# Monster method (too hard for my skill level) **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 1, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893 "2007-11-01T04:01:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/1 "2007-11-01T04:01:34Z")
I need to write a method for calculating the fee for medical procedures with respect to area. I have all the tables and data but its hard to give that here. Can someone take a look at this ‘stub’ method and help me out? def calculate\_fee # strip out the first 3 numbers of the user entered zip code # use those 3 numbers to identify row in [zipcodes table] (between upper and lower zip code columns)) # identify ‘RVS ID’ from that row # identify the ‘geographic zip area’ from that row # query on user entered procedure description using [procedures table] to identify ‘procedure code’ # use previously obtained ‘RVS ID’ and ‘Procedure code’ to get ‘Relative value’ from [relative values table] # use previously obtained ‘geographic zip area’ and ‘procedure code’ to identify ‘percentile’ from # [geographic factors table] # use formula (Percentile / 1000) x (Relative Value / 100) to calculate fee end anything in quotes is a column from one of my tables and anything in brackets is a table. I know this is a tough scenario without seeing the tables but any help would be a start and I can answer any questions if you are trying to help. THANK YOU ---
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/2 "2007-11-01T04:42:29Z")
Without any idea of your schema I’m completely stabbing in the dark here. but… def calculate\_fee # strip out the first 3 numbers of the user entered zip code zip = params[:id].first(3) # use those 3 numbers to identify row in [zipcodes table] (between upper and lower zip code columns)) @zip = ZipCode.find(zip) # identify ‘RVS ID’ from that row ## You don’t need to do this, you can get it through the object @zip.rvs\_id (or whatever the column is really called) # identify the ‘geographic zip area’ from that row ## Same as above. # query on user entered procedure description using [procedures table] to identify ‘procedure code’ @procedure = Procedure.find\_by\_procedure\_code(params[:procedure] [:code]) # This param depends on your form your posting in from? # use previously obtained ‘RVS ID’ and ‘Procedure code’ to get ‘Relative value’ from [relative values table] @relative\_value = RelativeValue.find(:first, :conditions =\> [‘rvs\_id = ? AND procedure\_code = ?’, @zip.rvs\_id, @procedure.procedure\_code]) # But what does this return I don’t what your objects return mate. # use previously obtained ‘geographic zip area’ and ‘procedure code’ to identify ‘percentile’ from [geographic factors table] @percentile = GeographicFactor.find(:first, :conditions =\> [‘geographic\_zip\_area = ? AND procedure\_code = ?’, @zip.geographic\_zip\_area, @procedure.procedure\_code]) use formula (Percentile / 1000) x (Relative Value / 100) to calculate fee return (@percentile.(some attribute) / 1000) \* (@relative\_value. (some attribute) / 1000) end ---
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/3 "2007-11-01T05:32:46Z")
The code is there, to get the column, just use the accessor for that column like this: @zip.rvs\_id of course, that assumes that is the column name, if it is named something else, just sub it for rvs\_id. -Bill ---
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/4 "2007-11-01T05:25:44Z")
how do you do this… # identify ‘RVS ID’ from that row ## You don’t need to do this, you can get it through the object @zip.rvs\_id (or whatever the column is really called) I understand that each row is an object, so it makes sense - just not sure how to execute ---
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/5 "2007-11-06T03:43:15Z")
this confuses me… @zip = ZipCode.find(zip) where @zip is the first 3 digits of a zipcode the table is zipcodes the model zipcode so i understand @zip = Zipcode.find(zip) is attempting to look for zip in the zipcodes table via the model zipcode however i need to compare my 3 digit zip (@zip) againt two columns in the table column 1 - zipstart column 2 - endzip i need to find the row that my @zip falls inside the values of those two columns, so i believe this line of code is too simple example might be @zip = 034 startzip = 032 and endzip =037 in the table i need to identify that row can anyone help? ---
**Author:** ![agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@agilehack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/agilehack)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/monster-method-too-hard-for-my-skill-level/118893/6 "2007-11-06T04:22:59Z")
@zip = ZipCode.find(:all, :conditions =\> ["startzip \<= ? AND endzip > = ?", zip, zip])