Rails - Jul 2006 - override to_string for single attribute?

I have a model where I want to change the display for a single attribute 
such that if the value is an integer, it displays with no decimal point 
(e.g. "1"), but if it is non-integer, it displays with a decimal point
(e.g. "1.25").

The easiest way to do this seems to be if I could override the to_string 
method for my_model.my_attribute.to_s.   Is there a way to do this?  Or 
a better way altogether?

thanks,
Jeff

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

On Friday, July 14, 2006, at 9:46 PM, Jeff Cole wrote:
>I have a model where I want to change the display for a single attribute
>such that if the value is an integer, it displays with no decimal point
>(e.g. "1"), but if it is non-integer, it displays with a decimal
point
>(e.g. "1.25").
>
>The easiest way to do this seems to be if I could override the to_string
>method for my_model.my_attribute.to_s.   Is there a way to do this?  Or
>a better way altogether?
>
>thanks,
>Jeff
>
>--
>Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
>_______________________________________________
>Rails mailing list
>Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
>http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
override the attribute method on your model and have it return the  
formatted value.

_Kevin

-- 
Posted with http://DevLists.com.  Sign up and save your mailbox.

How do you do that without making it recursive?  For example

#override method for attribute foo
def foo
  return format(foo)
end

-jeff
> override the attribute method on your model and have it return the
> formatted value.
> 
> _Kevin

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Jeff Cole wrote:
  >> override the attribute method on your model and have it return
the
>> formatted value.
>>
>> _Kevin
 > How do you do that without making it recursive?  For example
 >
 > #override method for attribute foo
 > def foo
 >   return format(foo)
 > end
 >
 > -jeff

You can use read_attribute for this.

eg the example from the documentation:

   class Song < ActiveRecord::Base
     # Uses an integer of seconds to hold the length of the song

     def length=(minutes)
       write_attribute(:length, minutes * 60)
     end

     def length
       read_attribute(:length) / 60
     end
   end

http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Base.html
under ''Overwriting default accessors''

hth

-- 
R.Livsey
http://livsey.org