# Populating an array from a model with column names

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 27, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448 "2006-12-27T00:08:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448/1 "2006-12-27T00:08:50Z")

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I was trying to be clever, by taking some view code and stuff it into  
controller code.

This is what I came up with to get an array of column names, but it  
doesn’t work the way I expect it to. The view-source shows a bunch of  
empty TD’s , so I know it’s looping through, but with no data.

Listing is a model/class

controller:  
@column\_names = Listing.content\_columns.each {|x| x.human\_name}

view:  
\<% @column\_names.each do |t| %\>

 \<% t %\> \<%end%\>

Any thoughts on making the column\_names variable non blank?

Thanks

Matt

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**Author:** ![matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448/2 "2006-12-27T00:26:52Z")

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matt wrote:

> @column\_names = Listing.content\_columns.each {|x| x.human\_name}  
> Try…

@column\_names = Listing.content\_columns.collect {|x| x.human\_name}

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**Author:** ![matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448/3 "2006-12-27T00:28:52Z")

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matt wrote:

> view:  
> \<% @column\_names.each do |t| %\>
> 
> \<% t %\> \<%end%\>

And also…

 \<%= t %\>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448/4 "2006-12-27T00:30:53Z")

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On Tue, 2006-12-26 at 16:24 -0700, Jon G. wrote:

> matt wrote:
> 
> > @column\_names = Listing.content\_columns.each {|x| x.human\_name}  
> > Try…
> 
> @column\_names = Listing.content\_columns.collect {|x| x.human\_name}

That didn’t work either… I even restarted Webrick…

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**Author:** ![matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/matt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/populating-an-array-from-a-model-with-column-names/80448/5 "2006-12-27T00:34:53Z")

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hehe… I love being the idiot.

Thanks for the eyes.

Matt