# Call model method out of the controller =\> undefined method

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 23, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064 "2007-11-23T12:19:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danmcb)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064/1 "2007-11-23T12:19:50Z")

</div>

Hi,

I’m a newby and I fight with the Rails convention - i think so.  
I’ve done little tools and scripts in Ruby before.

I’ve successfully uploaded a textfile. And now i want to extract some  
filecontent to pass it into a database.

My Problem:  
I can not start a given method of a given Model (=\>  
Metadata.extract\_content(fileuri)). The error message ‘undefined method  
`extract\_content’ for Metadata:Class’ is raised. But the method is still  
there!?

My Controller Action:  
#########################################

def upload  
@schema\_file = params[:schema\_file]

```
@file = File.new(File.join("D:","testfile.txt"), "wb")
if @schema_file
  @file << @schema_file.read
end
@file.close

Metadata.extract_content(@file) # <- error causing line

render :action => 'load'

```

end

#########################################

My Model:  
#########################################

class Metadata \< ActiveRecord::Base

def extract\_content file  
# logic  
end

end

#########################################

Apart from this i’m not allowed to call any extern method out of the  
controller. (?)

- How can i call extern method?
- Are there any RoR conventions or constrains for this topic?

Thanks for helping.  
Daniel

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danmcb)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 12:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064/2 "2007-11-23T12:23:13Z")

</div>

use:

class Metadata …  
def self.extract\_content …

to define it on class level

your version would have to be called with an object:  
@thing = Metadata.new(…)  
@thing.extract\_content(@file)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danmcb)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064/3 "2007-11-23T12:36:38Z")

</div>

Thanks. Problem solved.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@danmcb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/danmcb)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/call-model-method-out-of-the-controller-undefined-method/121064/4 "2007-12-04T17:04:09Z")

</div>

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