Delegate all method calls on a model to an association - ruby-on-rails

I am having an ActiveRecord model with a polymorphic association like this:
class Reach < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :reachable, :polymorphic => true
end
This model acts like a proxy. What I need to do is to forward all method calls on that object to the associated object :reachable. I think delegate won't help here because I have to explicitly name all the methods I need to delegate. I need something like delegate :all to delegate all methods (not all method).

Since Rails 5.1+ you can delegate everything not implemented with delegate_missing_to :reachable
Basically, do what you expect.
You could read more on the Api Doc
If you are stuck in a previous version then just recommend using the method_missing from #Veraticus answer, is less performance-wise as mentioned but I think is the more flexible approach.

There are two things you can do here:
The slower (performance-wise) but easier method is to use method_missing:
class Reach < ActiveRecord::Base
def method_missing(method, *args)
return reachable.send(method, *args) if reachable.respond_to?(method)
super
end
end
The faster performing method would be to define each method dynamically that you want to delegate:
class Reach < ActiveRecord::Base
[:all, :my, :methods, :here].each do |m|
define_method(m) do |*args|
reachable.send(m, *args)
end
end
end
You could even use that method in a more dynamic manner, if you wanted, by taking the Reach class, finding the methods that are defined on it and it alone, and defining only those on Reachable. I would do it by hand though because there are some you probably won't want to include.

For Rails, I did the following:
class User < ApplicationRecord
has_one :member
delegate (Member.new.attributes.keys - User.new.attributes.keys), to: :member
end
the - User.new... is to not override existing attributes on User (e.g., created_at)
I'm not sure how this approach would work with polymorphism, however.

I have found a neat way to approach the problem using refinements. There already is a class in the standard library that allows the delegation of every method call to a target object. Delegator and by extension SimpleDelegator
Now there is a way to insert SimpleDelegator into your inheritance chain without inheriting from it directly using refinements:
def self.include_delegator
mod = Module.new do
include refine(SimpleDelegator) { yield if block_given? }
end
self.send :include, mod
end
include_delegator
Now in order to take advantage of SimpleDelegator set the delegation target in an after initialize callback like so:
after_initialize do |instance|
__setobj__(instance.reachable)
end
This is equivalent to inheriting directly from SimpleDelegator and setting the delegation in the construction, there is no manual housekeeping of methods to delegate and you can avoid using method missing.

Related

Accessing class property to define instance methods in rails concern

I'm trying my hands on metaprogramming after a long pause. I found a few questions but could not get an input to solve my problem so I hope someone can enlighten me.
In a rails 5 app, I am trying to write a concern that provides a class method to set configuration options. With those options, I want to define instance methods.
module Base64Attachable
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
class_methods do
attr_reader :base64_attachable_property
private
def base64_attachable(property)
#base64_attachable_property = property
end
end
included do
# ?
end
end
The concern above is used inside a User model:
class User < ApplicationRecord
include Base64Attachable
base64_attachable :image
end
In my understanding, the concern sets up the class method that is being called in the user model. However I do not seem to be able to get the base64_attachable_property inside the included block to define further methods based on the value of it. I thought I would find anything I need in self.class inside the included block, but that's not the case.
The aim in this case is to use define_method to define setters, getters and other methods for image in the user model.
What am I missing here?
The included block is run at the moment the concern is included on the class, the base64_attachable :image line is not run yet.
I'd suggest you follow what official gems does. Check ActiveStorage for example https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/530f7805ed5790af1d472a041bc74089dc183f47/activestorage/lib/active_storage/attached/model.rb#L35. It defines the methods that depends on that property right inside the class method (it uses class_eval, but I guess you can use define_method too):
def has_one_attached(name, dependent: :purge_later)
generated_association_methods.class_eval <<-CODE, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
def #{name}
#active_storage_attached_#{name} ||= ActiveStorage::Attached::One.new("#{name}", self)
end
def #{name}=(attachable)
attachment_changes["#{name}"] =
if attachable.nil?
ActiveStorage::Attached::Changes::DeleteOne.new("#{name}", self)
else
ActiveStorage::Attached::Changes::CreateOne.new("#{name}", self, attachable)
end
end
CODE
has_one :"#{name}_attachment", ......etc....

