7stud -- wrote in post #1013962: > The part that really confused me on p. 345 is where the > author says: > > == > self.current_user = user > > The purpose of this line is to create current_user, accessible in both > controllers and views which will allow constructions such as: > > <%= current_user.name %> > > and > > redirect_to current_user > == > > The author says "current_user" not 'the current_user function".
Actually, in the line: self.current_user = user the function being called is named 'current_user='. ruby syntax just permits you to write it with a space before the equals sign. It's hard to tell if its just a typo when the author says 'current_user', and the author really means '@current_user'. Then there is this final statement on the page: == The principal goal of this section is to define current_user. == A current_user getter method??! What's that got to with the line: > self.current_user = user I'm going to go with the following 'translations' (because it's the only way things make sense to me): On page 345, this part: === self.current_user = user The purpose of this line is to create current_user. === should say: == The purpose of this line is to to create @current_user. == And this introduction: == The principal goal of this section is to define current_user. == Should be clarified by saying: == The principal goal of this section is to define the current_user getter function. == Also I said this: > Now the question is why use self in the sign_in method here: > > def sign_in > ... > self.current_user = user > end > > when you can avoid all that confusing stuff and just write: > > def sign_in > > @current_user = user > end > > > The answer is it's good practice to always use an accessor method to > access an instance variable--rather than assign directly to an instance > variable. > In that context, let's look at the current_user function that the author came up with: def current_user @current_user ||= user_from_remember_token end I see two problems with that function. First off, that is a getter function, yet it can set the @current_user variable. Getter functions should not set instance variables. Secondly, the function directly sets the @current_user variable instead of calling the current_user= setter function. Looking at the application code, i.e. the create action, nothing even calls the current_user getter method. The create action calls the sign_in helper method, but sign_in doesn't call current_user. The only thing that calls current_user is one of the tests. So we're testing something that the application code doesn't even use??? In my opinion, the current_user getter method as defined in the book is a complete disaster: breaking it up into three methods is confusing, a getter method shouldn't set an @ variable, and an @ variable should be set indirectly by calling the @ variable's setter method. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
