# Re-using crontrollers with non-http requests **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739 "2008-10-12T09:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/julien51)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739/1 "2008-10-12T09:01:19Z")
Hi! I am creating a application that does a lot of background processing. For this I am using a queue (starling in my case…) and several pollers that will get a message from the queue and execute some code corresponding do it. The code that these pollers process looks a lot like some code in methods included in some of my rails application controllers. I wanted to DRY this a little bit, so I tried to use the controllers method. What I ended up doing is basically using an ActionController::Integration::Session, exactly like in the console or when doing tests. I wanted to know if that was absolutely wrong or if it was ok. I guess there are some consequences as well, but what are they? Thanks a lot for your help! ---
**Author:** ![julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/julien51)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739/2 "2008-10-12T17:55:53Z")
On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 12:01 AM, Julien Genestoux [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The code that these pollers process looks a lot like some code in > methods included in some of my rails application controllers. I wanted > to DRY this a little bit, so I tried to use the controllers method. > I wanted to know if that was absolutely wrong or if it was ok. I guess > there are some consequences as well, but what are they? I’ll let someone with more experience respond to that, but wouldn’t it make sense (and be ultimately cleaner) to refactor those methods out of the controller(s) into application.rb? ## FWIW, Hassan S. ------------------------ removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/julien51)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739/3 "2008-10-14T23:31:34Z")
Controllers are designed (in MVC patterns) to process requests and deliver responses. Rails-based controllers are designed for HTTP request/ response. The answer is to make your own controller that answers your agents’ responses. Take advantage of Ruby here - take common code OUT of the controllers and put it into modules. Include the modules into your controllers, then make your own listener class that also mixes those models in. Use a daemon to keep that listener going. [Railscasts.com](http://Railscasts.com) has a nice screencast on daemons. How does that sound? On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 3:50 PM, Julien Genestoux \< ---
**Author:** ![julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/julien51)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 6:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739/4 "2008-10-15T06:46:08Z")
Thanks Brian for this! That sounds good! A lot of work, but good, thanks for this! julien Brian H. wrote: > Controllers are designed (in MVC patterns) to process requests and > deliver > responses. Rails-based controllers are designed for HTTP request/ > response. > The answer is to make your own controller that answers your agents’ > responses. > > Take advantage of Ruby here - take common code OUT of the controllers > and > put it into modules. Include the modules into your controllers, then > make > your own listener class that also mixes those models in. Use a daemon to > keep that listener going. [Railscasts.com](http://Railscasts.com) has a nice screencast on > daemons. > > How does that sound? > > On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 3:50 PM, Julien Genestoux \< ---
**Author:** ![julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@julien51](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/julien51)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-using-crontrollers-with-non-http-requests/150739/5 "2008-10-14T22:50:36Z")
Hassan S. wrote: > On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 12:01 AM, Julien Genestoux > [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > The code that these pollers process looks a lot like some code in > > methods included in some of my rails application controllers. I wanted > > to DRY this a little bit, so I tried to use the controllers method. > > > I wanted to know if that was absolutely wrong or if it was ok. I guess > > there are some consequences as well, but what are they? > > I’ll let someone with more experience respond to that, but wouldn’t > it make sense (and be ultimately cleaner) to refactor those methods > out of the controller(s) into application.rb? > > ## FWIW, > > Hassan S. ------------------------ removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Thanks Hassan, Hum, I am a little confused, but I don’t think so… Actually, I am about to write implementations for AbstractResponse and AbstractRequests so that I can call the controller’s methods with them! Anyone else has tips/opinions about this?