Help Adding "class method" to model

rubyonrails-talk
1

I can't help but think this should be really easy, but I am pulling my hair out.

I have a model "Task"

class Task < ActiveRecord::Base    acts_as_nested_set

   def rootsForUser(user)        ...    end end

In the controller, I have: @tasks = Task.rootsForUser(current_user)

I get "NoMethodError in TasksController#index"

Why can't I find it? (Is this some weird rails-ism where I haven't named the method the "correct" thing?)

Thanks in advance,

Alan

2

First of all, I *highly* suggest you stop your Rails stuff and learn Ruby itself:

http://whytheluckystiff.net/ruby/pickaxe/

That said, here's the short of what you're doing.

In your code, you're defining an instance method for Task. Thus t = Task.new; t.rootsForUser(user) is what you've told Ruby you want.

If you want a class method, it's simply:

class Task < ActiveRecord::Base   acts_as_nested_set

  def self.rootsForUser(user)       ...   end end

The reasons for the "self" are explained in the link above. Please read it.

Jason R.

3

Why can't I find it? (Is this some weird rails-ism where I haven't named the method the "correct" thing?)

Thanks in advance,

Alan

Hi Alan,

Does renaming your method to self.rootsForUser(user) help?

Robin

4

No, renaming it to self.rootsForUser(user) does not help. I get the same error.

--Alan

5

No, renaming it to self.rootsForUser(user) does not help. I get the
same error.

Well you do need to declare it as def self.rootsForUser(user) ... end that's just the way ruby works. On top of that there may be something
else wrong (the error message in the log files should say exactly
which method couldn't be found for example.

Fred

6

I made a mistake. It had gone on to my next problem. Which I now have resolved. Thanks for your help. I have read the pickaxe book, but for it to become working knowledge in my head I have to have done a project, which I am doing now. Perhaps I should have done something less ambitious, but I am learning a lot. :slight_smile:

Thanks,

Alan