Model methods - is this the best way?

Rails
1

Hey,

I am putting quite alot of methods in my models such as User, for
things such as:

class User < ActiveRecord::Base
…

Count all new messagebox messages

def count_new_mbox
count_new_privmsgs + count_new_comments + count_new_requests
end

Count new private messages

def count_new_privmsgs
privmsgs.find(:all, :conditions => “is_unread = 1”).size
end

Count number of new comments for the user

def count_new_comments
user_comments.find(:all, :conditions => “is_unread = 1”).size
end
end

is this the best way to go about implementing these methods? cos it
seems to me that im going to have HEAPS of these methods in my model,
for even my finds. eg. find_recent_comments(n),
find_recent_privmsgs(n).

2

You could do a :counter_cache on the has_many relationship. This way it
stores it as a field on your user record rather than working it out on
the
fly whenever it’s required.

has_many :unread_messages, :class_name => “Message”, :conditions =>
“unread
= 1”, :counter_cache => true

On Dec 21, 2007 5:16 PM, Chubbs [email protected] wrote:

def count_new_mbox
user_comments.find(:all, :conditions => “is_unread = 1”).size
end
end

is this the best way to go about implementing these methods? cos it
seems to me that im going to have HEAPS of these methods in my model,
for even my finds. eg. find_recent_comments(n),
find_recent_privmsgs(n).

–
Ryan B.

3

ahh wow, thanks didnt know about that. so will that return an array
of Message objects ?

4

Consider good oo programming concepts while coding. The methods
related to messages should go into message model.

It is unfortunate even plugins like restful authentication violate
basics of oo programming. It becomes even more difficult for newbies
to write good code.

Sent from my iPhone

5

Yes, as only has_many does.

On Dec 21, 2007 5:27 PM, Chubbs [email protected] wrote:

Hey,
end
end

is this the best way to go about implementing these methods? cos it
seems to me that im going to have HEAPS of these methods in my model,
for even my finds. eg. find_recent_comments(n),
find_recent_privmsgs(n).

–
Ryan B.http://www.frozenplague.net

–
Ryan B.

6

On Dec 21, 2007 10:44 AM, Chubbs [email protected] wrote:

So you mean to put inside message something like :

class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
def count_unread(user)
user.messages.find(:all, :conditions => “is_unread ==
true”).size;
end
end

I’m a bit new to Rails, but doesn’t scoping let you do something like

user.messages.count_unread

(Assuming user has_many messages and message belongs_to user.)
Then implement a class method similar to your method above.

class Message < ActiveRecord:Base
belongs_to => :user
def self.count_unread
find(:all, :conditions => {:is_unread => true}).count
end
end

AFAIK, all finds on user.messages are scoped as if you had a condition
:user_id => user.id, but I haven’t looked at the details. Maybe
someone else can confirm or correct me.

  • Martin
7

To me it makes more sense to put all the methods relating a User to
fetch and retrieve data inside the User.

Why would it be good oo programming to put these methods inside my
message object?

So you mean to put inside message something like :

class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
def count_unread(user)
user.messages.find(:all, :conditions => “is_unread ==
true”).size;
end
end

8

ok thanks so much guys for your help, ill defiantly go about
implementing my methods like that from now on,

thanks,

chubbs

9

On 21 Dec 2007, at 13:12, Martin S. wrote:

AFAIK, all finds on user.messages are scoped as if you had a condition
:user_id => user.id, but I haven’t looked at the details. Maybe
someone else can confirm or correct me.

Correct, also, the use of .size is a very bad solution, as it will
effectively load all the records into memory (as an array of
records). The count method will perform an SQL count.

Best regards

Peter De Berdt