Hi All, Is there a way to filter / modify the output of a model class before it''s returned to controller/view that''s calling it? Example: I have a field phone_number which I always want to preformat using the number_to_phone() helper.... Any help is appriciated. Thanks! -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
I believe the best way would be to write a new method in your model.rb file. Call it something like phone_number_formatted or something and just use that new method (model.phone_number_formatted) instead of the rails-generated model.phone_number method. I could be wrong as I''m still learning too. -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
Randy wrote:> I believe the best way would be to write a new method in your model.rb > file. > Call it something like phone_number_formatted or something and just use > that new method (model.phone_number_formatted) instead of the > rails-generated model.phone_number method. > > I could be wrong as I''m still learning too.Yeah, I was kinda looking for some way to call that method always from the model after the data was loaded, much the same way you would with before_validation, before_save, after_save etc. Like an after_load or something. There''s an after_filter, but I think that doesn''t apply to active record... Haven''t found anything in the API docs that would do what I''m thinking, but still looking. Thanks! -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
If you just want to format it as you go, then overwrite the getting attribute method that Active Record provides. Ie if you column is phone_number def phone_number a = self.phone_number some formatting stuff on a ..... end Whenever you call the @obj.phone_number you will get the format that your after. This should probably go into a helper tho or save it in the format that you want with a call to before_save. Cheers On 5/9/06, David C. <dave@pezians.com> wrote:> > Randy wrote: > > I believe the best way would be to write a new method in your model.rb > > file. > > Call it something like phone_number_formatted or something and just use > > that new method (model.phone_number_formatted) instead of the > > rails-generated model.phone_number method. > > > > I could be wrong as I''m still learning too. > > Yeah, I was kinda looking for some way to call that method always from > the model after the data was loaded, much the same way you would with > before_validation, before_save, after_save etc. > > Like an after_load or something. > > There''s an after_filter, but I think that doesn''t apply to active > record... > > Haven''t found anything in the API docs that would do what I''m thinking, > but still looking. > > Thanks! > > > -- > Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails >-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060509/5c0f5842/attachment.html
That needs to be: def phone_number number = read_attribute(:phone_number) number.do_formatting_stuff end On 5/9/06, Liquid <has.sox@gmail.com> wrote:> If you just want to format it as you go, then overwrite the getting > attribute method that Active Record provides. > > Ie if you column is phone_number > > def phone_number > a = self.phone_number > some formatting stuff on a > ..... > end > > Whenever you call the @obj.phone_number you will get the format that your > after. > > This should probably go into a helper tho or save it in the format that you > want with a call to before_save. > > Cheers > > > > On 5/9/06, David C. <dave@pezians.com> wrote: > > Randy wrote: > > > I believe the best way would be to write a new method in your model.rb > > > file. > > > Call it something like phone_number_formatted or something and just use > > > that new method (model.phone_number_formatted ) instead of the > > > rails-generated model.phone_number method. > > > > > > I could be wrong as I''m still learning too. > > > > Yeah, I was kinda looking for some way to call that method always from > > the model after the data was loaded, much the same way you would with > > before_validation, before_save, after_save etc. > > > > Like an after_load or something. > > > > There''s an after_filter, but I think that doesn''t apply to active > > record... > > > > Haven''t found anything in the API docs that would do what I''m thinking, > > but still looking. > > > > Thanks! > > > > > > -- > > Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/. > > _______________________________________________ > > Rails mailing list > > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > >
On 5/10/06, Wilson Bilkovich <wilsonb@gmail.com> wrote:> > That needs to be: > def phone_number > number = read_attribute(:phone_number) > number.do_formatting_stuff > endNice, so read_attribute avoids the recursive road to hell I was experiencing on the weekend! Thanks Wilson. cheers, Ben -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060510/a77c1927/attachment.html
