Looking for a way to set a variable when doing Model.new

[Bob Smith]

I need a way to set a counter that will show how many of the model
have been created and put this in each instance. This will allow me to
use the record number as an input to another field before id is set.
After things are settled, the real id number can be substituted for
the counter.

I've tried new in the controller, but that's for a create action from
the app.


Thanks
Bob

[Colin Law]

On 8 February 2012 07:12, Bob Smith <bsm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I need a way to set a counter that will show how many of the model
> have been created and put this in each instance. This will allow me to
> use the record number as an input to another field before id is set.
> After things are settled, the real id number can be substituted for
> the counter.

If you do that and two users come along at the same time and make new
objects then they will both get the same number. Can you not just use
a before_save filter to set the field? If you think not can you
explain what you are trying to do (and why) in more detail as there is
almost certainly a better solution.

Colin

[grentis]

You can use also after_initialize checking if the counter is already setted 

after_initialize :set_counter

def set_counter

  self.counter ||= ModelName.all.count

end

[Michael Pavling]

On 8 February 2012 11:05, grentis <gre...@gmail.com> wrote:
>   ModelName.all.count

Please don't *ever* do this.
If you want a count of all the objects in a table, use
"ModeName.count". Using ".all.count" will instantiate an array of all
of the objects just to do a count of the array... this could be very
slow with a big table.

[grentis]

Ops, sorry...I don't know why I add .all :(

[Valery Kvon]

I think actually he asked about something counter-caching solution for stand-alone model/table. Good question, for the best approach it has to be realized on a database level. The second approach is to build additional caching table to keep counter values for anything you want. The last one is not so elegant.

[Valery Kvon]

Imagine 'create' action.

During the period from the instance is initialized:
@user = User.new(params[:user])
to the moment it saved
@user.save

anyone else can create user object(s), so your @user will be saved with incorrect counter value.

[Peter Vandenabeele]

Maybe the OP really wants a "sequence" (a guaranteed unique number
that is more or less monotomically going up).

The OP may be used to the concept that the primary ID of a record upon
creation is such a sequence. But maybe he needs that number _before_
the record is saved. (e.g. to set a serial number that is saved in the record).

If that is the business requirement, 3 solutions:

1) don't do it that way. Use a separate sequence generator (which exists
in Postgresql and probably in all databases) and use that to calculate
the unique and more or less monoticly increasing serial number. Do NOT
couple that "business id" with the actual internal database id.

2) If you want to use the database id, then you could use an external
sequence generator and set the Object.id manually before saving (than
configure your db in a way that the primary key is set from the application).

3) do an after_create  (create the object with most data filled in, the
create will generate the database id and in the after_create calculate
the other field (e.g. serial number) and save again ... this is then an
"update" so the "after_create" will not be triggered again). You may
need some more tricks to make sure this "serial number" field cannot
be modified, otherwise it could be out of sync with you internal database
id (that is "back to (1) above" don't link the "serial number" with the
database id, just make it a separate column with a unique index and
use a separate sequencer to generate those unique codes).

HTH,

Peter

[Bob Smith]

On Feb 8, 7:11 am, Peter Vandenabeele <pe...@vandenabeele.com> wrote:

It seems a bit of explanation is in order..

after_create, after_initialize, and the database won't help me.. I
need this value to be available as soon as new creates a new object in
the view, before any saving. I have the logic set to do this with
existing records. What I am trying to do is have a unique value set in
each new record so that they can be part of a radio button list.

This is how the new objects are created

<%= link_to_function "Add a Person" do |page|
page.insert_html :bottom, 'empty', :partial => 'shared/
person', :locals => {:temp => @temp,:household => @household}, :object
=> Person.new
end %>


My app is used at the signup table of a foodbank. My app has a
household record that has address, zip, phone, etc. This has a child
model called people with.. guess what... people :> There are radio
buttons referencing the record id next to each person where the head
of household can be selected. This is where the problem lies. No
problem with existing people, but new ones have no id yet. I have
added a variable to the people model to hold a counter. I have the
logic to look back at the record after save, find the id of the wanted
record, and replace the counter with the correct value. Now all I need
is a way to set the counter at each new record. Hope this makes it
clearer.


