# Help with unless **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [December 23, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-unless/74399 "2005-12-23T00:03:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/steveoco)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-unless/74399/1 "2005-12-23T00:03:45Z")
Hi, I need a fresh set of eyes to look at this bit of controller code and tell me why I might be getting an error message: ``` lookup = Profit.find(:all, :conditions => [ "user_id = ? AND ``` product\_id = ?", uid, pid]) unless lookup.empty? if (lookup.updated\_on \> 360.minutes.ago) return end end If lookup is empty, then I get an error message that lookup.updated\_ondoesn’t exist. I’ve tried lookup.nil? but lookup gets returned in the form of [] so that empty works. But if lookup is empty should not the code inside the statement get ignored? Any suggestions on how I might rework that code? Thanks Steve O. [http://www.smarkets.net](http://www.smarkets.net) ---
**Author:** ![steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/steveoco)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-unless/74399/2 "2005-12-23T01:46:17Z")
On 12/22/05, Steve O. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > ``` > end > end > > ``` > > If lookup is empty, then I get an error message that lookup.updated\_on > doesn’t exist. I’ve tried lookup.nil? but lookup gets returned in the form > of [] so that empty works. But if lookup is empty should not the code inside > the statement get ignored? > > Any suggestions on how I might rework that code? Profit.find(:all) will return an array. The array will be empty if none of the conditions can be satisified. Later on, you’re calling updated\_on on the array object, and I don’t think that’s a valid method for an array object. You probably want to use Profit.find(:first) (or maybe even Profit.find\_by\_user\_id\_and\_product\_id(). ---
**Author:** ![steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/steveoco)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-unless/74399/3 "2005-12-23T03:52:33Z")
Yep. You guys were both right. I had changed my call from a find\_by\_user\_id to a find(:all) and find all expects there might be more than one in the array. Thanks. Steve ---
**Author:** ![steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@steveoco](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/steveoco)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/help-with-unless/74399/4 "2005-12-23T00:42:51Z")
:all returns an array of objects. :first would retrun the object in question and allow you to do that. I think you want lookup[0] - the first object in the array. On 12/22/05, Steve O. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > ``` > end > > ``` > > Steve O. > [http://www.smarkets.net](http://www.smarkets.net) > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) – [http://brantinteractive.com](http://brantinteractive.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid 4034 skippack pike v. 267.640.2195 f. 215.689.1454