# Strange thing with controller's helper method and method return value **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644 "2008-02-20T08:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hei)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644/1 "2008-02-20T08:54:49Z")
1, why my helper method does not work I hava a controller named msg, and i define a method test(id) in / app/helpers/msg\_helper.rb but i can not use this method in /app/controllers/ msg\_controller.rb. Can anyone tells me why ?Doedn’t rails require msg\_helper.rb for me ? 2, how can i use a hash type variable returned by a method Because i can’t use helper method, i write the method just in msg\_controller.rb like: :private def test(id) xx = {} xx[:test] = 1 return xx end and i find xx i get via xx = test(id) is nil I think in ruby method hash type variable will be returned by value(or maybe reference, but the variable will not out of scope) but why can i get the true value ? Thanks very much~~ My enviroment: ruby 1.8.6 (2007-09-24 patchlevel 111) [i386-mswin32] Rails 2.0.2 oracle 10 ---
**Author:** ![hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hei)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644/2 "2008-02-20T09:32:55Z")
> 1, why my helper method does not work > I hava a controller named msg, and i define a method test(id) in / > app/helpers/msg\_helper.rb > but i can not use this method in /app/controllers/ > msg\_controller.rb. > Can anyone tells me why ?Doedn’t rails require msg\_helper.rb for > me ? A helper is simply a module containing methods that assist a view not your controller. If you want make method for your controller and tobe used to many controller you can put your method in application.rb > and i find xx i get via xx = test(id) is nil Sorry I not understand what do you mean on sentences above. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~\* Reinhart Ariando YM : booking2heaven Web: [http://teapoci.blogspot.com](http://teapoci.blogspot.com) ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~\* ---
**Author:** ![hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hei)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644/3 "2008-02-20T13:52:13Z")
On 20 Feb 2008, at 12:41, hei wrote: > > > msg\_controller.rb. > > > developer > > 1. Look in the directory app/models for a model in the file store.rb > and > load it if found. > That’s just wrong - it’s never been like that. > Add this to one of your controller > def test\_action > new = {} > value = test\_method > new.merge(value) > merge doesn’t alter the hash, it returns a new hash with the merge > contents (merge! does an inplace merge) Fred ---
**Author:** ![hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hei)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644/4 "2008-02-20T13:42:48Z")
On Feb 20, 4:32 pm, Visit Indonesia 2008 \ wrote: > used to many controller you can put your method in application.rb See a content I copy from “Agile Web D. with Rails 2nd” 18.1 Context and Dependencis Rails handles many configuration dependencies automatically; as a developer you can normally rely on it to do the right thing. For example, if a request arrives for [http://my.url/store/list](http://my.url/store/list), Rails will do the following. 1. Load the file store\_controller.rb in the directory app/ controllers. (This loading takes place only once in a production environment). 2. Instantiate an object of class StoreController. @@@ 3. Look in app/helpers for a file called store\_helper.rb. If found, it is loaded and the module StoreHelper is mixed into the controller object. 3. Look in the directory app/models for a model in the file store.rb and load it if found. Do you see 3 ? is rails 2.0.2 changes this ? > > and i find xx i get via xx = test(id) is nil > > Sorry I not understand what do you mean on sentences above. I mean , test(id) is supposed to renturn a hash with value {:text =\> 1} but actually , it returns nil or {} You can have a simple test Add this to one of your controller def test\_action new = {} value = test\_method new.merge(value) render :text =\> new[:text] end :private def test\_method() value = {:text =\> 1} return value end Then visit [http://root/controller/test\_action](http://root/controller/test_action) to see what it returns Actually, ‘value’ returned by test\_method is something like flash: !map:ActionController::Flash::FlashHash :value: &id001 :text: 1 :value: \*id001 I think new.merge(value) makes this Can anyone tells me more details ? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hei](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/hei)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/strange-thing-with-controllers-helper-method-and-method-return-value/129644/5 "2008-02-20T13:57:33Z")
emm… Just basic knowledges… I almost spent two hours on it … Thank you very much~~~ On Feb 20, 8:51 pm, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)