# Recording current\_user **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [August 23, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/recording-current-user/112847 "2007-08-23T20:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/3/f08c70/32.png) [@3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/3quid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/recording-current-user/112847/1 "2007-08-23T20:53:02Z")
Hi, Another noob here I am afraid! I have a questuin about the current\_user method that comes with AAA. I have AAA set up and working fine and if i put \<%= self.current\_user.login %\> into a view it shows the login name as expected on the page. What I cant work out is how to record this into the database when the user completes a form. My app so far only has two models. “user.rb” and “outlet.rb”… they currently both have has\_and\_belongs\_to\_many set up. When the user fills out the ‘new outlet’ form’ I want the current\_user 's id to be stored in the column “user\_id”, in the outlets table. I am assuming I need to add something to my ‘create’ method in the controller, but not sure exactly what. Hope that is enough info. Thanks in advance, 3Quid ---
**Author:** ![3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/3/f08c70/32.png) [@3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/3quid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/recording-current-user/112847/2 "2007-08-23T21:09:47Z")
On 8/23/07, Graham D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > What I cant work out is how to record this into the database when the > user completes a form. > > My app so far only has two models. “user.rb” and “outlet.rb”… they > currently both have has\_and\_belongs\_to\_many set up. > > When the user fills out the ‘new outlet’ form’ I want the current\_user > 's id to be stored in the column “user\_id”, in the outlets table. > > I am assuming I need to add something to my ‘create’ method in the > controller, but not sure exactly what. there’s a few ways of doing this: 1. outlet = Outlet.new(params[:outlet]) outlet.user = current\_user() outlet.save! 2. @user = current\_user() #returns a new object of the collection type that has been instantiated with attributes and linked to this object through the join table but has not yet been saved. @user.outlets.build(params[:outlet]) @user.save! 3. @user = current\_user() #returns a new object of the collection type that has been instantiated with attributes and linked to this object through the join table @user.outlets.create(params[:outlet]) 4. @user = current\_user() #adds one or more objects to the collection by creating associations in the join table @user.outlets \<\< Outlet.new(params[:outlet]) see here for more info: [http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html#M000645](http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html#M000645) Adam ---
**Author:** ![3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/3/f08c70/32.png) [@3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/3quid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/recording-current-user/112847/3 "2007-08-23T23:22:37Z")
Hi Adam Thanks for the reply, I am afraid I am still not quite gettng this (stupid brain!) … I tried the suggestions you gave me but all i seem to get is the following error “You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! The error occurred while evaluating nil.outlets” Any help would be most appreciated, Thanks, 3quid Adam C. wrote: > On 8/23/07, Graham D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > What I cant work out is how to record this into the database when the > > user completes a form. > > > > My app so far only has two models. “user.rb” and “outlet.rb”… they > > currently both have has\_and\_belongs\_to\_many set up. > > > > When the user fills out the ‘new outlet’ form’ I want the current\_user > > 's id to be stored in the column “user\_id”, in the outlets table. > > > > I am assuming I need to add something to my ‘create’ method in the > > controller, but not sure exactly what. > > there’s a few ways of doing this: > > 1. outlet = Outlet.new(params[:outlet]) > outlet.user = current\_user() > outlet.save! > > 2. @user = current\_user() > #returns a new object of the collection type that has been > instantiated with attributes and linked to this object through the > join table but has not yet been saved. > @user.outlets.build(params[:outlet]) > @user.save! > > 3. @user = current\_user() > #returns a new object of the collection type that has been > instantiated with attributes and linked to this object through the > join table > @user.outlets.create(params[:outlet]) > > 4. @user = current\_user() > #adds one or more objects to the collection by creating associations > in the join table > @user.outlets \<\< Outlet.new(params[:outlet]) > > see here for more info: > > [Peak Obsession](http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html#M000645) > > Adam ---
**Author:** ![3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/3/f08c70/32.png) [@3quid](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/3quid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/recording-current-user/112847/4 "2007-08-23T23:44:10Z")
iOn 8/23/07, Graham D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > “You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! > The error occurred while evaluating nil.outlets” > > Any help would be most appreciated, > > Thanks, > > 3quid If you’re doing something like this: @user = current\_user() @user.outlets.create(params[:outlet]) and you’re getting that error, it means that @user is nil. Make sure that current\_user() actually returns a valid user before attempting to add outlets to them. Adam