# Where to put mapping functionality **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 9:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-to-put-mapping-functionality/147687 "2008-09-04T09:28:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/f9ae1b/32.png) [@nick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/nick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-to-put-mapping-functionality/147687/1 "2008-09-04T09:28:07Z")
Hey guys. I’ve been trying to figure out where in my app this functionality should go, but I’m really not sure. Any suggestions? 1. A map can be created for a Neighbourhood or Property. 2. A map has zero or more markers. 3. A marker contains HTML formatted from a template, using a Property’s attributes. #1 means that the map functionality should be separate from Neighbourhoods and Properties, otherwise it won’t be DRY. IMO, this suggests that I should create a map model, or put the mapping functionality in a module in lib/ . #3 is related to views. The marker HTML template could go in a: -view helper. However, only views have access to view helpers, so the helper would only be accessible from the view. This would require putting business logic into the view. Ew. -partial. The Neighbourhood and Property controllers could then use #render\_to\_string to generate each marker’s contents. I don’t believe it’s possible [without an ugly kludge, at least] to get a model to call #render\_to\_string . My current line of thinking is: -Create a ‘map’ model. -Put the map marker HTML template in a partial. -The Neighbourhood and Property controllers create a map instance. -The Neighbourhood and Property controllers add map markers. -Addng map markers calls #render\_to\_string to generate a marker’s contents. However, I feel like the Neighbourhood and Property models should be creating the map instance and adding markers. Any suggestions? I’m all ears! -Nick