Using variables within a string - The function doesn't pass

Rails
1

Hello everyone,

As a beginner to ROR, I am very confused regarding why the following
is happening.

If my function is defined as

  def self.home_categories (portal_id)
      find(:all, :conditions => [ "portal_id=?", portal_id ] )
  end

the following doesn’t works (the database is queried with a value of
0.

  portal_id=1
  @categories = Category.home_categories (:portal_id)

but this works

  @categories = Category.home_categories (1)

However,

If my function is defined as

  def self.home_categories (portal_id)
      find(:all, :conditions => "portal_id=#{portal_id}" )
  end

then the following works

  portal_id=1
  @categories = Category.home_categories (portal_id)

and the following also works:

  @categories = Category.home_categories (1)

Why is that happening? Any pointers / explanation is appreciated.

Thanks
Frank

P.S. Thank you Ezra for your assistance with my earlier question and
clarifying how I accidentally hijacked the thread. My sincerest
apologies to the list members and the thread owner for the accidental
hijack.

2

softwareengineer 99 wrote:

Hello everyone,

  portal_id=1
  @categories = Category.home_categories (:portal_id)

portal_id is a variable, :portal_id is a symbol…they dont mix…

use:

   portal_id=1
   @categories = Category.home_categories (portal_id)

Mikkel

3

Hi,

From what I can see of your code I think there is just a small typo.
You are using a symbol instead of a var.

portal_id=1
@categories = Category.home_categories (:portal_id)

should be:

portal_id=1
@categories = Category.home_categories (portal_id)

That’s all that I can see. Other than that it should work.

Eric

4

Thanks Eric,

That totally works.

I thought I had read in the “Agile ROR” book to use symbols but
obviously I was wrong.

Long day for me.

Thanks for the rescue again.

Frank