# Private Actions that have Views aren't that private

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/private-actions-that-have-views-arent-that-private/116618>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 8, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/private-actions-that-have-views-arent-that-private/116618 "2007-10-08T01:06:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Onildo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/private-actions-that-have-views-arent-that-private/116618/1 "2007-10-08T01:06:26Z")

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Hello

If a certain action in a certain controller is private it should  
return an “Unknown action” error if you type its path in the browser.  
But if it has a corresponding view, the browser actually shows the  
view. Why is that so?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Onildo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/private-actions-that-have-views-arent-that-private/116618/2 "2007-10-08T02:06:46Z")

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On 8 Oct 2007, at 00:05, Onildo wrote:

> Hello
> 
> If a certain action in a certain controller is private it should  
> return an “Unknown action” error if you type its path in the browser.  
> But if it has a corresponding view, the browser actually shows the  
> view. Why is that so?

Because ActionController basically does

if self.class.public\_methods.include?(method)  
#perform the action  
elsif template\_exists?(method)  
#render template  
else  
raise ‘Unknown action’  
end

Fred

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Onildo](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Onildo)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/private-actions-that-have-views-arent-that-private/116618/3 "2007-10-08T05:55:23Z")

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Yup. This is also true if there’s a template without a controller  
method either.

–Jeremy

On 10/7/07, Onildo [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> 

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