code layout question

rubyonrails-talk
1

I'm trying to figure out where to put objects that aren't strictly "model" objects (ie, not database/business objects, these are actually objects holding information regarding the ui). I've seen a couple answers which is to create the classes in a module file in /lib, or to create the objects as non-ActiveRecord class files.

Both of these solutions work, of course. However, when working in the rails development environment they aren't reloaded on the fly in webrick/mongrel when they're modified. Restarting the server everytime I modify one is a bit of a pain.

The one fix I have found is to just throw the class definitions in one of the Helper files and instantiate it with the full path, with an eye to moving it to lib when finished. It works, but it's really nasty and I would prefer to come up with a "right" solution.

The concept would be, for instance, that I am creating a web application that has multiple windows. Each window is an instantiation of a Frame object, it's the Frame objects I need to know where to put.

Thanks for any help!

H

2

Put them in /lib.

To make the classes reload automatically:

class YourLibClass include Reloadable #pretty sure that’s the name … end

Jason

3

Leave them in /lib and put this at the top of your class...

class MyClass     include Reloadable

That should solve the reloading issue in development.

hardaur@gmail.com wrote:

4

  include Reloadable #pretty sure that's the name

That's it, however sometimes Rails is weird about when it'll reload and when it won't. I still have to restart webrick/mongrel in a few cases (which I can't remember at the moment). Anyone care to enumerate them here?

5

Hrm, I try that, and restart the server. First request is fine, hit reload (change or no change to class) returns:

NameError in TestController#index

uninitialized constant MyClass

Here's the module file currently in /lib

module MyLib   class MyClass     include Reloadable

    def doit       puts "This work?"     end   end end

6

probably seeing what eden li was talking about. I forgot to include the code in the controller that calls it. . .

x = MyLib::MyClass.new x.doit

Hardy

Hardy wrote:

7

Can you post the code to TestController#index?

Jason

8

class TestController < ApplicationController   def index     puts "in index"     x = MyLib::Duh.new     x.doit   end end

See anything? *hopes*

Jason Roelofs wrote:

9

Umm, please change "Duh" to "MyClass" ; )

Cleaning up obnoxious code for public presentation.

Hardy wrote:

10

I think I see what’s going on here. The lib/ system is very dependent on the filename <-> classname relationship. Thus, you have lib/my_lib.rb, Rails is going to look for class MyLib. Otherwise, you have to manually require the file when you want to use it.

So in your case, try moving MyClass out of the module, and make sure that the file is named lib/my_class.rb. That should take care of this problem.

jason

11

That did it!! Kind of strange it didn't like it from the module, but it's not a problem for the application to just define a class file.

Thank you all very much!!

H

12

The lib/ system is very dependent on the filename <-> classname relationship.

Aha! That solves my problem too. Is this documented somewhere? Things outside of app/, config/ (except routes.rb) and public/ all seem magical to me.