Question

Here’s my current code:

  class << self
      NAMES.each do |item_name|
          item = nil
          define_method "#{item_name}" do
             item = find_by_name(item_name)
          end

          define_method "#{item_name}_id" do
              item.id
          end
      end
  end

I am getting a error when I try to call Item.balloon_id, for example, because it say’s can’t call nil on object. What’s the correct code?

Answer 1

Its hard to tell because you don’t say what class we are “in”. I’m guessing we’re in Item
, but I am a little unclear why you have item = nil

item = nil I presume is obfuscating a method by the same name for your instance variable @item.

Another way to do it would be to call the method you defined above.

E.G

define_method "#{item_name}_id" do
  self.send(item_name).id
end