Question

I am continuously calling an API and keep getting Stack level too deep error within minutes of call. I guess I am missing something basic here:

Class SomeModel

  def self.call_api(index)
    ref = SomeModel.get_reference
    query ||=  Api.call(:parameter => ref.parameter, :offset => index)
    # .. doing stuff
    if index >= 949
      sleep(20)
      new_num = Integer(number) + 1000
      ref.update_attribute(:parameter, new_num)      
      SomeModel.call_api(1)
     else
       sleep(10)
       begin
             # This is a rescue for the case when API call returns nothing.
         SomeModel.call_api(index+50)
       rescue
         new_num = Integer(number) + 1000
         ref.update_attribute(:parameter, new_num)
         SomeModel.call_api(1)
       end
    end
  end

end

Answer 1

Ruby does not handle recursion well and will always eventually give you a stack level too deep. You’re better off putting this inside some sort of loop that does not call the method recursively. If you want it to be a little smarter than just calling the method in an infinite loop, you can use something like EventMachine to respond to different events.