rails - instance model include module on variable condition

I need to know if I can include a module to an instantiated model.
What works today :
in the controller
#m = MyModel.create(params)
in the model
class Doc < ActiveRecord::Base
after_save :set_include
def set_include
if bool
self.class.send(:include, Module1)
else
self.class.send(:include, Module2)
end
end
end
and this works, but I'm afraid that self.class actually include the module for the class model an not the instantiated model
In this case, this will work.
The module methods are call after the object is saved.
But in many case, the controller will call some modules methods.
I thought of called the method set_include (up there) in a before_action of the controller.
But I really thinks that is not a good idea...
Any idea how I can really do that with in a good way ?
thanks !
Answer to your direct question is no. Your code only appears to be working and is actually not modifying instance of a class, but the class itself. So all instances of it will be getting this "benefit". Probably not what you wanted. Let me demonstrate with simple ruby example: https://repl.it/BnLO
What you can do instead is use extend with instance like: https://repl.it/BnLO/2
Applied to your code it would be:
class Doc < ActiveRecord::Base
after_save :set_include
def set_include
if bool
extend(Module1)
else
extend(Module2)
end
end
end
Also, self is not necessary. https://repl.it/BnLO/3
You need to use instance class (a.k.a eigenklass):
def set_include
singleton_class.instance_eval do
include bool ? Module1 : Module2
end
end
However the fact that you want to do this is suspicious and might lead to a disaster. So the question is: what are you really trying to achieve here - there surely is the better way of doing so.

Ruby, inheritance, self.inherited and instance_methods()

I'm working on rails app (3.2.11), and i'm implementing services as singleton, using the Ruby Library's one. I was trying to avoid calling :instance method every time I need it (SomethingService.instance.get(some_id)), solving my problem like this
class SomethingService
include Singleton
class << self
extend Forwardable
def_delegators :instance, *ShoppingListService.instance_methods(false)
end
end
So this solution was working perfectly fine but i've got a lot of services, and i don't want to add this code to all my classes! Instead i was trying to put in in a super class like this :
class ServiceBase
include Singleton
def self.inherited(subclass)
super(subclass) # needed because inherited is override by Singleton
class << subclass
extend Forwardable
def_delegators :instance, *self.instance_methods(false)
end
end
end
But this is giving me a stack level too deep error... Any ideas guys?
It's probably a better idea to use method_missing here. def_delegators is executed when the class is evaluated, and may happen before your methods are even defined, simply because you are inheriting from that base class.
You could try something like this instead, which forwards any undefined message onto the instance:
class ServiceBase
class << self
def method_missing(name, *args, &block)
instance.send(name, *args, &block)
end
end
end
It may look like a bit of a scattershot approach when compared to delegation. You could do a check to see if the instance method exists first, but I don't think that's necessary - you're simply transferring the undefined method handling to the instance rather than the class.
One final point/question - can you elaborate on what benefit you get from the Singleton class in the first place?

Rails: Passing Variables from a Class Method to an Instance Method

I have several models that share a concern. Each model passes in a hash, which is meant to handle minor differences in the way they use the concern. I pass the hash in through a class method like so:
add_update_to :group, :user
The full code for the concern is:
module Updateable
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
attr_accessor :streams
module ClassMethods
def add_updates_to(*streams)
#streams = streams
end
end
module InstanceMethods
def update_streams
#streams.collect{|stream| self.public_send(stream)}
end
end
included do
has_one :update, :as => :updatable
after_create :create_update_and_history
end
private
def create_update_and_history
update = self.create_update(:user_id => User.current.id)
self.update_streams.each do |stream|
stream.histories.create(:update_id => update.id)
end
end
end
Most of this code works, but I'm having trouble passing the hash from the class to an instance. At the moment, I'm trying to achieve this effect by creating a virtual attribute, passing the hash to the attribute, and then retrieving it in the instance. Not only does this feel hacky, it doesn't work. I'm assuming it doesn't work because #streams is an instance variable, so the class method add_update_to can't actually set it?
Whatever the case, is there a better way to approach this problem?
You could probably use class variables here, but those are pretty reviled in the Ruby community due to their unpredictable nature. The thing to remember is that classes in Ruby are actually also instances of classes, and can have their own instance variables that are only accessible to themselves, and not accessible to their instances (if that is in any way clear).
In this case, you are defining behavior, and not data, so I think neither instance nor class variables are appropriate. Instead, I think your best bet is to define the instance methods directly within the class method, like this:
module Updateable
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
module ClassMethods
def add_updates_to(*streams)
define_method :update_streams do
streams.collect {|stream| public_send(stream) }
end
end
end
end
BTW, there is no hash involved here, so I'm not sure what you were referring to. *streams collects your arguments into an Array.

