I'm learning rails.
I'm build a simple test application, with a simple authentication scheme.
I'm using a user.role field to group the users.
In my Application Helper i have:
module ApplicationHelper
def current_user
if session[:user_id]
#current_user ||= User.find(session[:user_id])
else
#current_user = nil
end
end
def user_identity
current_user.role if current_user
end
end
Now, in my app, i can use current_user in all controllers as expected, but instead user_identity is not visible.
why?
The application_helper is used mainly to access methods in views - I don't believe it's available in a controller.
The reason your 'current_user' method appears to work is that I'm assuming you're using Devise - when you call 'current_user' it is using the Engine's method rather than your own.
To solve this, write out a new module:
module MyHelper
def current_user
if session[:user_id]
#current_user ||= User.find(session[:user_id])
else
#current_user = nil
end
end
def user_identity
current_user.role if current_user
end
end
And in the controller you're using:
class MyController < ApplicationController
include MyHelper
bla bla bla...
end
Any methods defined in MyHelper will now be available in MyController, as we've included the module in the controller
Helper modules are mixed into the view context (the implicit self in your views) - not controllers.
So you can call it from the controller with:
class ThingsController < ApplicationController
# ...
def index
view_context.user_identity
end
end
Or you can include the helper with the helper method:
class ThingsController < ApplicationController
helper :my_helper
def index
user_identity
end
end
But if you're writing a set of authentication methods I wouldn't use a helper in the first place. Helpers are supposed to be aids for the view.
Instead I would create a concern (also a module) and include it in ApplicationController:
# app/controllers/concerns/authenticable.rb
module Authenticable
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
def current_user
#current_user ||= session[:user_id] ? User.find(session[:user_id]) : nil
end
def user_identity
current_user.try(:role)
end
end
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
include Authenticable
end
Since the view can access any of the controllers methods this adds the methods to both contexts.
Related
I'm working through RailTutorial.org, and in section 8, it has you create helper methods and use them in your controller. I am not able to access any of them
Controller line: if current_student.admin?
Helper method:
module SessionsHelper
[...]
def current_student
if session[:student_id]
#current_student ||= Student.find_by(id: session[:student_id])
elsif cookies.signed[:student_id]
student = Student.find_by(id: cookies.signed[:student_id])
if student && student.authenticated?(cookies[:remember_token])
log_in student
#current_student = student
end
end
end
[...]
end
Thanks!
Helper methods are only available within views. If you need it within views and controllers, you must define it within a controller, then declare it a helper method as well:
class ApplicationController
def current_student
# ...
end
helper_method :current_student
end
I'm allowing my users to have multiple profiles (user has many profiles) and one of them is the default. In my users table I have a default_profile_id.
How do I create a "default_profile" like Devise's current_user which I can use everywhere?
Where should I put this line?
default_profile = Profile.find(current_user.default_profile_id)
Devise's current_user method looks like this:
def current_#{mapping}
#current_#{mapping} ||= warden.authenticate(:scope => :#{mapping})
end
As you can see, the #current_#{mapping} is being memoized. In your case you'd want to use something like this:
def default_profile
#default_profile ||= Profile.find(current_user.default_profile_id)
end
Regarding using it everywhere, I'm going to assume you want to use it both in your controllers and in your views. If that's the case you would declare it in your ApplicationController like so:
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
helper_method :default_profile
def default_profile
#default_profile ||= Profile.find(current_user.default_profile_id)
end
end
The helper_method will allow you to access this memoized default_profile in your views. Having this method in the ApplicationController allows you to call it from your other controllers.
You can put this code inside application controller by defining inside a method:
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
...
helper_method :default_profile
def default_profile
Profile.find(current_user.default_profile_id)
rescue
nil
end
...
end
And, can access it like current_user in your application. If you call default_profile, it will give you the profile record if available, otherwise nil.
