Rails - Mar 2009 - Converting Array to String in a model using before filters

Hi,

    I have a list coming in a field like :selected_lists => [1,2,3,4]
from a form
    while storing it in a database i need to join this list into a
string

   so then in my model class,
___________________________________________________
   1) Added a filter          before_save :convert_array_to_string
   2) Added an               attr_accessor :selected_lists
___________________________________________________
   def convert_array_to_string
     self.lists_selected = self.lists_selected.join(",")
     puts self.lists_selected
     return true
   end
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   so that before saving i call a function to format the array to
string and store it using attr_accessor method
   I printed the "self.lists_selected" and i got "1,2,3,4"
as the
result

   I thought this would do my job
   I am wondering why ''nil'' is stored in the table.
   Please help me out off this guys.

Regards,
Vimal Das
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>     I have a list coming in a field like :selected_lists => [1,2,3,4]
> from a form
Correction :selected_lists => [1,2,3,4] to ---------> :lists_selected
=> [1,2,3,4]
Regards,
Vimal Das
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On 19 Mar 2009, at 13:16, vimal wrote:
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   so that before saving i call a function to format the array to
> string and store it using attr_accessor method
>   I printed the "self.lists_selected" and i got
"1,2,3,4" as the
> result
>
>   I thought this would do my job
>   I am wondering why ''nil'' is stored in the table.
>   Please help me out off this guys.
Because your attr_accessor overwrote the accessor which saves to a  
database column with one that saves to an instance
variable
>
>
> Regards,
> Vimal Das
> >

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So, is there anyother way to carry this out of the box

Regards,
Vimal Das
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Thanks again Fred to make me try this out...
I got it after analysing ur reply further

So the trick is not to add a attr_accessor for lists_selected

Regards,
Vimal Das
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Thanks again Fred to make me try this out...
I got it after analysing ur reply further

So the trick is not to add a attr_accessor for lists_selected

Regards,
Vimal Das
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vimal wrote:
> So, is there anyother way to carry this out of the box
I''m not sure precisely what you''re trying to accomplish here,
but from
what I can tell it would probably be a lot simpler and more flexible to 
use the built-in serialization provided by ActiveRecord:

------------------
serialize(attr_name, class_name = Object)

If you have an attribute that needs to be saved to the database as an 
object, and retrieved as the same object, then specify the name of that 
attribute using this method and it will be handled automatically. The 
serialization is done through YAML. If class_name is specified, the 
serialized object must be of that class on retrieval or 
SerializationTypeMismatch will be raised.

Parameters:
attr_name - The field name that should be serialized.
class_name - Optional, class name that the object type should be equal 
to.
Example

  # Serialize a preferences attribute
  class User
    serialize :preferences
  end
------------------

Using this technique you can save you Array object to a string field and 
get back an Array object automatically. All you have to do is add the 
serialize line in your model as shown above.
-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

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