Rails virtual attributes error. Syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting keyword_end self.send(field_name) =

Question

I have start_time:timestamps and finish_time:timestamps fields in events table. So I want to store here only hours and minutes.

_form.html.erb

<%= f.time_select :start_time_string %>

I added virtual attributes to my model.

event.rb

  # Generates methods: start_time_string, finish_time_string
  #
  [:start_time, :finish_time].each do |field_name|
    define_method("#{field_name}_string") do
      self.send(field_name).strftime('%H:%M') if self.send(field_name)
    end
  end

  [:start_time, :finish_time].each do |field_name|
    define_method("#{field_name}_string=") do |time|
      self.send(field_name) = time.strftime('%H:%M')
    end
  end

But I got error:

syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting keyword_end self.send(field_name) = time.strftime('%H:%M') ^

Why this is happening? Could you please propose a better solution for me if it's possible?

Kirti Thorat · Accepted Answer · 2014-03-05T22:51:21.880

1

Replace

[:start_time, :finish_time].each do |field_name|
    define_method("#{field_name}_string=") do |time|
      self.send(field_name) = time.strftime('%H:%M')
    end
  end

with

[:start_time, :finish_time].each do |field_name|
    define_method("#{field_name}_string=") do |time|
      self.send("#{field_name}_string=",time.strftime('%H:%M'))
    end
end

EDIT

This will create two methods start_time_string= and finish_time_string=.

You can call these as,

start_time_string = Time.now
finish_time_string = Time.now

edited Mar 05 '14 at 22:51

answered Mar 05 '14 at 22:36

Kirti Thorat

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Oopps!! let's see OP's reaction. – Arup Rakshit Mar 05 '14 at 22:37
You beat me with the answer but I was watching.:) – Kirti Thorat Mar 05 '14 at 22:37
You carry on.. I am going.. feel sleepy. :) – Arup Rakshit Mar 05 '14 at 22:44
It doesn't work... `1 error(s) on assignment of multiparameter attributes [error on assignment [2014, 3, 5, 22, 45] to start_time_string (undefined method 'klass' for nil:NilClass)]` – Mike Andrianov Mar 05 '14 at 22:45

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

1

@Kirti's answer is correct.

However your error lies in another the fact that your time_select field is not a Time field in your database.

See this related question, there are many suggested solutions.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

Community

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1

answered Mar 05 '14 at 22:57

Agis

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A little bit earlier I setted `time` type for my `start_time:time` column. But after that not only time was stored in database but year, month, day too. So I found same problem here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3682991/ruby-on-rails-time-now. One of the suggestions is to change column type to `timestamps`. – Mike Andrianov Mar 05 '14 at 23:16
Yes, use `:datetime` or `:timestamp`. – Agis Mar 05 '14 at 23:20

Rails virtual attributes error. Syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting keyword_end self.send(field_name) =

2 Answers2