uninitialized constant error in app but not when using console

I've got a wierd issue here and maybe someone can assist

i created a module in my apps lib directory which i use for authenticating against an external source (among other things).

lib/myapp.rb

Chris Hall wrote:

I've got a wierd issue here and maybe someone can assist

i created a module in my apps lib directory which i use for authenticating against an external source (among other things).

lib/myapp.rb -----------------

require 'rubygems' require_gem 'activerecord'

# uses activerecord odbc adapter by openlink module MyApp   module ExternalSource     class Connection < ActiveRecord::Base       def self.authenticate(opts = {:login => "", :password => "", :env => "")         begin           ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(             :adapter => "odbc",             :dsn => opts[:env],             :username => opts[:login],             :password => opts[:password],             :trace => true           )         rescue Exception => e           raise e         ensure           self.connection.disconnect! if self.connection.active?         end         true       end     end   end end

in my auth controller i have

auth_controller.rb -------------------------

require 'myapp.rb'

class AuthController < ApplicationController   def login     begin       auth = MyApp::ExternalSource::Connection.authenticate(:login => params[:login], :password => params[:password], :env => "MYAPP_" + RAILS_ENV.upcase)     rescue Exception => e       ...     end   end

  def logout     ...   end end

now, when i attempt to login, i get an exception raised:

uninitialized constant Connection

however, if i run it from the console:

Loading development environment.

require 'MyApp'

=> true

auth = MyApp::ExternalSource::Connection.authenticate(:login =>

"xxx", :password => "xxx", :env => "xxx") => true

no constant error.

any ideas on this?

Chris, are you sure the myapp.rb file you're requiring in your controller and the MyApp.rb file you're requiring in your console test are the same, because there's a missing close brace in the parameters to authenticate in the source of myapp.rb you posted.

Mark,

that's a typo and cut/paste error on my part.

module MyApp   module ExternalSource     class Connection < ActiveRecord::Base       def self.authenticate(opts = {:login => "", :password => "", :env => ""})         begin           self.establish_connection(             :adapter => "odbc",             :dsn => opts[:env],             :username => opts[:login],             :password => opts[:password],             :trace => true           )         rescue Exception => e           raise e         ensure           self.connection.disconnect! if self.connection.active?         end         true       end     end   end end

additional info:

if i add the following in my login action

logger.info MyApp.constants.join(", ")

i see (in log):

ExternalSource

if i add:

logger.info MyApp::ExternalSource.constants.join(", ")

i get a blank line in the log

from the console i see:

MyApp.constants

=> ["ExternalSource"]

MyApp::ExternalSource.constants

=> ["Connection"]

Chris

Chris Hall wrote:

logger.info MyApp::ExternalSource.constants.join(", ")

i get a blank line in the log

Do you see any errors in the log regarding the loading of the MyApp module?

Is your app in production mode? Have you got more than one version of the ActiveRecord gem or vendor dist installed? Have you tried requiring myapp.rb in environment.rb?

Is your app in production mode?

no.

Have you got more than one version of the ActiveRecord gem or vendor dist installed?

no, only AR 1.14.4

Have you tried requiring myapp.rb in environment.rb?

yes, exhibits same behavior.

i've done some more testing and have concluded that it has something to do with the Connection class being a subclass of ActiveRecord::Base and that it's used within a rails app.

allowing Rails to display the exception in the browser shows me:

This error occured while loading the following files:    my_app/external_source/connection.rb

which tells me rails is mapping MyApp::ExternalSource::Connection to the above path which of course does not exist.

if i remove making Connection a subclass of ActiveRecord::Base, the problem I have goes away, however, the AR connection I make in Connection becomes the default Rails connection and my app breaks entirely.

Specifically, I just need a connection to the external source for:

1) authentication (done by creating a connection to the external source. if connection established, auth is successful). 2) running various queries through the connection as stored procedure calls.

what I don't need is all the automagic extras. just the connection please.

fyi, using the module alone works great. it's only when i attempt to use it within rails that i have problems.