Using saved object in same controller

Hi, I'm having a bit of an IF-statement-problem that produces a NoMethodError if it's included in my method, although there is a corresponding column in my table. What I want to do is check if an record exists, or else I would like to create a new one based on previously defined variables in my method.

def ait   @country = 'Some place warm'   @location = Location.find_by_adress(@requested_adress)   if @location = nil     @new_location = Location.new     @new_location.adress = @requested_adress     @new_location.country = @hostname     @new_location.save     @location = @location_ip   end   render :text => @location.country end

Without the if-statement, it all works fine but when it's included I get:

NoMethodError in TestsController#cached_hostname_reaction You have a nil object when you didn't expect it! The error occurred while evaluating nil.country

It seems to me that I'm missing some fundamental Ruby-aspect, but I can't figure out what...

Many thanks!

if @location.nil?

not if @location = nil