Refactoring method in ApplicationController for Rails App

Question

Here is a method I have in my ApplicationController, but it's "ugly" and needs some cleanup.

 def user_root_path
 return root_url unless user_signed_in?
 return admin_root_url if current_user.admin?
 return contributor_dashboard_url if current_user.athlete_contributor? && !current_user.class.name.eql?("Athlete")
 return school_admin_athletes_path if current_user.role?("School Admin")
 case current_user.class.name
 when "Athlete"
 if current_user.username.present?
 edit_vitals_athlete_profile_path
 else
 account_finalize_path
 end
 when "HighSchoolCoach"
 school_admin_athletes_path
 when "CollegeCoach"
 if current_user.sports.blank? || current_user.college_id.blank?
 account_finalize_path
 else
 search_index_path
 end
 else
 root_url
 end
 end

Answer 1

I would solve this with a combination of inheritance and duck typing.

• Use a base method on a User class root_path to be your entry point.
• Pull out that nasty "signed out" user concept to a NullUser object, it is safer than passing nils around or constantly calling user_signed_in? everywhere.
• Delegate from the root_path method in the base class to specific_root_path in subclasses once you are past your "early exit" logic.

---

# application_controller.rb
class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
 before_filter :set_current_user
 def user_root_path
 @user.root_path
 end
 def set_current_user
 @user = current_user
 @user ||= NullUser.new
 end
end

---

# user.rb
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
 def admin?
 # your admin logic
 end
 def root_path
 return admin_root_url if self.admin?
 return school_admin_athletes_path if self.role?("School Admin") 
 if self.athlete_contributor? &&
 !self.class.name.eql?("Athlete")
 return contributor_dashboard_url
 end
 specific_root_path
 end
 def specific_root_path
 root_url
 end
end
class NullUser
 include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers
 def root_path
 root_url
 end
end

---

# athlete.rb
class Athlete < User
 def specific_root_path
 if self.username.present?
 edit_vitals_athlete_profile_path
 else
 account_finalize_path
 end
 end
end

---

# high_school_coach.rb
class HighSchoolCoach < User
 def specific_root_path
 school_admin_athletes_path
 end
end

---

# college_coach.rb
class CollegeCoach < User
 def specific_root_path
 if self.sports.blank? || self.college_id.blank?
 account_finalize_path
 else
 search_index_path
 end
 end
end

---

This logic should be equivalent to your original logic, if it isn't, it is pretty close.