I am building a Rails 5.0 API and trying to have a print_it class method that runs as_json on an object. (I need a separate method to put complex logic into later)
Whenever I test it, it errors with:
NoMethodError (undefined method print_it for #<Class:0x007f7b7b092f20>):
In Model: project.rb
class Project < ApplicationRecord
def print_it
self.as_json
end
end
In controller: projects_controller.rb
class Api::V1::ProjectsController < Api::ApiController
def index
render json: Project.print_it
end
end
How can I use print_it on an object?
Project.print_it
is calling print_it on the class Project. But, you define print_it as an instance method, not a class method, here:
class Project < ApplicationRecord
def print_it
self.as_json
end
end
You probably want something more like:
class Api::V1::ProjectsController < Api::ApiController
def index
render json: #project.print_it
end
end
Naturally, you'll need to set #project.
To use print_it on an ActiveRecord_Relation called #projects, you could do something like:
#projects.map{|p| p.print_it}
You'll end up with an array.
But that might be expensive, depending on the number of projects and the nature of print_it.
How can I use print_it on an object?
You are 'using' (calling) print_it on an object. Project is an object. Just like #project is an object. You just happen to be calling print_it on an object that doesn't have print_it defined (thus the undefined method error).
I will also note that Jörg W Mittag wishes to say:
I am one of those Ruby Purists who likes to point out that there is no such thing as a class method in Ruby. I am perfectly fine, though, with using the term class method colloquially, as long as it is fully understood by all parties that it is a colloquial usage. In other words, if you know that there is no such thing as a class method and that the term "class method" is just short for "instance method of the singleton class of an object that is an instance of Class", then there is no problem. But otherwise, I have only seen it obstruct understanding.
Let it be fully understood by all parties that the term class method is used above in its colloquial sense.
Related
I want to define methods dynamically using an array of strings.
Here is a simple piece of code that should achieve that.
class SomeClass
attr_accessor :my_array
def initialize(user, record)
#my_array=[]
end
my_array.each do |element|
alias_method "#{element}?".to_sym, :awesome_method
end
def awesome_method
puts 'awesome'
end
end
When I instantiate this class in the console, I get the following error
NoMethodError (undefined method `each' for nil:NilClass)
What is wrong with this code and how to make it work. any help highly appreciated :)
Edit 1:
What I ultimately want to achieve is to inherit from SomeClass and override my_array in the child class to dynamically define methods with its attributes like so
class OtherClass < SomeClass
my_array = %w[method1 method2 method3]
# Some mechanism to over write my_array.
end
And then use self.inherited to dynamically define methods in child class.
Is there a good way to achieve this?
In your code, you use an instance variable (#my_array) and an attr_accessor over it, and then try to access my_array from class level (that is, from the body of the class definition, outside of any methods). But instance variables only exist at instance level, so it is not available in the class scope.
One solution (the natural one, and the one which you would probably use in other languages) is to use a class variable: ##my_array. But class variables in ruby are a little problematic, so the best solution would be to make use of class instance variables, like that:
class SomeClass
class << self
attr_accessor :my_array
end
#my_array=[]
def initialize(user, record)
end
#my_array.each do |element|
alias_method "#{element}?".to_sym, :awesome_method
end
def awesome_method
puts 'awesome'
end
end
The syntax is a little tricky, so, if you look that up and it still doesn't makes sense, try just reading about scopes and using a regular class variable with ##.
Edit:
Ok, so, after your edit, it became more clear what you are trying to accomplish. A full working example is like follows:
class SomeClass
class << self
attr_accessor :my_array
end
#my_array=[]
def awesome_method
puts 'awesome'
end
def self.build!
#my_array.each do |element|
self.define_method("#{element}?".to_sym){ awesome_method }
end
end
end
class ChildClass < SomeClass
#my_array = %w[test little_test]
self.build!
end
child_instance = ChildClass.new
child_instance.test?
>> awesome
child_instance.little_test?
>> awesome
So, I've made some tweaks on SomeClass:
It does not need an initialize method
I tried to use the inherited hook for this problem. It won't ever work, because this hook is called as soon as "ChildClass < SomeClass" is written, and this must be before you can define something like #my_array = %w[test little_test]. So, I have added a self.build! method that must be called in the child instances so that they build their methods from my_array. This is inevitable, but I think it is also good, because it makes more explicit in the subclasses that you are doing something interesting there.
I think you want "define_method", not "alias_method".
awesome_method in passed in a block, which is ruby's way of doing functional programming.
With that done, ChildClass inherits from SomeClass, and it's instances have the dynamically created methods 'test?' and 'little_test?'.
You need to change my_array to class level accessible, in my case class constant.
class SomeClass
DYNAMIC_METHOD_NAMES = %w(method_a method_b method_C).freeze
def initialize(user, record)
end
DYNAMIC_METHOD_NAMES.each do |element|
alias_method "#{element}?".to_sym, :awesome_method
end
def awesome_method
puts 'awesome'
end
end
# app/models/product.rb
class Product < ApplicationRecord
def self.method1(param1)
# Here I want to call method2 with a parameter
method2(param2)
end
def method2(param2)
# Do something
end
end
I call method1 from controller. When I run the program. I got an error:
method_missing(at line method2(param2))
.rbenv/versions/2.3.1/lib/ruby/gems/2.3.0/gems/activerecord-5.0.0/lib/active_record/relation/batches.rb:59:in `block (2 levels) in find_each
...
class Product < ApplicationRecord
def self.method1(param1)
# Here I want to call method2 with a parameter
method2(param2)
end
def self.method2(param2)
# Do something
end
end
Explanation: first one is a class method, the latter was an instance method. Class methods don't need a receiver (an object who call them), instance methods need it. So, you can't call an instance method from a class method because you don't know if you have a receiver (an instanciated object who call it).
