# Rails\_root **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [October 24, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190 "2007-10-24T17:14:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ratschi85)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190/1 "2007-10-24T17:14:54Z")
Hey, I’m using the attachment\_fu plugin to upload images on the file system. To retrieve them I’m using: image = “/home/rajeev/Desktop/logo/logo/public#{icon.public\_filename}” which is the same as: “/home/rajeev/Desktop/logo/logo/public/icons/0000/0005/green\_nature\_on\_white.jpg” Have can i do this in a shorter way by using RAILS\_ROOT? I have tried this but no success. Would appreciate any help. Thanks Raj ---
**Author:** ![ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ratschi85)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190/2 "2007-10-24T17:33:08Z")
On Oct 24, 2007, at 11:14 AM, Rajeev K. wrote: > green\_nature\_on\_white.jpg" > > Have can i do this in a shorter way by using RAILS\_ROOT? I have tried > this but no success. > > Would appreciate any help. > > Thanks > > Raj Take your pick: image = File.join(RAILS\_ROOT, “public#{icon.public\_filename}”) image = File.expand\_path(‘public’ + icon.public\_filename, RAILS\_ROOT) image = File.join(RAILS\_ROOT, ‘public’, icon.public\_filename) -Rob Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ratschi85)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190/3 "2007-10-24T19:37:51Z")
> Have can i do this in a shorter way by using RAILS\_ROOT? I have tried > this but no success. just general fyi, but basically the RAILS\_ROOT constant is a String object. you can use it any way you’d use a string RAILS\_ROOT + “/some/string/” RAILS\_ROOT.split(’/’) RAILS\_ROOT.is\_a?(String) # true … hope this helps. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ratschi85)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 10:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190/4 "2007-10-25T10:59:14Z")
Hey, Thanks for that it works perfect. Just got one question. When I run all 3 lines in the console i get: image = File.join(RAILS\_ROOT, ‘public’, icon.public\_filename) “script/…/config/…/config/…/public/icons/0000/0005/green\_nature\_on\_white.jpg” image = File.expand\_path(‘public’ + icon.public\_filename, RAILS\_ROOT) “/home/rajeev/Desktop/logo/logo/public/icons/0000/0005/green\_nature\_on\_white.jpg” image = File.join(RAILS\_ROOT, “public#{icon.public\_filename}”) “script/…/config/…/config/…/public/icons/0000/0005/green\_nature\_on\_white.jpg” Although they all work I don’t understand what the script/…/config… bit means? Cheers ---
**Author:** ![ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@ratschi85](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/ratschi85)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-root/118190/5 "2007-10-25T13:14:17Z")
On Oct 25, 2007, at 4:59 AM, Rajeev K. wrote: > image = File.expand\_path(‘public’ + icon.public\_filename, RAILS\_ROOT) > > ## Cheers It means that RAILS\_ROOT == ‘script/…/config/…/config/…’ It also implies that the current directory is almost certainly the same as RAILS\_ROOT because ‘…’ means the parent directory so any ‘foo/…’ means the foo subdirectory’s parrent – the current directory. You can generally remove such constructs (there are some oddities that can happen with symbolic links that you can likely ignore in this case). -Rob Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid