Sending messages between users

Rails
1

Hi,

I’m trying to create an web app where users can write messages to each
other. I use the restful_authentication plugin for the users. So they
have
an user_id. How ever the messages should have a:

  • sender
  • receiver
  • content

As i saw in some screencast the association use the user_id to connect
users
to something. But in my model there would be 2 user_id column which
obviously doesn’t work. So how do I do it?

My workaround was to create a receiver and sender model which contained
a
user_id and a message_id. Then the message contained a sender_id,
receiver_id and the content. However now I’m stuck somehow. Maybe it’s
because 2:30am here and I should be in bed. I don’t know. Is there an
easier workaround? Some tutorials, maybe?

How do I collect my mails? Have a controller named messages where I
tried
this, but it doesn’t work (I thing my association declaration are the
cause):
@inbox = current_user.message.find_by_receiver_id(:user)

The Models:

class Message < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :sender
has_one :receiver

validates_presence_of :sender
validates_presence_of :receiver
validates_length_of :content, :maximum => 4096
end

class Receiver < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :message
end

class Sender < ActiveRecord::Base
has_many :message
end

class User < ActiveRecord::Base (restful_authentication plugin)

Virtual attribute for the unencrypted password

attr_accessor :password
…
attr_accessible :login, :email, :password, :password_confirmation
…
end

Greetings and thanks for any kind of help

Chris

2

Chris,

Why don’t you use (or check how it’s done) restful easy messages?
Alternatively, LOVD (lovdbyless.com) does it all.

Cheers, Sazima

On Feb 19, 10:35 pm, Christoph J.

3

Hello Chris, may I try to help you?
I thing you need something like this:

class Message < ActiveRecord::Base

belongs_to :sender, :class_name => ‘User’, :foreign_key =>
‘sender_id’
belongs_to :receiver, :class_name => ‘User’, :foreign_key =>
‘receiver_id’

end

class User < ActiveRecord::Base (restful_authentication plugin)

Virtual attribute for the unencrypted password

attr_accessor :password
…
attr_accessible :login, :email, :password, :password_confirmation

has_many :sent_messages, :class_name => ‘Message’ , :foreign_key =>
‘sender_id’
has_many :received_messages, :class_name => ‘Message’ , :foreign_key
=> ‘receiver_id’
…
end

and then you can do this:
@inbox = current_user.received_messages.find_by_receiver_id(:user)

I’m dont test this, but it shold work)
Sorry for my english.