Question

My model, Widget.rb, has include ApplicationHelper and my instance methods have no trouble using any method defined in application_helper.rb

However, when I try to use one of the helper methods in any of my class methods such as

def self.send_broadcast(guid)
   track_guids(guid) # defined in application_helper.rb
end

I get No Method error.

Is there some secret handshake to permit use of a ApplicationHelper method inside a class method?

Answer 1

ApplicationHelper is just a module:

module ApplicationHelper
  def track_guids(something)

  end
end

class Widget
  extend ApplicationHelper

  def self.send_broadcast(guid)
    track_guids(guid)
  end
end

Now you should have access to the module methods from a class method. I’m not sure if you can both extend and include the same module though… not really sure what that’d do.

Edit to add:

I’m not sure what will happen if you try both extending and including the same module into the class. With extend you get the module included at the class-level, with include it is included at the instance-level. It might give you the methods at both class and instance if you do both… or it might die horribly. Give it a try?