Wilson, Thanx for the fixup. I can''t find any documentation for the read_attribute method on the doc site. Any hints as to why you use that instead of just self.phone_number Cheers On 5/10/06, Ben and Kaz Askins <ror.teamaskins@gmail.com> wrote:> > > > On 5/10/06, Wilson Bilkovich <wilsonb@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > That needs to be: > > def phone_number > > number = read_attribute(:phone_number) > > number.do_formatting_stuff > > end > > > Nice, so read_attribute avoids the recursive road to hell I was > experiencing on the weekend! Thanks Wilson. > > cheers, > Ben > > > > _______________________________________________ > Rails mailing list > Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org > http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails > > >-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://wrath.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/attachments/20060510/245080c7/attachment.html
>> On 5/10/06, Ben and Kaz Askins <ror.teamaskins@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> On 5/10/06, Wilson Bilkovich < wilsonb@gmail.com> wrote: >> > That needs to be: >> > def phone_number >> > number = read_attribute(:phone_number) >> > number.do_formatting_stuff >> > end >> >> >> Nice, so read_attribute avoids the recursive road to hell I was experiencing >> on the weekend! Thanks Wilson. >>On 5/9/06, Liquid <has.sox@gmail.com> wrote:> Wilson, > > Thanx for the fixup. > > I can''t find any documentation for the read_attribute method on the doc > site. > > Any hints as to why you use that instead of just self.phone_number > > Cheers > >read_attribute and write_attribute are the behind-the-scenes accessors for the attributes that ActiveRecord plucks from the database. Are they really not in the API docs? That seems odd. Oh well. The main reason to use them is when you''re redefining/overriding a method with the same name. In the example above, self.phone_number will call the phone number method you just defined.. an endless loop. read_attribute lets you essentially delegate the work to ActiveRecord.
Awesome. That worked great!
One thing that didn''t work though...
I have this in my addressbook model:
def phone
format_phone(read_attribute(:phone), {:delimiter => "-"})
end
format_phone is just a copy of number_to_phone() helper since it''s not
inherited by ActiveRecord.
If I do this: <%=@addressbook.phone%>
the output is: 513-545-3333
which is what is desired.
If I do this:
<%=text_field ''addressbook'', ''phone'',
:size => 10, :class => ''input''%>
I get: 5135453333 as the value of the text field (no formatting)
Weird...?...
--
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.
On 5/9/06, David C. <dave@pezians.com> wrote:> Awesome. That worked great! > > One thing that didn''t work though... > > I have this in my addressbook model: > > def phone > format_phone(read_attribute(:phone), {:delimiter => "-"}) > end > > format_phone is just a copy of number_to_phone() helper since it''s not > inherited by ActiveRecord. > > If I do this: <%=@addressbook.phone%> > the output is: 513-545-3333 > which is what is desired. > > If I do this: > <%=text_field ''addressbook'', ''phone'', :size => 10, :class => ''input''%> > I get: 5135453333 as the value of the text field (no formatting) > > Weird...?... > >I just walked through what text_field does, and it ends up calling attribute_name_before_type_cast. Try adding: alias_method :phone_before_type_cast, :phone ..below the definition of your phone method. If that''s what it takes to make it work, that''s fairly irritating.
On 5/10/06, Wilson Bilkovich <wilsonb@gmail.com> wrote:> On 5/9/06, Liquid <has.sox@gmail.com> wrote: > > Wilson, > > > > Thanx for the fixup. > read_attribute and write_attribute are the behind-the-scenes accessors > for the attributes that ActiveRecord plucks from the database. > Are they really not in the API docs? That seems odd. Oh well.Just, checked. It''s there in the ActiveRecord::Base under the heading "Overwriting default accessors". Thanks for the tip. cheers, Ben
> Try adding: > alias_method :phone_before_type_cast, :phone > ..below the definition of your phone method. > > If that''s what it takes to make it work, that''s fairly irritating.That worked great also, thanks. Only problem is, I''m using before_type_cast to unformat the phone number before validating... before_validation :unformat_phone def unformat_phone phone_before_type_cast.gsub!(/\D/, "") end Thanks allot for your help. I''ve learned a bunch trying to get this to work. Guess I''ll just write out the phone number text field the old fashioned way.... or write my own helper. Thanks again, Dave -- Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.