Class: ActiveModel::Observer

Inherits:
Object
  • Object
show all
Extended by:
ActiveSupport::DescendantsTracker
Includes:
Singleton
Defined in:
lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb

Overview

Active Model Observers

Observer classes respond to life cycle callbacks to implement trigger-like behavior outside the original class. This is a great way to reduce the clutter that normally comes when the model class is burdened with functionality that doesn’t pertain to the core responsibility of the class.

class CommentObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  def after_save(comment)
    Notifications.comment('[email protected]', 'New comment was posted', comment).deliver
  end
end

This Observer sends an email when a Comment#save is finished.

class ContactObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  def after_create(contact)
    contact.logger.info('New contact added!')
  end

  def after_destroy(contact)
    contact.logger.warn("Contact with an id of #{contact.id} was destroyed!")
  end
end

This Observer uses logger to log when specific callbacks are triggered.

Observing a class that can’t be inferred

Observers will by default be mapped to the class with which they share a name. So CommentObserver will be tied to observing Comment, ProductManagerObserver to ProductManager, and so on. If you want to name your observer differently than the class you’re interested in observing, you can use the Observer.observe class method which takes either the concrete class (Product) or a symbol for that class (:product):

class AuditObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  observe :account

  def after_update()
    AuditTrail.new(, 'UPDATED')
  end
end

If the audit observer needs to watch more than one kind of object, this can be specified with multiple arguments:

class AuditObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  observe :account, :balance

  def after_update(record)
    AuditTrail.new(record, 'UPDATED')
  end
end

The AuditObserver will now act on both updates to Account and Balance by treating them both as records.

If you’re using an Observer in a Rails application with Active Record, be sure to read about the necessary configuration in the documentation for ActiveRecord::Observer.

Direct Known Subclasses

ActiveRecord::Observer

Class Method Summary collapse

Instance Method Summary collapse

Constructor Details

#initialize ⇒ Observer

Start observing the declared classes and their subclasses. Called automatically by the instance method.



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 340

def initialize #:nodoc:
  observed_classes.each { |klass| add_observer!(klass) }
end

Class Method Details

.observe(*models) ⇒ Object

Attaches the observer to the supplied model classes.

class AuditObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  observe :account, :balance
end

AuditObserver.observed_classes # => [Account, Balance]



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 307

def observe(*models)
  models.flatten!
  models.collect! { |model| model.respond_to?(:to_sym) ? model.to_s.camelize.constantize : model }
  singleton_class.redefine_method(:observed_classes) { models }
end

.observed_class ⇒ Object

Returns the class observed by default. It’s inferred from the observer’s class name.

PersonObserver.observed_class  # => Person
AccountObserver.observed_class # => Account



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 333

def observed_class
  name[/(.*)Observer/, 1].try :constantize
end

.observed_classes ⇒ Object

Returns an array of Classes to observe.

AccountObserver.observed_classes # => [Account]

You can override this instead of using the observe helper.

class AuditObserver < ActiveModel::Observer
  def self.observed_classes
    [Account, Balance]
  end
end



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 324

def observed_classes
  Array(observed_class)
end

Instance Method Details

#observed_class_inherited(subclass) ⇒ Object

Special method sent by the observed class when it is inherited. Passes the new subclass.



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 357

def observed_class_inherited(subclass) #:nodoc:
  self.class.observe(observed_classes + [subclass])
  add_observer!(subclass)
end

#observed_classes ⇒ Object

:nodoc:



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 344

def observed_classes #:nodoc:
  self.class.observed_classes
end

#update(observed_method, object, *extra_args, &block) ⇒ Object

Send observed_method(object) if the method exists and the observer is enabled for the given object’s class.



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# File 'lib/rails/observers/active_model/observing.rb', line 350

def update(observed_method, object, *extra_args, &block) #:nodoc:
  return if !respond_to?(observed_method) || disabled_for?(object)
  send(observed_method, object, *extra_args, &block)
end