Rails - Sep 2005 - List users by last name, all or one letter at a time

I would like to have a users page where one could list all users,
paginated, or select A-Z to view only those users whose last name
begins with the selected letter.

My initial thoughts on how to do this involves using the
method_missing method in the controller. When invoked, if the message
sent is a single letter, A-Z, it would basically do a slightly
customized find to get the appropriate records.

Is this a sane approach, or is there something simpler available? I am
figuring yes, since this is not a terribly uncommon task.

Thanks!

> My initial thoughts on how to do this involves using the
> method_missing method in the controller.
Err, that should be in the model, not the controller... but yes, same
idea, I think.

[...]

Okay, Seth, slow down... let me try this again. (Sorry, I''m not trying
to spam, I just want to be clear for anybody kind enough to try to
help.)

I want the scaffolded list method:

def list
    @user_pages, @users = paginate :user, :per_page => 10
  end

To do just what it already does, but if the :id passed to it is a
single letter, instead of a numeric value, I want to fetch only users
whose last name starts with that letter, but still paginate and all
that good stuff.

Okay, I''ll just wait now and continue reading the documentation. :)

I did the same thing for a member list (for a local chamber of  
commerce). Here''s my controller code for this action: (It was a 100- 
line application so putting all this in the controller wasn''t such a  
Bad Thing.) I guess the find should be refactored into the model at  
some point.

I have a separate action, list, that shows and paginates all results.  
I also filter by category. The URLs work like this:

http://memberlist.siloamchamber.com/     (=> /list)
http://memberlist.siloamchamber.com/letter/A

See the API docs for pagination, under "Custom/classic pagination".

   def letter
     @member_pages = Paginator.new self, Member.count(["name like ?",
"#{@params[:id]}%"]), 10, @params[''page'']
     @members = Member.find(:all, :conditions => ["name like ?",
"#
{@params[:id]}%"], :order => ''name'', :offset =>  
@member_pages.current.to_sql[1], :limit =>  
@member_pages.current.to_sql[0])
     render(:action => ''list'')
   end

--
Brad Ediger
866-EDIGERS


On Sep 21, 2005, at 10:34 PM, Seth Rasmussen wrote:
> [...]
>
> Okay, Seth, slow down... let me try this again. (Sorry, I''m not
trying
> to spam, I just want to be clear for anybody kind enough to try to
> help.)
>
> I want the scaffolded list method:
>
> def list
>     @user_pages, @users = paginate :user, :per_page => 10
>   end
>
> To do just what it already does, but if the :id passed to it is a
> single letter, instead of a numeric value, I want to fetch only users
> whose last name starts with that letter, but still paginate and all
> that good stuff.
>
> Okay, I''ll just wait now and continue reading the documentation.
:)
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

Seth,

This code might be helpful - Duane Johnson was the one who originally
posted it. It cleans up the process for pagination in a collection:

def paginate_collection(collection, options = {})
        default_options = {:per_page => 10, :page => 1}
        options = default_options.merge options

        pages = Paginator.new self, collection.size,
options[:per_page], options[:page]
        first = pages.current.offset
        last = [first + options[:per_page], collection.size].min
        slice = collection[first...last]
        return [pages, slice]
end

- Derek

On 9/22/05, Brad Ediger <brad-sod+mMc99o6+XT7JhA+gdA@public.gmane.org>
wrote:
> I did the same thing for a member list (for a local chamber of
> commerce). Here''s my controller code for this action: (It was a
100-
> line application so putting all this in the controller wasn''t such
a
> Bad Thing.) I guess the find should be refactored into the model at
> some point.
>
> I have a separate action, list, that shows and paginates all results.
> I also filter by category. The URLs work like this:
>
> http://memberlist.siloamchamber.com/     (=> /list)
> http://memberlist.siloamchamber.com/letter/A
>
> See the API docs for pagination, under "Custom/classic
pagination".
>
>    def letter
>      @member_pages = Paginator.new self, Member.count(["name like
?",
> "#{@params[:id]}%"]), 10, @params[''page'']
>      @members = Member.find(:all, :conditions => ["name like
?", "#
> {@params[:id]}%"], :order => ''name'', :offset
=>
> @member_pages.current.to_sql[1], :limit =>
> @member_pages.current.to_sql[0])
>      render(:action => ''list'')
>    end
>
> --
> Brad Ediger
> 866-EDIGERS
>
>
> On Sep 21, 2005, at 10:34 PM, Seth Rasmussen wrote:
>
> > [...]
> >
> > Okay, Seth, slow down... let me try this again. (Sorry, I''m
not trying
> > to spam, I just want to be clear for anybody kind enough to try to
> > help.)
> >
> > I want the scaffolded list method:
> >
> > def list
> >     @user_pages, @users = paginate :user, :per_page => 10
> >   end
> >
> > To do just what it already does, but if the :id passed to it is a
> > single letter, instead of a numeric value, I want to fetch only users
> > whose last name starts with that letter, but still paginate and all
> > that good stuff.
> >
> > Okay, I''ll just wait now and continue reading the
documentation. :)
> > _______________________________________________
> > Rails mailing list
> > Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

--
Derek Haynes
HighGroove Studios - http://www.highgroove.com
Keeping it Simple.
404.593.4879