Impact: Self-documenting code

Metrics

Code Added

File

Lines

Purpose

src/presets.cr

107

Configuration presets

examples/configuration_examples.cr

187

Usage examples

Total

294

New code

Code Modified

File

Changes

Purpose

src/configuration.cr

+18 lines

from_preset method

src/store.cr

+14 lines

Documentation

src/session.cr

1 line moved

Require order fix

Test Results

✅ All 346 specs passing
✅ 0 failures, 0 errors
✅ 100% backward compatible

Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Simple Development Setup

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:development)
  config.provider = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).provider
end

Pattern 2: Production with Environment Variables

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:production)
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  redis = Redis.new(host: ENV["REDIS_HOST"]? || "localhost")
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider(client: redis)
end

Pattern 3: High Security with Custom Timeout

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:high_security)
  config.timeout = 10.minutes # Custom timeout
  config.secret = ENV.fetch("SESSION_SECRET")
  config.provider = Session::RedisStore(UserSession).provider
end

Pattern 4: Testing with Custom Secret

Session.configure do |config|
  config = Configuration.from_preset(:testing)
  config.secret = "test-secret-key-for-specs"
  config.provider = Session::MemoryStore(UserSession).provider
end

Migration Guide

Existing Code (No Changes Required)

All existing configurations continue to work:

# This still works!
Session.configure do |config|
  config.timeout = 30.minutes
  config.secret = "my-secret"
  # ... all other options
end

Adopting Presets (Optional)

To adopt presets, identify your environment and replace manual config:

Before:

config.timeout = 1.hour
config.require_secure_secret = true
config.encrypt_redis_data = true
# ... 10 more lines

After:

config = Configuration.from_preset(:production)

Then override only what's different for your app.

Next Steps

Completed ✅

✅ Configuration presets
✅ Enhanced documentation
✅ Comprehensive examples

Remaining High Priority

⬜ Merge PooledRedisStore into RedisStore (save ~200 lines)
⬜ Rename SessionId → Session (clarity improvement)
⬜ Flatten Provider module (remove macro magic)

Medium Priority

⬜ Extract circuit breaker/retry to optional module
⬜ Make QueryableStore truly optional
⬜ Extract clustering to separate shard

Conclusion

Phase 2 Achievements:

✅ 71% reduction in typical configuration code
✅ Security best practices baked into presets
✅ Improved developer experience
✅ Comprehensive documentation and examples
✅ Zero breaking changes

Developer Impact:

Faster onboarding
Fewer configuration mistakes
Clear intent through preset names
Easy customization through overrides

The session framework is now significantly easier to use while maintaining full flexibility for advanced users! 🎉

PreviousPhase 1: Code Quality NextPhase 3: Store Consolidation

Last updated 28 minutes ago

Was this helpful?

hashtagCompleted: 2026-02-07

hashtagOverview

hashtagImplementation 1: Configuration Presets

hashtagProblem

hashtagSolution

hashtagAvailable Presets

hashtag1. Development (Presets.development)

hashtag2. Production (Presets.production)

hashtag3. High Security (Presets.high_security)

hashtag4. Testing (Presets.testing)

hashtag5. Clustered (Presets.clustered)

hashtagAPI: Configuration.from_preset

hashtagImplementation 2: Enhanced Documentation

hashtagStore Class Documentation

hashtagImplementation 3: Comprehensive Examples

hashtagEnvironment-Based Configuration

hashtagPreset with Selective Overrides

hashtagImplementation 4: Require Order Fix

hashtagProblem

hashtagSolution

hashtagBenefits

hashtag1. Reduced Configuration Complexity

hashtag2. Better Security Defaults

hashtag3. Improved Onboarding

hashtag4. Clear Intent

hashtagMetrics

hashtagCode Added

hashtagCode Modified

hashtagTest Results

hashtagUsage Patterns

hashtagPattern 1: Simple Development Setup

hashtagPattern 2: Production with Environment Variables

hashtagPattern 3: High Security with Custom Timeout

hashtagPattern 4: Testing with Custom Secret

hashtagMigration Guide

hashtagExisting Code (No Changes Required)

hashtagAdopting Presets (Optional)

hashtagNext Steps

hashtagCompleted ✅

hashtagRemaining High Priority

hashtagMedium Priority

hashtagConclusion

Completed: 2026-02-07

Overview

Implementation 1: Configuration Presets

Problem

Solution

Available Presets

1. Development (`Presets.development`)

2. Production (`Presets.production`)

3. High Security (`Presets.high_security`)

4. Testing (`Presets.testing`)

5. Clustered (`Presets.clustered`)

API: Configuration.from_preset

Implementation 2: Enhanced Documentation

Store Class Documentation

Implementation 3: Comprehensive Examples

Environment-Based Configuration

Preset with Selective Overrides

Implementation 4: Require Order Fix

Problem

Solution

Benefits

1. Reduced Configuration Complexity

2. Better Security Defaults

3. Improved Onboarding

4. Clear Intent

Metrics

Code Added

Code Modified

Test Results

Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Simple Development Setup

Pattern 2: Production with Environment Variables

Pattern 3: High Security with Custom Timeout

Pattern 4: Testing with Custom Secret

Migration Guide

Existing Code (No Changes Required)

Adopting Presets (Optional)

Next Steps

Completed ✅

Remaining High Priority

Medium Priority

Conclusion