I would add a method profile to user or define a has_one (preferred). Than it is just current_user.profile if you want the default profile:
has_many :profiles
has_one :profile # aka the default profile
I would not implement the shortcut method, but you want:
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
def default_profile
current_user.profile
end
helper_method :default_profile
end
Rails 3.2.3
I need to pass a class variable to a view. For some reason I'm unable to do this.
class HomeController < ApplicationController
##user_id = '1343454'
def index
#.......................
end
def about
#.......................
end
end
/view/home/about.html.erb
<% ....
##user_id is not visible
... %>
What's the easiest way to do it?
Please do not use ##.
In your application controller you can define:
def current_user
#current_user.id = '1343454'
end
helper_method :current_user
The helper method will make the current_user available in any controller or view in your application.
I believe, '1343454' is just an example. Usually we have something like:
#current_user ||= User.find(session[:user_id]) if session[:user_id]
I have the following application_controller method:
def current_account
#current_account ||= Account.find_by_subdomain(request.subdomain)
end
Should I be calling it using a before_filter or a helper_method? What's the difference between the two and what should I consider in terms of the trade-offs in this case?
Thanks.
UPDATE FOR BETTER CLARITY
I'm finding that I can user the before_filter instead of the helper_method in that I'm able to call controller defined methods from my views. Perhaps it's something in how I arranged my code, so here is what I have:
controllers/application_controller.rb
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
protect_from_forgery
include SessionsHelper
before_filter :current_account
helper_method :current_user
end
helpers/sessions_helper.rb
module SessionsHelper
private
def current_account
#current_account ||= Account.find_by_subdomain(request.subdomain)
end
def current_user
#current_user ||= User.find(session[:user_id]) if session[:user_id]
end
def logged_in?
if current_user
return true
else
return false
end
end
end
controllers/spaces_controller.rb
class SpacesController < ApplicationController
def home
unless logged_in?
redirect_to login_path
end
end
end
views/spaces/home.html.erb
<%= current_account.inspect %>
In theory, this shouldn't work, right?
There is no relationship between using before_filter or helper_method. You should use helper method when you have a method in your controller that you would like to reuse in your views, this current_account might be a nice example for helper_method if you need to use it in your views.
They are two very different things. A before_filter is something that you want to be called once before an action starts. A helper method on the other hand gets repeated often, typically in a view.
That method you have there is just fine to stay where it is.
I solved my problem. I'm new to Rails, and didn't know that methods defined in the helpers directory are automatically helper_methods. Now I'm wondering how this effects memory/performance. But at least I have the mystery solved. Thanks everyone for your help!
I defined a helper class as below
module SessionsHelper
def current_user
#current_user= User.find_by_fbid(session[:fbid])
end
def sign_in(user)
session[:fbid] = user.fbid
#current_user = user
end
def signed_in?
!current_user.nil?
end
end
I included the Helper Class in my Application Controller
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
protect_from_forgery
include SessionsHelper
end
The sign in method gets called from Session Controller
class SessionsController < ApplicationController
def create
user = User.find_or_create_by_fbid(params[:user][:fbid])
user.update_attributes(params[:user])
sign_in(user)
redirect_to user_path(user)
end
end
However I am not able to access 'current_user' variable from users#show view.
<% if signed_in? %>
<p>
<b>Current User:</b>
<%= current_user.name %>
</p>
<% end %>
It says : undefined method `name' for nil:NilClass
Can anyone please advise ?
The method current_user does not get called at all from index.
Putting include SessionsHelper in your controller includes those module methods in the controller, so they are accessible in your controller methods. You want the helper methods available in your views, so you need to use helper SessionsHelper in your application controller.
That being said, I do agree with Jits that the methods you have in SessionsHelper really do belong in the controller instead of in a helper.
Generally you should have methods like current_user defined in your application_controller and then make them available as helpers in the views. This way the controllers have access to them (and trust me, you will most likely need access to things like that). Example:
def current_user
..
end
helper :current_user
What helped me:
Define methods to use in the controller in helper files
Define methods to use in the view in the relevant model file
Example
Suppose you had this in user_helper.rb
def something
2 + 2
end
simply move that code into
models/user.rb
and it will be accessible in the view without any further effort.