Find account name

rubyonrails-talk
1

I have an accounts table ACCOUNTS id company_name

and a users table USERS id username password account_id

I want a page where I display the company_name for the user. So far, I managed to get the user_id from the session... <%= session[:user_id] %>

Now, I guess I can use the user_id, to find it's account_id, and then match the account_id and get the company_name.

I don't know, maybe I'm overcomplicating things. I just managed to get the user_id and I'm now stuck.

2

I have an accounts table ACCOUNTS id company_name

and a users table USERS id username password account_id

I want a page where I display the company_name for the user. So far, I managed to get the user_id from the session... <%= session[:user_id] %>

Now, I guess I can use the user_id, to find it's account_id, and then match the account_id and get the company_name.

If you have a user in current_user for example then the company is current_user.company, so the name is current_user.company.name. Such is the magic of Rails. Watch out for the cas when the user does not have a company, in which current_user.company will be nil. Check out the rails guide on ActiveRecord relationships to see how this all works.

Colin

3

If you have a user in current_user for example then the company is current_user.company, so the name is current_user.company.name. Such is the magic of Rails. Watch out for the cas when the user does not have a company, in which current_user.company will be nil. Check out the rails guide on ActiveRecord relationships to see how this all works.

Thanks! This is what I did...

CONTROLLER     current_user_id = session[:user_id]     @current_user = User.find(current_user_id)

TEMPLATE   <h2><%= @current_user.account.name %></h2>

Seems soo simple but it's not to us newbies.

4

Simplified it even more...

CONTROLLER @current_user = User.find(session[:user_id])

TEMPLATE <h2><%= @current_user.account.name %></h2>

5

Simplified it even moreeeee for the designer...

CONTROLLER @company_name = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name

TEMPLATE <h2><%= @company_name %></h2>

6

OK, but did you take heed of my warning in my first reply? Can you guarantee that a user will always have a company (even in unusual circumstances)? Add into your automated tests one where the user does not have a company and see what happens. (Hint, find returns nil if it cannot find what you are asking for).

Another point, it might be worth providing a method somewhere called current_user (possibly in application_controller) that does the find, then you will not need to keep typing the find everywhere you want current_user.

Colin

7

OK, but did you take heed of my warning in my first reply? Can you guarantee that a user will always have a company (even in unusual circumstances)? Add into your automated tests one where the user does not have a company and see what happens. (Hint, find returns nil if it cannot find what you are asking for).

Every time an user is created, the account_id is recorded on its row too. But sure it's good to have a safety net.

Another point, it might be worth providing a method somewhere called current_user (possibly in application_controller) that does the find, then you will not need to keep typing the find everywhere you want current_user.

Aight! DRYer and DRYer

8

Another point, it might be worth providing a method somewhere called current_user (possibly in application_controller) that does the find, then you will not need to keep typing the find everywhere you want current_user.

I'm trying to do exactly that, but the app doesn't seem to find the session if placed on the application controller.

ACCOUNTS_CONTROLLER (works fine) User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name

APPLICATION_CONTROLLER (error!) User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name

ERROR Couldn't find User without an ID

9

Found something very weird, the log trace reads...

EPRECATION WARNING: Disabling sessions for a single controller has been deprecated. Sessions are now lazy loaded. So if you don't access them, consider them off. You can still modify the session cookie options with request.session_options. (called from [..]/app/controllers/application_controller.rb:6)

10

Can you show us the code around the error and how you are calling it?

Colin

11

Ok, so I made this change: I used find_by_id instead of just find.

APPLICATION CONTROLLER @company_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id

ERROR Routing Error undefined method `account' for nil:NilClass

I'm not good at routing, but will read about it right now. If you got a suggestion is very much welcomed.

12

Colin Law wrote in post #950191:

APPLICATION_CONTROLLER (error!) User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name

ERROR Couldn't find User without an ID

Can you show us the code around the error and how you are calling it?

mmm... I think I need some tweaking on the routes file. This is all the code in my application controller

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base   before_filter :authorize

  protect_from_forgery

  @company_name = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name

  protected

    def authorize       unless User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])         redirect_to login_url, :notice => "Please log in"       end     end

end

13

You might be searching for a user before a session is established, as such the session[:user_id] is nil. You may need to revise the position of this statement: @company_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id in your application_controller. Remember that often the application controller the first to load even when you are just open your application. You may need to add a condition. Something like: @company_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id if session[:user_id]

A General Note:

Personally, I would not recommend writing User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id although Rails natually allows for this short cut. For testing sake (or whether you call it bug hunt), I would find the user first and search for the user’s account. In that way I will be able to test for the avaliabilty of the user and the availability of the account separately. I should say, despite that “every time an user is created, the account_id is recorded on its row too”, bugs are are bugs, they always bug. Anything can happen midway. So consider revising that statement. This is a personal preference, based on my experience. It is subject to comments and criticisms.

