# How to create an object in environment.rb and use it to shar **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 19, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332 "2005-11-19T00:07:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivanvega)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332/1 "2005-11-19T00:07:23Z")
Hi, I was using a global ($) variable for this, but it seems global variables remain loaded all the time that webrick is running, and I need a fresh object for each HTTP request. So I was trying to use the request.env array to add my own data there, but it seems that that object isn’t created in environment.rb, so I cannot use that approach. I need to create an object with some default values on environment.rb, and then each controller can override any of its attributes. Could you please help me out? - Ivan V. ---
**Author:** ![ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivanvega)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332/2 "2005-11-19T01:39:56Z")
ivanvega wrote: > Hi, > > I was using a global ($) variable for this, but it seems global > variables remain loaded all the time that webrick is running, and I need > a fresh object for each HTTP request. > > So I was trying to use the request.env array to add my own data there, > but it seems that that object isn’t created in environment.rb, so I > cannot use that approach. I need to create an object with some default > values on environment.rb, and then each controller can override any of > its attributes. > > Could you please help me out? > > - Ivan V. Hey Ivan, As newby-on-rails, I don’t know if this suggestion will be of any help to you, but for what it’s worth… Because I will soon need to figure out how to do what is commonly referred to as an “application variable” in other languages… (i.e. a variable that all open sessions have access to). I started doing some research & ran across something called “PStore”. It’s described as a way of storing session information in a file in the tmp dir… I know this is not what you are trying to do, but since it’s possible, I assume, to read & write to this file from anywhere in the app (I think read & write locking is built-in), perhaps you could use it for your purposes? I haven’t figured out how to use it yet, but here’s a wiki entry that mentions it as well as other approaches; [http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtoChangeSessionStore/](http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/HowtoChangeSessionStore/) I hope you get a more useful answer from someone who knows far more than I… Randy ---
**Author:** ![ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivanvega)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332/3 "2005-11-19T01:59:06Z")
Hey, Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, as you point out, that’s not what I’m trying to do, because I need a clean object variable each time a page is requested, so a session/file wouldn’t work (well it could, but it would be very complicated and way overkill). But I’m thinking that might be of use for another area of my project! I believe this is only an issue with webrick, because the application is running the whole time, so I suppose Apache wouldn’t have this problem because it runs the script from scratch for each request, I think… Let’s hope someone can help me out! Ivan V. ---
**Author:** ![ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivanvega)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332/4 "2005-11-21T19:13:42Z")
Ezra Z. wrote: > attr\_writer :foo > think this is what you are trying to do. Let me know if you need more > help. > > Cheers- > > -Ezra Thanks a lot Ezra, that’s just what I was looking for. Ivan V. ---
**Author:** ![ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/9fc348/32.png) [@ivanvega](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ivanvega)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-to-create-an-object-in-environment-rb-and-use-it-to-shar/48332/5 "2005-11-19T02:14:10Z")
Ivan- ``` You can place a before filter in your application.rb that gets ``` initialized to whatever you want on each request. Like htis: class ApplicationController \< ActionController::Base ``` before_filter :setup_foo attr_reader :foo attr_writer :foo def setup_foo @foo = {:a => 'foo, :b => 'bar', :c => 'qux'} end ``` end ``` Now @foo will be available to all your controllers and views. And ``` the attr\_reader and attr\_writer will set it up so your controllers can modify foo per request. But @foo will be reset on each request. I think this is what you are trying to do. Let me know if you need more help. Cheers- -Ezra On Nov 18, 2005, at 4:57 PM, Iván Vega R. wrote: > have this problem because it runs the script from scratch for each > > > > values on environment.rb, and then each controller can override > > > As newby-on-rails, I don’t know if this suggestion will be of any > > > but since it’s possible, I assume, to read & write to this file > > > > Randy > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) -Ezra Z. Yakima Herald-Republic WebMaster > **[yakimaherald.com | Yakima, Washington - We Tell Your Stories](https://www.yakimaherald.com/)** 509-577-7732 removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid