How to call a path stored in string variable without eval in link_to for rails 3.2?

Question

The index path of quotes is stored and retrieved from var JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path. Here is how the variable is defined:

JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path = 'jobshop_quotex.quotes_path(:rfq_id => r.id)'

Here is the link_to which works (eval):

<%= link_to t('Quotes'), eval(JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path.to_s) %>

Here is the link_to which did not work:

<%= link_to t('Quotes'), Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.send(JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path.to_s) %>

Here is the error:

 ActionView::Template::Error:
       undefined method `jobshop_quotex.quotes_path(:rfq_id => r.id)' for #<Module:0x42d5c90>

Without eval, what's the right way to call a string path?

Answer 1

If you want to use send you have to pass the name of the method separately from the arguments. You'd have to do something like this:

Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.send('jobshop_quotex.quotes_path', :rfq_id => r.id)

But, I don't think that's going to do what you want though. I really don't understand why you'd want to do this...

Answer 2

I don't know why you're doing this, but the correct thing to do here is to use a Proc.

JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path = Proc.new { |js_quotex, r| js_quotex.quotes_path(:rfq_id => r.id) }

Then you can get the path you are looking for by calling:

link_to t('Quotes'), JobshopRfqx.quote_index_path.call(jobshop_quotex, r)

I'm like 90% sure that you're designing your system poorly if doing the above is required. Without seeing the whole thing I can't give you any better suggestions.