Include two database results in one API request output using Rails 3

Question

I am developing an API in Rails 3 and I got a user model and a message model. I want the developer to be able to get all info about the user as well as the last message from the user. How can I do this? How can I "include" the messages into the user output?

How can this code be modified to suit my purpose?

def index

    @contacts = current_user.contacts

    @users = Array.new

    @messages = Array.new

    @contacts.each do |contact|

        user = User.find(contact.friend_id)

        @users << user

        message = Message.find_by_user_id(contact.friend_id)

        @messages << message

    end

    respond_to do |format|

        format.html { render :text => 'Use either JSON or XML' }
        format.json { render :json => @users }
        format.xml { render :xml => @users }

    end

end

Thankful for all input!

Gazler · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-16 21:36:04Z

1

You should take advantage of your model, and include the last message as a method in your User model. You can then use the :methods hash of the render method.

  format.json { render :json => @users , :methods => [:last_message]}

EDIT

Your user model should be something like:

def User < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_many :messages
  attr_accessor :name, :email #Include the fields you wish to show here

  def last_message
    self.messages.first
  end
end

And your controller:

def index

    @contacts = current_user.contacts

    respond_to do |format|

        format.html { render :text => 'Use either JSON or XML' }
        format.json { render :json => @contacts, :methods => :last_message }
        format.xml { render :xml => @contacts, :methods => :last_message }

    end

end

edited Apr 16, 2011 at 21:36

answered Apr 16, 2011 at 20:28

Gazler

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9 Comments

Jonathan Clark Over a year ago

Sounds interesting! What should I write in the user model to get the last message? I am not sure how I should do that. Could you show me?

Jonathan Clark Over a year ago

I know how to use what you propose and that is awesome. The only problem now is I want to get the messages per person. How can I send parameters to the user model method? Please help!

Gazler Over a year ago

See my edits, let me know if there is anything unclear. I would check how many SQL queries it is making, if it is required, there are some optimisations that could be made.

Jonathan Clark Over a year ago

Getting clearer. Unfortunately I get errors: NameError (undefined local variable or method `this'.

Gazler Over a year ago

Apologies, that should have been self.messages.first, if that doesn't work, try just messages.first.

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