Rails 3 - creating own model and working with an others - ruby-on-rails-3

Question

I have two tables for checking views (visits of the page) - views of pic (PhotoView) in gallery and photographers(PhotographerView).
Because these two models (and tables) are the same, I want to create a model for them - something like:
class Func < ActiveRecord::Base
def self.check_views(model_view, data)
last_view = model_viewView.where('ip_address = ? AND request_url = ?', request.remote_ip, request.url).order('created_at DESC').first
unless last_view
model_view+View.new(...).save
model_view.increment_counter(:views, data.id)
else
if (DateTime.now - last_view.created_at.to_datetime) > 1.day
model_view+View.new(...).save
model_view.increment_counter(:views, data.id)
end
end #comparing dates
end
end
and call this method like:
#photo = Photo.find(params[:id])
Func.check_views('Photo', #photo)
When I try use it with the way above, I'll get the error undefined method `check_views' for Func(Table doesn't exist):Class
Could you give me a help, how to make it work?
Thank you

Answer 1

You can use ActiveRecord::Concern and modules to move the common functionality into one place as follows:
module CheckViews
extend ActiveSupport::Concern
module ClassMethods
# all class methods go here, if you don't have any just leave it blank
end
def check_views(data)
last_view = where('ip_address = ? AND request_url = ?', request.remote_ip, request.url).order('created_at DESC').first
unless last_view
##views_class.new(...).save
increment_counter(:views, data.id)
else
if (DateTime.now - last_view.created_at.to_datetime) > 1.day
##views_class.new(...).save
increment_counter(:views, data.id)
end
end #comparing dates
end
end
class Photo < ActiveRecord::Base
include CheckViews
end
you can now do the following:
#photo = Photo.find(params[:id])
#photo.check_views

Answer 2

I'd be very tempted to do this as a module extending the classes which want the Views functionality. Something like the following ought to work; but it's entirely untested and entirely unlike anything I've ever done before so it may be completely buggy. Fair warning.
module CheckViews
def self.extended(host_class)
host_class.class_variable_set("##views_class", "#{host_class}View".constantize)
end
def check_views(data)
last_view = where('ip_address = ? AND request_url = ?', request.remote_ip, request.url).order('created_at DESC').first
unless last_view
##views_class.new(...).save
increment_counter(:views, data.id)
else
if (DateTime.now - last_view.created_at.to_datetime) > 1.day
##views_class.new(...).save
increment_counter(:views, data.id)
end
end #comparing dates
end
end
class Photo < ActiveRecord::Base
extend CheckViews
...
end
(extend adds all the instance methods of the target Module as class methods of the calling class; so Photo gains Photo.check_views(data), and self in that function is the class Photo.)