submodule_override.rb ===================== Given a base module that may be extended that defines a core set of methods for a core set of services. Allow for a nested service override the base service methods based on an environment variable.

proxy_class_idea.rb

require 'active_resource'

class User
  
  DEFAULT_CONTEXT_USER = "Models::Database::User"

  class << self

    def method_missing(method,*args,&block)
      contextual_user = "Models::#{ENV['context']}::User".constantize
      
      if contextual_user.respond_to?(method)
        contextual_user.send(method)
      elsif DEFAULT_CONTEXT_USER.constantize.respond_to?(method)
        DEFAULT_CONTEXT_USER.constantize.send(method)
      else
        super(method,*args,&block)
      end
      
    end
  
  end
end

module Models
  
  module Database
    class User < ActiveRecord::Base ; end
  end
  
  module Browser
    class User
      class << self
      
        def create
          # creation through browser
        end
      end
    end
  end

end

submodule_alias_overrides.rb

module Models
  module Browser

    #
    # When this module is extended open the classes up and alias override the operations.
    #
    def self.extended(base)
      Models::User.class_eval do
        class << self
          alias_method :create, :create_through_browser
          alias_method :validate, :validate_through_browser
        end
      end
    end


  end
end

submodule_override.rb

require 'active_resource'

module Services

  #
  # Services defined in the module Services have been extended.
  # Upon extension there may be overrides that exist that we may want to apply.
  #
  #
  def self.extended(base)
    puts "Extending Basic Services"
    puts "Extending #{ENV['services']} Services"
    base.extend "#{self}::#{ENV['services']}".constantize
  end

  def get_time
    puts "Basic Services Time"
    Time.now
  end

end

module Services
  module Mock
    def get_time
      puts "Tricked you, there is no time"
    end
  end
end

module Services
  module SOAP
    def get_time
      puts "Making a soap call to get the time"
    end
  end
end