I need to create a controller instance from another controller for using its methods. When I creating
c = SomeController.new
c.some_method
some_method use params[], and then I have an error NoMethodError: undefined method 'parameters' for nil:NilClass.
How can I pass params to the controller?
The thing you are trying to do it not recommended any framework. You probable have some code that you wanted in multiple controllers. To achieve your desired behavior, extract the common code to library can call that in any controller you want.
You don't instantiate controllers in Rails - its done by the router when it matches a request to a route.
Its just not done because it violates the way MVC in Rails works - one request = one controller. You also need to pass the entire env hash from rack into the controller for it even work properly.
But really - don't. There are much better ways.
If you need to share a method between controllers there are better ways such as using inheritance:
class ApplicationController
def some_method
end
end
class FooController < ApplicationController
end
class BarController < ApplicationController
end
Or mixins:
# app/controllers/concerns/foo.rb
module Foo
def some_method
end
end
class BarController < ApplicationController
include Foo
end
class BazController < ApplicationController
include Foo
end
If you instead need to move a request from one controller action to another you should be redirecting the user.
Related
Is it possible to make an includable controller action within a Rails Helper through an included block? I'm thinking something like this:
module XablauHelper
included do
def my_shared_action
true
end
end
end
Already tried doing it through class.eval block and through using like a class method i.e. self.my_shared_action but no success, I have already found a solution that is making a parent controller with the desired shared actions and inheriting from it, but for the sake of modular design I would like to make it a more "global" approach, so I could gemify my solution and reuse code, any suggestions that doesn't use inheritance?
Adding controller actions in a helper is probably the wrong choice, as these methods are intended for your views.
Consider using controller concerns instead, and including them where required. For example:
# in app/controllers/concerns/useful_functions_concern.rb
module UsefulFunctionsConcern
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
included do
rescue_from SomeException, with: :handle_access_denied
end
def useful_method
# ...
end
protected
def handle_access_denied
# ...
end
end
# in your controller
class XyzController < ApplicationController
include UsefulFunctionsConcern
def index
useful_method
end
end
Where common controller actions can be shared and the controllers have something in common e.g. they are all API controllers, also consider using inheritance to achieve this. For example:
# parent controller
class ApiController < ApplicationController
def my_shared_action
end
end
class SpecificApiController < ApiController
end
I have three models.
users_controllers.rb
communities_controller.rb
community_tipics_controller.rb
I'm using the function called check_digit
def checkdigit
(transaction)
end
and I'm placing this in all the controllers.and calling it by before_filter.
But I think I'm wasting because I'm just pasting exactly the same code above to all of the controllers.
Where am I supposed to put it if my controller is using it in common?
Should I put it in controllers/application_controller.rb?
There are several ways of doing this , some possible ways are (If I'm to do this)
1st method
If this is a simple method used by controllers
inside application_controller.rb
private
def checkdigit
(transaction)
end
2nd method
if your function is used by a specific category , (this is normally I do very often), create a separate controller and have your all other controllers inherited by it
Ex: if your method used only my admins, and assuming you have some more methods like that
class AdminController < ApplicationController
layout 'admin'
private
def checkdigit
(transaction)
end
end
and
class UsersController < AdminController
end
3rd method
If your method is/will used by models/controllers etc.. consider making it a module
module CommonMethods
def checkdigit
(transaction)
end
end
class UsersController < ApplicationController
include CommonMethods
end
HTH
You can put it in helpers/application_helper.rb
You are correct, all common methods that all controllers need should be stored in the ApplicationController.
Furthermore, you should also keep common logic between all controllers in this controller.
Edit:
If they are just helpers, then you would put them where the helpers go, see the answer by #simone.
If I've got a method in a different controller to the one I'm writing in, and I want to call that method, is it possible, or should I consider moving that method to a helper?
You could technically create an instance of the other controller and call methods on that, but it is tedious, error prone and highly not recommended.
If that function is common to both controllers, you should probably have it in ApplicationController or another superclass controller of your creation.
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
def common_to_all_controllers
# some code
end
end
class SuperController < ApplicationController
def common_to_some_controllers
# some other code
end
end
class MyController < SuperController
# has access to common_to_all_controllers and common_to_some_controllers
end
class MyOtherController < ApplicationController
# has access to common_to_all_controllers only
end
Yet another way to do it as jimworm suggested, is to use a module for the common functionality.
# lib/common_stuff.rb
module CommonStuff
def common_thing
# code
end
end
# app/controllers/my_controller.rb
require 'common_stuff'
class MyController < ApplicationController
include CommonStuff
# has access to common_thing
end
Try and progressively move you methods to your models, if they don't apply to a model then a helper and if it still needs to be accessed elsewhere put in the ApplicationController
If you requirement has to Do with some DB operations, then you can write a common function (class method) inside that Model. Functions defined inside model are accessible across to all the controllers. But this solution does to apply to all cases.
I don't know any details of your problem, but maybe paths could be solution in your case (especially if its RESTful action).
http://guides.rubyonrails.org/routing.html#path-and-url-helpers
I'm using the bitly gem and would like to have access to the bitly API inside my helper methods (which get called by views and mailers to generate URLs).
I initiate an API connection in this method in my ApplicationController:
(is there a more appropriate place to do this BTW?)
