# NoMethodError and You have a nil object error message

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nomethoderror-and-you-have-a-nil-object-error-message/148893>\
**Category:** Ruby-Forum\
**Created:** [September 18, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nomethoderror-and-you-have-a-nil-object-error-message/148893 "2008-09-18T02:42:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mtahiliani](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@mtahiliani](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mtahiliani)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nomethoderror-and-you-have-a-nil-object-error-message/148893/1 "2008-09-18T02:42:12Z")

</div>

Hi,

New to ruby/rails. For my controller class as defined below, I get the  
exception printed below the class definition. Have absolutely no idea  
how to resolve it. Look forward to your help!

* * *

class HelloController \< ApplicationController  
def sayhello  
require ‘rubygems’  
require ‘scrubyt’

dell\_data = Scrubyt::Extractor.define do  
fetch  
‘[http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/my\_systems\_info/details?c=us&l=en&s=gen](http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/my_systems_info/details?c=us&l=en&s=gen)’  
fill\_textfield ‘ServiceTag’, ‘3CTVR41’  
submit

dell\_data do  
serviceTag “/tr[1]/td[2]”  
systemType “/tr[2]/td[2]”  
shipDate “/tr[3]/td[2]”  
dellIBU “/tr[4]/td[2]”  
end  
end

render :text =\> dell\_data.to\_xml

end  
end

* * *

NoMethodError in HelloController#sayhello  
You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it!  
The error occurred while evaluating nil.parent  
RAILS\_ROOT: C:/Monica/flexiblerails/current/dbaccess

Application Trace | Framework Trace | Full Trace  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/utils/xpathutils.rb:13:in  
`lowest_common_ancestor' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/scraping/filter.rb:123:in `generate\_XPath\_for\_example’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/scraping/filter.rb:122:in  
`each' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/scraping/filter.rb:122:in `generate\_XPath\_for\_example’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/scraping/filter.rb:113:in  
`loop' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/scraping/filter.rb:113:in `generate\_XPath\_for\_example’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation\_context.rb:116:in  
`generate_examples' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation_context.rb:116:in `each’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation\_context.rb:116:in  
`generate_examples' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation_context.rb:115:in `generate\_examples’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation\_context.rb:115:in  
`each' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation_context.rb:115:in `generate\_examples’  
c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/evaluation\_context.rb:58:in  
`setup_examples' c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/scrubyt-0.2.6/lib/scrubyt/core/shared/extractor.rb:38:in `define’  
app/controllers/hello\_controller.rb:6:in `sayhello’