Thanks
Bob

[Bob Smith]

Just ALMOST fixed this thanks to google..

in person.rb
def initialize(params = nil)
super()
self.hoh = $hoh
$hoh = $hoh - 1
end

This will set the model to the value in $hoh and decrement it once,
but after that the $hoh = $hoh - 1 won't execute. If I make more than
1 record, all values are the same.. Please help!!


Thanks
Bob

[Hassan Schroeder]

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 8:54 PM, Bob Smith <bsm...@gmail.com> wrote:

> What I am trying to do is have a *unique value* set in each new record

See: http://rubygems.org/gems/uuid

HTH!
--
Hassan Schroeder ------------------------ hassan.s...@gmail.com
http://about.me/hassanschroeder
twitter: @hassan

[Peter Vandenabeele]

On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 7:07 AM, Hassan Schroeder <hassan.s...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 8:54 PM, Bob Smith <bsm...@gmail.com> wrote:

> What I am trying to do is have a *unique value* set in each new record

See: http://rubygems.org/gems/uuid

Indeed.

And maybe better to not mess with the `def initialize`, but use the
`after_initialize` function that is provided by Rails. I did it like this.


../lib/uuid_helper.rb

require 'uuidtools'

module UUIDHelper
  extend ActiveSupport::Concern

  included do
    after_initialize :set_uuid
    def set_uuid
      unless uuid  # Note 1 below
        self.uuid = UUIDTools::UUID.random_create.to_s
      end
    end
  end
end

../app/model/person.rb

class Person < ActiveRecord::Base

  # UUID
  include UUIDHelper
  ...
end

Note 1:
Be careful, it is a little tricky to _only_ set the value of the uuid
when it is not yet present, otherwise reading back the value
from the database will build a new instance of Person with a
new random uuid. The code above is well tested and works.

Maybe you will also need to add ../lib to your default load path.
In config/application.rb

    # Custom directories with classes and modules you want to be autoloadable.
    config.autoload_paths += %W(#{config.root}/lib)
    config.autoload_paths += Dir["#{config.root}/lib/**/"]


HTH,

Peter

*** Available for a new project ***

Peter Vandenabeele
http://twitter.com/peter_v

http://rails.vandenabeele.com

http://coderwall.com/peter_v

[Bob Smith]

On Feb 9, 3:52 am, Peter Vandenabeele <pe...@vandenabeele.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 7:07 AM, Hassan Schroeder <hassan.schroe...@gmail.com

I don't have a config/application.rb. Forgot to mention it, but I'm
using 2.3.9 until I get rid of bugs, then the 3.0 project starts.. :>
Can this be done for 2.3.9?


Thanks
Bob

[Bob Smith]

On Feb 11, 2:33 pm, Bob Smith <bsm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 9, 3:52 am, Peter Vandenabeele <pe...@vandenabeele.com> wrote:
>
>
>

> > On Thu, Feb 9,2012at 7:07 AM, Hassan Schroeder <hassan.schroe...@gmail.com
>
> > > wrote:

> > Peter Vandenabeelehttp://twitter.com/peter_vhttp://rails.vandenabeele.comhttp://coderwa...

>
> I don't have a config/application.rb. Forgot to mention it, but I'm
> using 2.3.9 until I get rid of bugs, then the 3.0 project starts.. :>
> Can this be done for 2.3.9?
>
> Thanks
> Bob

Finally found it. Here it is for anyone else in similar trouble.

In the view

<%= link_to_remote "Add a Person", :url => "/people/add_person" %>

In the controller

def add_person
person = Person.new()
person.hoh = $hoh

$hoh = $hoh - 1

render :update do |page|

page.insert_html :bottom, 'empty', :partial => 'shared/

person', :object => person
end
end

This will add a new object AND allow the play with the hoh in the new
model AND decrement it for the next new object.
As usual, everything is possible in Rails, once you find an allowed
way to do it,

Bob <bsm...@gmail.com>

[Michael Pavling]

On 26 February 2012 21:32, Bob Smith <bsm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Finally found it. Here it is for anyone else in similar trouble.
>

>  def add_person
>    person = Person.new()
>    person.hoh = $hoh
>    $hoh = $hoh - 1
>    render :update do |page|
> page.insert_html :bottom, 'empty', :partial => 'shared/
> person', :object => person
>    end
>  end

Global variables?
For the love of all that's OO, at least hide it behind a singleton :-/
*shakes head*