Wrapping an object with methods from another class

Let's say I have a model called Article:
class Article < ActiveRecord::Base
end
And then I have a class that is intended to add behavior to an article object (a decorator):
class ArticleDecorator
def format_title
end
end
If I wanted to extend behavior of an article object, I could make ArticleDecorator a module and then call article.extend(ArticleDecorator), but I'd prefer something like this:
article = ArticleDecorator.decorate(Article.top_articles.first) # for single object
or
articles = ArticleDecorator.decorate(Article.all) # for collection of objects
How would I go about implementing this decorate method?
What exactly do you want from decorate method? Should it simply add some new methods to passed objects or it should automatically wrap methods of these objects with corresponding format methods? And why do you want ArticleDecorator to be a class and not just a module?
Updated:
Seems like solution from nathanvda is what you need, but I'd suggest a bit cleaner version:
module ArticleDecorator
def format_title
"#{title} [decorated]"
end
def self.decorate(object_or_objects_to_decorate)
object_or_objects_to_decorate.tap do |objects|
Array(objects).each { |obj| obj.extend ArticleDecorator }
end
end
end
It does the same thing, but:
Avoids checking type of the arguments relying on Kernel#Array method.
Calls Object#extend directly (it's a public method so there's no need in invoking it through send).
Object#extend includes only instance methods so we can put them right in ArticleDecorator without wrapping them with another module.
May I propose a solution which is not using Module mixins and thereby granting you more flexibility. For example, using a solution a bit more like the traditional GoF decorator, you can unwrap your Article (you can't remove a mixin if it is applied once) and it even allows you to exchange the wrapped Article for another one in runtime.
Here is my code:
class ArticleDecorator < BasicObject
def self.[](instance_or_array)
if instance_or_array.respond_to?(:to_a)
instance_or_array.map {|instance| new(instance) }
else
new(instance_or_array)
end
end
attr_accessor :wrapped_article
def initialize(wrapped_article)
#wrapped_article = wrapped_article
end
def format_title
#wrapped_article.title.upcase
end
protected
def method_missing(method, *arguments)
#wrapped_article.method(method).call(*arguments)
end
end
You can now extend a single Article by calling
extended_article = ArticleDecorator[article]
or multiple articles by calling
articles = [article_a, article_b]
extended_articles = ArticleDecorator[articles]
You can regain the original Article by calling
extended_article.wrapped_article
Or you can exchange the wrapped Article inside like this
extended_article = ArticleDecorator[article_a]
extended_article.format_title
# => "FIRST"
extended_article.wrapped_article = article_b
extended_article.format_title
# => "SECOND"
Because the ArticleDecorator extends the BasicObject class, which has almost no methods already defined, even things like #class and #object_id stay the same for the wrapped item:
article.object_id
# => 123
extended_article = ArticleDecorator[article]
extended_article.object_id
# => 123
Notice though that BasicObject exists only in Ruby 1.9 and above.
You'd extend the article class instance, call alias_method, and point it at whatever method you want (although it sounds like a module, not a class, at least right now). The new version gets the return value and processes it like normal.
In your case, sounds like you want to match up things like "format_.*" to their respective property getters.
Which part is tripping you up?
module ArticleDecorator
def format_title
"Title: #{title}"
end
end
article = Article.top_articles.first.extend(ArticleDecorator) # for single object
Should work fine.
articles = Article.all.extend(ArticleDecorator)
May also work depending on ActiveRecord support for extending a set of objects.
You may also consider using ActiveSupport::Concern.

Resources