Accessing included class's protected constant in a ActiveSupport::Concern

Question

What's the simplest way to access included class's protected constant in the ActiveSupport::Concern context?

Example classes:

module Printable
    extend ActiveSupport::Concern

private
    def print_constant
        puts MY_CONSTANT
    end
end

class Printer
    include Printable

    def print
        print_constant
    end

private
    MY_CONSTANT = 'Hello'.freeze
end

This solution produces an error:

NameError: uninitialized constant Printable::MY_CONSTANT

I'm aware of an alternative that seems to work:

puts self.class::MY_CONSTANT

But, it doesn't feel right. :-)

Any better suggestions?

Sham

Your question was my answer. While I agree that it doesn't feel right, your question finally gave me a solution that at least worked. – Kalinin

Answer 1

First of all, you should put #print_constant into an included block:

module Printable
  extend ActiveSupport::Concern

  included do
    private

    def print_constant
      puts MY_CONSTANT
    end
  end
end

Now there are at least two ways of accessing the class constant MY_CONSTANT:

1. #included yields with a base parameter similar to Ruby's #included:

   module Printable
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
   
     included do |base|
       private
   
       define_method :print_constant do
         puts base::MY_CONSTANT
       end
     end
   end
   

2. Another method is going from self.class:

   module Printable
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
   
     included do
       private
   
       def print_constant
         puts self.class::MY_CONSTANT
       end
     end
   end
   

ActiveSupport Concern Documentation

Verner

Answer 2

Accessing a constant of an including class from a concern isn't really a good idea.

A concern shouldn't have (too much) knowledge of the classes it's included in.

I would go for a common API in the concern and override when needed... like this:

module Printable
    extend ActiveSupport::Concern

private
    def print
      puts ""
    end
end

class Printer
    include Printable

    def print
        MY_CONSTANT
    end

private
    MY_CONSTANT = 'Hello'.freeze
end

Hoi

You'll have a method hyperinflation on the order of (number of including classes) x (number of methods using the constant) :) – Donelson