Calling a method for current_user when logging in using authlogic

Question

I am using authlogic for authentication in my rails app. I need to be able to call a method for the current_user when they sign in but it's returning nil.

In my user_sessions_controller.rb

def create
  @user_session = UserSession.new(params[:user_session])

  if @user_session.save
    current_user.increment_login_count_for_current_memberships!
    flash[:notice] = 'Sign in successful.'
    redirect_to root_path
  else
    render action: "new"
  end
end

And it's returning...

Failure/Error: click_button "Sign in"
     NoMethodError:
       undefined method `increment_login_count_for_current_memberships!' for nil:NilClass

I've seen a similar problem here Not able to set a current_user using Authlogic on Rails 3.0.1 where the answer was to disable basic_auth, but I am using basic_auth for my admin side of the app so I cannot simply disable it.

Why can't I call the current_user here?
If I can't call current_user here, is there a way to set it?

what errors do you get if you use `@current_user` instead of `current_user` ? — Siwei, Apr 10 '12 at 04:38
I get the same errors as in my original post using `@current_user` — Norto23, Apr 10 '12 at 04:56
I am trying to reproduce your problem in order to debug. Which rails and ruby versions are you using? — iblue, Apr 12 '12 at 13:25
And which version of authlogic? See your `Gemfile.lock` if not sure. — iblue, Apr 12 '12 at 13:37
Very strange. current_user works well for me. In Rails 3.0.1 and 3.2.1, with ruby 1.8 and ruby 1.9. With authlogic 2.1.6 and 3.1.0. Can you push some source to github that makes me able to reproduce it? — iblue, Apr 12 '12 at 13:54

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 18 '12 at 11:54

In my own app, I have these two methods (among others) defined in lib/authlogic_helper.rb (and I'm assuming you do too):

module AuthlogicHelper
  def current_user_session
    return @current_user_session if defined?(@current_user_session)
    @current_user_session = UserSession.find
  end

  def current_user
    return @current_user if defined?(@current_user)
    @current_user = current_user_session && current_user_session.user
  end
end

Those methods seem to do exactly what the code in your answer does, except that the user session instance variable is called @current_user_session instead of @user_session as it is in your controller code.

If you rename your user session variable to @current_user_session in your controller action, then the current_user_session method will short-circuit and return the session you just created, which should then allow the current_user method to return the correct user.

In my app these are defined in my application controller. I couldn't get your answer to work for me but I appreciate the advice (hence the bounty awarded!) — Norto23, Apr 18 '12 at 13:57
Honestly, even if that had worked, it's very hacky to depend on the name of an instance variable defined in another module. Your solution is cleaner and more explicit. — Brandan, Apr 18 '12 at 14:19

Norto23 · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-19T01:50:47.700

1

I still don't know why I cannot call current_user or @current_user here. But I found two ways to call the current_user here in the controller code...

UserSession.find.user.increment_login_count_for_current_memberships!

and

@user_session.user.increment_login_count_for_current_memberships!

If anyone wants to shed some light on why I can't call current_user here, I'll happily award you the bounty :)

edited Apr 19 '12 at 01:50

answered Apr 13 '12 at 07:12

Norto23

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That's not an answer to your own question. – iblue Apr 15 '12 at 11:29
It is a solution to my problem though and therefore answers the second part of my question. – Norto23 Apr 16 '12 at 01:21

Calling a method for current_user when logging in using authlogic

2 Answers2