Find_by should return a default

Rails
1

Hi,

I am puzzlin for quite a while on this. I use find_by methods to retieve
AR objects. In some cases find_by will return nil if there is no match.
However I would like to have find_by return a default object instead.

Is there a way to overload that particular find_by method? Or whats the
best way to implement it.

Thanks
Jens

2

I am puzzlin for quite a while on this. I use find_by methods to
retieve
AR objects. In some cases find_by will return nil if there is no
match.
However I would like to have find_by return a default object instead.

Is there a way to overload that particular find_by method? Or whats
the
best way to implement it.

My first thought is that overloading this is very dangerous as you
completely lose the ability to hop into the console and run say
User.find_by_login(‘philip’) and get the ‘philip’ user or nil. I
could see some nasty side affects here.

If it were me I’d either make it explicit in the code
“Model.find_by_foo() || Model.get_default()” or extend AR to support
find_by_xxx_or_default and then call it that way. Don’t forget though
that “xxx” might also be “xxx_and_yyy_and_zzz”.

-philip

3

Thanks Philip. I used something similar to your suggestion
“Model.find_by_foo() || Model.get_default()”. I#d rather be explicit on
that.

Jens

If it were me I’d either make it explicit in the code
“Model.find_by_foo() || Model.get_default()” or extend AR to support
find_by_xxx_or_default and then call it that way. Don’t forget though
that “xxx” might also be “xxx_and_yyy_and_zzz”.

-philip