Happy coding.

14

For testing sake (or whether you call it bug hunt), I would find the user first and search for the user's account. In that way I will be able to test for the avaliabilty of the user and the availability of the account separately.

Thanks, ok, so I did this...

APPLICATION CONTROLLER class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base   before_filter :authorize

  protect_from_forgery

  @user_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])   @account_id = @user_id.account.id

  protected

    def authorize       unless User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])         redirect_to login_url, :notice => "Please log in"       end     end

end

ERROR Routing Error undefined method `account' for nil:NilClass

Like the error reads, I think I need to do something on the routes file. I'm not sure what 'cause I'm a newbie but I'm searching for the answer.

15

Doing it like that means that it will get executed when the controller loads, which in production will be only once. You need to put it in a method of application_controller then call it from your code when you want to know the result.

Are you using authlogic? If so I am sure the examples of how to use it include how to do a current_user method.

Colin

16

Colin Law wrote in post #950219:

protect_from_forgery

@user_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]) @account_id = @user_id.account.id

Doing it like that means that it will get executed when the controller loads, which in production will be only once. You need to put it in a method of application_controller then call it from your code when you want to know the result.

Are you using authlogic? If so I am sure the examples of how to use it include how to do a current_user method.

So you mean doing something like this in the application controller?   def current_user     User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])   end

I use the user id, the account id, the account name and the account id in several parts of the application. Everytime I need to access the data I have to add something like this on each controller method...

class AccountsController < ApplicationController   # GET /accounts   # GET /accounts.xml   def index     @accounts = Account.all

    @company_id = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.id     @company_name = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name     @company_address_one = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.address_one     @company_address_two = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.address_two     @company_city = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.city     @company_state = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.state     @company_zip = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.zip     @company_web_address = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.web_address     @company_phone_number_office = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.phone_number_office     @company_phone_number_fax = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.phone_number_fax

How can I make the company name available to all views with something like this... @company_name

17

Leonel *.* wrote in post #950292: [...]

So you mean doing something like this in the application controller?   def current_user     User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])   end

That's usually sensible.

I use the user id, the account id, the account name and the account id in several parts of the application. Everytime I need to access the data I have to add something like this on each controller method...

class AccountsController < ApplicationController   # GET /accounts   # GET /accounts.xml   def index     @accounts = Account.all

    @company_id = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.id     @company_name = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.name     @company_address_one = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.address_one     @company_address_two = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.address_two     @company_city = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.city     @company_state = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.state     @company_zip = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.zip     @company_web_address = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.web_address     @company_phone_number_office = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.phone_number_office     @company_phone_number_fax = User.find(session[:user_id]).account.phone_number_fax

No, you certainly don't. Since current_user is defined in ApplicationController, and since all your other controllers inherit from ApplicationController, all you need in your controller is

@current_user = current_user

and then do @current_user.account.whatever in the view.

How can I make the company name available to all views with something like this... @company_name

Use a before_filter or the technique I just described.

Best,

18

So you mean doing something like this in the application controller?   def current_user     User.find_by_id(session[:user_id])   end

That's usually sensible.

Since current_user is defined in ApplicationController, and since all your other controllers inherit from ApplicationController, all you need in your controller is

@current_user = current_user

and then do @current_user.account.whatever in the view.

How can I make the company name available to all views with something like this... @company_name

I tried it, and it does work. But how can I make it work on the APPLICATION CONTROLLER instead of on an individual controller. Several views need the account_id, so I would have to repeat myself in several controllers writing @company_name = company_name

For example with this code in the application controller...

  def company_id     @company_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id   end   @company_id = company_id

I get this error... Routing Error undefined local variable or method `company_id' for ApplicationController:Class

19

Still same error...

APPLICATION CONTROLLER   @company_id = company_id   def company_id     output_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id   end

ERROR Routing Error undefined local variable or method `company_id' for ApplicationController:Class

Why would it say the method is undefined, if it ISSSS defined? and why would it have something to do with the routes if it's just a simple method and a simple variable?

20

Leonel *.* wrote in post #955184:

Still same error...

APPLICATION CONTROLLER   @company_id = company_id   def company_id     output_id = User.find_by_id(session[:user_id]).account.id   end

ERROR Routing Error undefined local variable or method `company_id' for ApplicationController:Class

Why would it say the method is undefined, if it ISSSS defined?

Obviously it wouldn't.

You're defining an instance method, and apparently trying to call it as if it were a class method. The problem is apparently in the line @company_id = company_id: since that's outside any method definition, self is the ApplicationController class, not an instance. You need to put this line inside an instance method for it to do what you want.

If this is hard to understand, review the semantic and syntactical distinctions between class methods and instance methods in Ruby.

and why would it have something to do with the routes if it's just a simple method and a simple variable?

I don't think it does have to do with routes.

Best,