# Refactoring a helper method

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/refactoring-a-helper-method/156658>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 31, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/refactoring-a-helper-method/156658 "2008-12-31T14:56:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![taylorstrait](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@taylorstrait](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/taylorstrait)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/refactoring-a-helper-method/156658/1 "2008-12-31T14:56:55Z")

</div>

I am working on a site that does web surveys. I have created a helper  
method to create a likert scale table (e.g., 5 columns + row title,  
strongly dislike \<-\> strongly like). This method accepts an array of  
hashes and then uses the built in Rails helper form.radio\_button to  
unwrap the hash and build the table. The function is below:

# procedurally goes into an array of hashes and generates a likert

table  
def likert\_table(items = [], f=f)  
result = “” # collector string  
items.each {|item| item.each {|attribute,text| result = result +  
likert\_row(attribute,text,f)}}  
return "

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
#{result}  

| | Strongly Dislike | Dislike | Neutral | Like | Strongly Like |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

"  
end
# create a row in a table with the 5 selectable radio buttons

def likert\_row(attribute, text, f=f)  
"

  
#{f.label attribute,  
text}  
#{f.radio\_button attribute,  
1}  
#{f.radio\_button attribute,  
2}  
#{f.radio\_button attribute,  
3}  
#{f.radio\_button attribute,  
4}  
#{f.radio\_button attribute,  
5}  
"  
end

However, I had a few questions about refactoring.

First, do I need to pass “f” in both of those functions? I use it in  
the f.radio\_button helper (as this method would be called inside a  
form\_for) but it seems clunky to have to add “f” to the arguments every  
time.

Second, is using a string variable to collect the output of the  
iterations and then returning that string the best way to construct an  
iterative helper?

Third, is there a simpler way to iterate through this than an array of  
hashes? I can build a likert table like so:

```
<%= likert_table([:rates_fighting => "Fighting",
                  :rates_platform => "Platform",
                  :rates_shooter => "Shooter",
                  :rates_action_adventure => "Action Adventure",
                  :rates_system_sim => "System Simulator",
                  :rates_life_sim => "Life Simulation",
                  :rates_rpg => "Role Playing Game",
                  :rates_mmorpg => "Online Role Playing Game",
                  :rates_strategy => "Strategy",
                  :rates_vehicle_sim => "Vehicle Simulation",
                  :rates_music => "Music",
                  :rates_puzzle => "Puzzle",
                  :rates_sports => "Sports",
                  :rates_casual => "Casual"],
                  f)%>

```

…but it feels un-Railslike, especially with that dangling “f”. Later  
I will be pulling these values from a database and using a collection  
instance variable. As a beginner ruby programmer I have hit my ceiling  
on this one. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.