# Link\_to/url\_for in an "model" object quandry

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 4, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952 "2009-03-04T05:58:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/1 "2009-03-04T05:58:08Z")

</div>

OK, I’ve googled and found some discussion about this and seen the  
scolding about breaking the MVC pattern as in “why do you need to do  
that?”, but I _do_ have a situation where it makes some sense. Let me  
describe…

I have a new service called [redeyestats.com](http://redeyestats.com) and the major function is  
to send a daily email with a report (specifically a daily stats  
listing for sports players that the user is following). This report  
mirrors a page with the same info on the site.

I want to keep things DRY, so it seemed like a good idea to create a  
Reporter class that would compile each player report for both cases of  
a) compiling the email and b) the site’s page listing. Each player  
report has links in it to the player’s page, their team page, and to a  
game page for their latest game.

So, I do have a need to build links within this reporter object. It’s  
not a model object in the sense of MVC, but it’s not a controller or a  
view and , so, it doesn’t resolve the named routes.

I’m open to suggestions for another approach that will work for both  
of my use cases… or for a way to make this work as designed.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this work? Thx

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/2 "2009-03-04T15:05:11Z")

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On Tue, 3 Mar 2009 20:56:47 -0800 (PST)  
lunaclaire [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> I have a new service called [redeyestats.com](http://redeyestats.com) and the major function is  
> to send a daily email with a report (specifically a daily stats  
> listing for sports players that the user is following). This report  
> mirrors a page with the same info on the site.
> 
> I want to keep things DRY, so it seemed like a good idea to create a  
> Reporter class that would compile each player report for both cases of  
> a) compiling the email and b) the site’s page listing. Each player  
> report has links in it to the player’s page, their team page, and to a  
> game page for their latest game.

This sounds like a pretty straightforward use case for ActionMailer. You  
can add links to your email via actionmailer templates (via link\_to).  
Then you can use the regular controller/view mechanism for your pages.

So in summary

1. Store all of your player data in the model
2. Use an actionmailer template for the email
3. Use normal views for the pages

## SH

Starr H.  
My blog: [http://starrhorne.com](http://starrhorne.com)  
Check out my Helpdesk RailsKit: [http://railskits.com/helpdesk/](http://railskits.com/helpdesk/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/3 "2009-03-04T18:12:18Z")

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It does seem like it should be straightforward, but there’s a bunch of  
complex logic that I dont want to put directly into views. Initially I  
had it in a helper, then pulled it into the Reporter object I  
mentioned, but then I got the problem I mentioned.

My latest has the logic in a Module. What I find interesting is that  
when called from the views (pages), it works fine; but when called  
from the mailer, I get the following:

undefined method `player\_url’ for ReportHelper:Module

Here’s some of the code in the module:

module ReportHelper

include ActionView::Helpers::UrlHelper  
include ActionController::UrlWriter  
include ActionView::Helpers::TagHelper

def self.html\_tracker\_report(player, stat, updates, last\_update,  
for\_email=false)  
output = []  
spacer = "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"

```
if for_email
  line = '<span style="font-weight: bold;">' + link_to(player.name,

```

player\_url(player), :style =\> “color: #666; font-weight:bold; text-  
decoration: none;”) + ‘’ + spacer  
else  
line = ‘’ + link\_to(player.name,  
player\_path(player)) +’’ + spacer  
end  
end

Note the includes and note the logic (“if for\_email”) that is set up  
to separately deal with CSS issues in the email. It’s slightly  
different where the email part uses player\_url vs player\_path, but  
I’ve tried both and still see problems in resolving the named route.

One more detail that might give a clue: The emails are generated from  
a rake task (invoked by a cron job) rather than from some use action  
on the site. I dont think that makes a difference, but, maybe…?

My guess is that I haven’t included something… or maybe I’m not  
calling link\_to correctly for this case. But, I dont see it so any  
help is appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/4 "2009-03-04T20:37:43Z")

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Thx again, Starr.

The thing is, I already have the line:

include ActionController::UrlWriter

in the module. And get the error.

And I don’t think I can just put the ‘default\_url\_options’ line in  
there…isn’t that an ActionMailer options hash?

Or am I missing it completely as to where to put these lines?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/5 "2009-03-04T21:37:26Z")

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On Mar 4, 2:26 pm, lunaclaire [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Or am I missing it completely as to where to put these lines?

I’m not clear why you’re trying to do this formatting in a helper -  
isn’t this a task better suited for a partial? The typical Rails idiom  
would be to have methods in the model that return the objects you’re  
interested in (in this case, players and however you’re representing  
updates), while the view code takes care of producing the actual  
output.

Note that the “no logic in views” rule is more like a guideline - not  
a reason to insist on lobotomized views. If there’s logic that solely  
concerns views (ie show/hide things based on state, user  
authorization, etc), it belongs in the view.

–Matt J.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/6 "2009-03-04T23:20:02Z")

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OK, thank you all for getting my head straightened out.

I refactored and dumped the Reporter object and the ReportHelper  
module and went back to having all the needed code in  
ApplicationHelper. I liked the idea of encapsulating the entire  
report in an object to produce it and then rendering it line by line  
in the email, but this works.

I guess everything just needs to be kept in its place. 🙂

Thx again and sorry for the noise.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lunaclaire](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/lunaclaire)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/link-to-url-for-in-an-model-object-quandry/161952/7 "2009-03-04T18:44:13Z")

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> One more detail that might give a clue: The emails are generated from  
> a rake task (invoked by a cron job) rather than from some use action  
> on the site. I dont think that makes a difference, but, maybe…?

Named routes aren’t accessible by default in the console, and I imagine  
they aren’t in your rake task, either.

Here’s instructions on how to include them:

> **[Testing Named Routes in the Rails Console](https://stuartsierra.com/2008/01/08/testing-named-routes-in-the-rails-console)**
>
> I finally found out how to do this, from the Rails Routing shortcut by David Black. In the Rails console, do this: include ActionController::UrlWriter default\_url\_options\[:host\] = ‘whatever&#…

–  
Starr H.  
My blog: [http://starrhorne.com](http://starrhorne.com)  
Check out my Helpdesk RailsKit: [http://railskits.com/helpdesk/](http://railskits.com/helpdesk/)