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
before_filter :bitly_connect
def bitly_connect
Bitly.use_api_version_3
#bitly ||= Bitly.new(APP_CONFIG['bitly_username'], APP_CONFIG['bitly_api_key'] )
end
end
By default I don't have access to #bitly in my helpers. Can you suggest a way to accomplish that?
The only related thread I found wasn't helpful:
Rails 3 and Controller Instance Variables Inside a Helper
Thanks.
Rails by convention passes instance variables set in the controller actions (and filters) along to the views. The helper methods are available in these views, and should have access to the instance variables you set inside your controller action.
Alternately, you can set a local variable inside your helper method by passing the variable to the method, or by using the Object#instance_variable_get method: http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Object.html#M001028
# app/controllers/example_controller.rb
class ExampleController
def index
#instance_variable = 'foo'
end
end
# app/helpers/example_helper.rb
module ExampleHelper
def foo
# instance variables set in the controller actions can be accessed here
#instance_variable # => 'foo'
# alternately using instance_variable_get
variable = instance_variable_get(:#instance_variable)
variable # => 'foo'
end
end
As for your concerns with the placement of the logic, it does not look like it belongs in the controller. Think of the controller as routing requests for your application. Most logic should be performed inside of your model classes. "Skinny controller, fat model.": http://weblog.jamisbuck.org/2006/10/18/skinny-controller-fat-model
If you need a controller method to be accessible as a helper, you can use helper_method
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
helper_method :bitly_connect
def bitly_connect
#bitly ||= begin
Bitly.use_api_version_3
Bitly.new(APP_CONFIG['bitly_username'], APP_CONFIG['bitly_api_key'] )
end
end
end
Note that I also altered the method, so that it doesn't call Bitly.use_api_version_3 each time it is called.
As Ben Simpson noted, you should probably move this into a Model though.
Does anyone know why I get
undefined method `my_method' for #<MyController:0x1043a7410>
when I call my_method("string") from within my ApplicationController subclass? My controller looks like
class MyController < ApplicationController
def show
#value = my_method(params[:string])
end
end
and my helper
module ApplicationHelper
def my_method(string)
return string
end
end
and finally, ApplicationController
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
after_filter :set_content_type
helper :all
helper_method :current_user_session, :current_user
filter_parameter_logging :password
protect_from_forgery # See ActionController::RequestForgeryProtection for details
You cannot call helpers from controllers. Your best bet is to create the method in ApplicationController if it needs to be used in multiple controllers.
EDIT: to be clear, I think a lot of the confusion (correct me if I'm wrong) stems from the helper :all call. helper :all really just includes all of your helpers for use under any controller on the view side. In much earlier versions of Rails, the namespacing of the helpers determined which controllers' views could use the helpers.
I hope this helps.
view_context is your friend, http://apidock.com/rails/AbstractController/Rendering/view_context
if you wanna share methods between controller and view you have further options:
use view_context
define it in the controller and make available in view by the helper_method class method http://apidock.com/rails/ActionController/Helpers/ClassMethods/helper_method
define it in a shared module and include/extend
Include ApplicationHelper in application_controller.rb file like this:
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
protect_from_forgery
include ApplicationHelper
end
This way all the methods defined in application_helper.rb file will be available in the controller.
You can also include individual helpers in individual controllers.
Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't the helpers just for views? Usually if you need a function in a controller, you put it into ApplicationController as every function there is available in its childclasses.
As said by gamecreature in this post:
In Rails 2 use the #template variable.
In Rails 3 use the controller method view_context
helpers are for views, but adding a line of code to include that helper file in ApplicationController.rb can take care of your problem. in your case, insert the following line in ApplicationController.rb:
include ApplicationHelper
As far as i know, helper :all makes the helpers available in the views...
Try appending module_function(*instance_methods) in your helper modules, after which you could directly call those methods on the module itself.
though its not a good practice to call helpers in controller since helpers are meant to be used at views
the best way to use the helpers in controller is to make a helper method in application_controller and call them to the controller,
but even if it is required to call the helper in a controller
then Just include the helper in the controller
class ControllerName < ApplicationController
include HelperName
...callback statements..
and call the helper methods directly to the controller
module OffersHelper
def generate_qr_code(text)
require 'barby'
require 'barby/barcode'
require 'barby/barcode/qr_code'
require 'barby/outputter/png_outputter'
barcode = Barby::QrCode.new(text, level: :q, size: 5)
base64_output = Base64.encode64(barcode.to_png({ xdim: 5 }))
"data:image/png;base64,#{base64_output}"
end
Controller
class ControllerName < ApplicationController
include OffersHelper
def new
generate_qr_code('Example Text')
end
end
hope this helps !
I had the same problem...
you can hack/bodge around it, put that logic into a model, or make a class specially for it. Models are accessible to controllers, unlike those pesky helper methods.
Here is my "rag.rb" model
class Rag < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :report
def miaow()
cat = "catattack"
end
end
Here is part of my "rags_controller.rb" controller
def update
#rag = Rag.find(params[:id])
puts #rag.miaow()
...
This gave a catattack on the terminal, after I clicked "update".
Given an instantiation, methods in the model can be called. Replace catattack with some codes. (This is the best I have so far)
:helper all only opens helpers up to views.
This shows how to make a class and call it.
http://railscasts.com/episodes/101-refactoring-out-helper-object?autoplay=true
Try this to access helper function directly from your controllers view_context.helper_name
You can include your helper methods into a controller with a helper keyword syntax
class MyController < ApplicationController
helper ApplicationHelper
end