It does not work because method2 is not defined for Product object.
method2 is an instance method, and can be called only on the instance of Product class.
Of course #Ursus and #Andrey Deineko answers are right solution of this problem. Besides that, if anyone want to know how we can call instance method with in class method(though this is not actually class method in ruby) for those self.new.instance_method.
I have a model called ToolFilter with a column of 'tool_type'. The string here refers to a class for a tool. I put a method in my application_controller called tools_list that gets the descendants of Tool.This works nicely in my frontend, but ToolFilter is complaining about the method tools_list.
class ToolFilter < ActiveRecord::Base
validate :existence_of_tool
def existence_of_tool
unless tools_list.include? tool_type
errors.add(:tool_type, "Invalid tool_type {{tool_type}}, use 'tools_list' to see a list of valid tool_object_types")
end
end
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
helper_method :tools_list
def tools_list
Rails.application.eager_load!
Tool.descendants
end
It's a bit strange to tell a model about other classes in the file system, but I need to validate that it is one of these. Should I put tools_list is a module and include it in ToolFilter? Any suggestions?
Write this to include helper in your model
ApplicationController.helpers.tool_list
Though I will not recommend calling helper in model.
And checking tools with classes is damm bad idea.
I ended up creating a module called ToolExtention which has these helper methods in them. I then included this module in my controllers wherever it was needed and moved my logic from the views into the controller which I believe is better practice.
module ToolExtension
def self.tools_list
Rails.application.eager_load!
Tool.descendants
end
...
class ProjectsController < ApplicationController
include ToolExtension
...
ToolExtension.tools_list
I have a small problem that I can't quite get my head around. Since I want to reuse a lot of the methods defined in my Class i decided to put them into an Helper, which I can easily include whenever needed. The basic Class looks like this:
class MyClass
include Helper::MyHelper
def self.do_something input
helper_method(input)
end
end
And here is the Helper:
module Helper
module MyHelper
def helper_method input
input.titleize
end
end
end
Right now I can't call "helper_method" from my Class because of what I think is a scope issue? What am I doing wrong?
I guess that is because self pointer inside of do_something input is InternshipInputFormatter, and not the instance of InternshipInputFormatter. so proper alias to call helper_method(input) will be self.helper_method(input), however you have included the Helper::MyHelper into the InternshipInputFormatter class as an instance methods, not a singleton, so try to extend the class with the instance methods of the module as the signelton methods for the class:
class InternshipInputFormatter
extend Helper::MyHelper
def self.do_something input
helper_method(input)
end
end
InternshipInputFormatter.do_something 1
# NoMethodError: undefined method `titleize' for 1:Fixnum
As you can see, the call has stopped the execution inside the helper_method. Please refer to the document to see the detailed difference between include, and extend.
We have two Rails models: Person and Administrator. We're disallowing removal of Administrators at the model level:
class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
end
class Administrator < Person
def destroy
raise "Can't remove administrators."
end
end
me = Administrator.new
me.destroy # raises an exception
I'd like to be able to get around this during testing, but only for specific instances created during setup and teardown. I don't want to change the behavior of the class, so class_eval and remove_method aren't feasible.
I tried to redefine the actual instance's #destroy method:
def me.destroy
super
end
or redefine it on the singleton class:
class << me
def destroy
super
end
end
but those still raised the exception. I couldn't figure out how to get it to call the superclass method implicitly. I ended up creating my own destroy! method (since that's not actually a method in ActiveRecord), which sort of violates my desire not to change the behavior of the class:
def destroy!
ActiveRecord::Persistence.instance_method(:destroy).bind(self).call
end
Is there any simple way to tell a single instance method to call its superclass method?
Final Answer: Based on the article Holger Just linked to, I was able to simply call the superclass method explicitly:
def me.destroy
self.class.superclass.instance_method(:destroy).bind(self).call
end
I'd try to refactor the behavior to be more test-friendly. E.g. you could allow an optional parameter to destroy e.g. i_know_what_im_doing that has to be set to true to carry out the destroy. Alternatively you could cancel the destroy with a before_destroy hook like
class Administrator < Person
def before_destroy(record)
# You can't destroy me
false
end
end
In your tests, you can then call Administrator.skip_callback :before_destroy to ignore it and to have a proper destroy.
Finally, you could overwrite / stub the method in your tests. While you say you don't want to modify the class's behavior, you still have to do that (and implicitly do that with your destroy! method today).
I'm not familiar with Ruby metaprograming, so I wont answer if you can a call a method of the super class on an instance without modifying it. But you can create a hook to a superclass method with alias :
class Administrator < Person
alias :force_destroy :destroy
def destroy
raise "Can't remove administrators."
end
end
With this, admin.destroy will raise an exception, but admin.force_destroy will actually call the ActiveRecord destroy.