sharing a method, model, module or ???

rubyonrails-talk
1

I need some overview thinking help.

I have Pictures model/controller but generally, I want to show pictures via a partial displayed in other controller views and I want to do things like choose the picture based upon various concepts of relevance. I also want to update a 'view_count' column in the Pictures model each time it is displayed.

So if in a partial in /users controller, I would love to be able to call some Picture method (either model or controller but probably controller is the more logical choice) but I can't figure a way to do this...

<%= PictureController.some_method %> clearly gives me an error

if I try to put that code into a model...

<%= Picture.some_method %> I am still up a creek without a paddle

this works but clearly doesn't belong in a view...

<% @pic_1 = Picture.find(:first, :conditions => ["active = true"], :order => 'view_count'); @pic_1.view_count += 1; @pic_1.save! %>

And of course my problem is that I want to use this 'partial' in a bunch of different controllers & actions which is why I don't want to include it in each controller/method.

What is the best way to handle something like this?

Craig

2

Why can't you stick all that in a class method on Picture ?

Fred

3

It depends on what you want the method to do. Inside the Picture class, this should work:

class Picture < ActiveRecord::Base

…

def self.get_most_viewed_picture pic = Picture.find(:first, :conditions => [“active = ?”, true], :order => ‘view_count DESC’) pic.increment! :view_count pic end

…

end

In the controller:

class UsersController < ApplicationController def index @picture = Picture.get_most_viewed_picture end end

In the view (/app/views/users/index.html.erb):

Most viewed picture:

<%= image_tag @picture.url %>

Should do the trick. If not, please explain a little more.

:slight_smile: Lasse

4

It depends on what you want the method to do. Inside the Picture class, this should work:

class Picture < ActiveRecord::Base   # ...   def self.get_most_viewed_picture     pic = Picture.find(:first, :conditions => ["active = ?", true], :order => 'view_count DESC')     pic.increment! :view_count     pic   end   # ... end

In the controller:

class UsersController < ApplicationController   def index     @picture = Picture.get_most_viewed_picture   end end

In the view (/app/views/users/index.html.erb):

<h2>Most viewed picture:</h2> <%= image_tag @picture.url %>

Should do the trick. If not, please explain a little more.