gistfile1.rb

module ApplicationHelper
  # Why is this a helper - should be method in User model
  def get_name(first_name, last_name, middle_name) 
    full_name = "" # Why's this here? It's never used
    if middle_name != "" && last_name != "" && first_name != "" then # Doesn't handle nils
      return first_name + " " + middle_name + " " + last_name 
      # Ruby intrinsically returns, idomatic ruby coder wouldn't bother with return
    end
    if  last_name != "" && first_name != "" then 
      # Conditional statments both overly verbose, fragile (doesn't handle all cases - what if validation changes and we don't require a last_name - method then returns nothing useful)
      return first_name + " " + last_name
    end
    # Not DRY, if we change f.e. first_name to be forename, then four seperate lines are affected.
    # What if we were to want to include a 'title' atribute i.e. 'Mr.'? The structure of the method is very inflexible
  end 
end
# Also anoyingly verbose to call:
# get_name(@user.first_name, @user.last_name, @user.middle_name)



# Better version:
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  def full_name
    [first_name, middle_name, last_name].delete_if{ |n| n.blank? }.join(' ')
  end
end
# This is called by:
# @user.full_name