# Can you use a mixin to add action methods to an ActionContro **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 21, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-you-use-a-mixin-to-add-action-methods-to-an-actioncontro/104727 "2007-05-21T23:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pacred](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pacred](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pacred)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-you-use-a-mixin-to-add-action-methods-to-an-actioncontro/104727/1 "2007-05-21T23:00:11Z")
I am trying to use a module to define a common interface between several ActiveRecord model classes, but I am having trouble setting the instance variable in the mixin functions. For example, I have a function, def showusername @user = … end If I put this function in the action controller, it works fine, but if I move it to the module, the instance variable @user is nil when I try to call it in the .rhtml file. Does anyone know why this is? Did I just implement the code incorrectly or am I using mixins incorrectly I briefly read that you can only use mixins to define non-action methods. Does anyone know if this is true and why that would be the case? Anyway, I would greatly appreciate any advice. I found examples of people using mixins to add methods to Active Record classes, but none of these functions tried to set instance variables or acted as action methods, so I feel I am incorrectly using the mixin. Thanks, Chris – View this message in context: [http://www.nabble.com/Can-you-use-a-mixin-to-add-action-methods-to-an-ActionController--tf3756642.html#a10617591](http://www.nabble.com/Can-you-use-a-mixin-to-add-action-methods-to-an-ActionController--tf3756642.html#a10617591) Sent from the RubyOnRails Users mailing list archive at [Nabble.com](http://Nabble.com).