Call instance method from associate model

Question

This question comes as a consequense of a previous one (Return url from paperclip to json). I am summing it up in order to be easier to follow and also because this is just a part of the above mentioned one. I have a CMS system that uses paperclip for multiple image uploading. My code is

asset.rb

 attr_accessible :asset_content_type, :asset_file_name, :asset_file_size, :asset_updated_at, :place_id, :asset
  belongs_to :place
  has_attached_file :asset

   validates_attachment :asset, :presence => true,
  :content_type => { :content_type => ['image/jpeg', 'image/png'] },
  :size => { :in => 0..1.megabytes }

def asset_url
asset.url(:original)
end

place.rb

has_many :assets
    accepts_nested_attributes_for :assets, :allow_destroy => true

def avatar_url
asset_url
end

places_controller

def overall_photos
    @places = Place.all
    render :json => @places.to_json(:methods => [:avatar_url])
    end

The error I get when I try to access ...places/overall_photos.json is {"status":"500","error":"undefined local variable or method `asset_url' for #\u003CPlace:0x007f163b67d8a8\u003E"} so it seems tat I can't access the instance method of asset.rb through the associate model place.rb. Can anyone point me to the right direction? I even tried to make asset_url a class method but still no luck.

Answer 1

def avatar_url
  assets.map(&:asset_url)
end

This should give you what you want according to your comment

Answer 2

If you want all asset URLs:

def asset_urls
  self.assets.map {|a| a.asset_url }
end

But you probably want only one as an avatar, so I'd use

def avatar_url
  self.assets.first.asset_url if self.assets.first  #to avoid calling asset_url on Nil
end