flickr method defined globally

[w1150n]

This gem creates an unscoped flickr method. It interferes with scopes and other things of the same name. It ends up causing this exception:

"RuntimeError: No API key or secret defined !"

I was able to get around that error by moving the require line from outside the class to inside a method declaration.

[hanklords]

You need to set your api key and secret like that :

require 'flickraw'

FlickRaw.api_key = "... Your API key ..."
FlickRaw.shared_secret = "... Your shared secret ..."

The global flickr method is not a bug, it is part of the API.

[w1150n]

Sorry, I don't think you understand. The bug is that it interferes with ActiveRecord scopes. Here's the scenario:

class SomeModel
  has_many :foos
end

class Foo
  belongs_to :some_model
  scope :flickr, where(:name => 'flickr')
end

Somewhere else in the codebase I require 'flickraw' and then when you try to use the scope above like this:

some_model.foos.flickr

It blows up with "RuntimeError: No API key or secret defined !"

Setting the api_key/secret is not the solution. I've done that elsewhere in the code. It seems like a bad design to just create the flickr method somewhere in the object graph outside of one of your modules. It's time for that feature to grow up. :)

The only workaround I found was to require 'flickraw' from within the method that makes the flickr client such that it wasn't required at base scope, like this:

def client
  require 'flickraw'
  @client = FlickRaw::Flickr.new
  @client.api_key = Settings.flickr.api_key
  @client.shared_secret = Settings.flickr.api_secret
  @client
end

It's also worth mentioning that I'm seeing these issues while running on JRuby 1.7.3, I haven't tried with MRI.

[hanklords]

OK I get it. However this is a bug in ActiveRecord, not in flickraw... It will be triggered when you call any of Object methods.

I think the clean way to do what you want is:

require "flickraw"
class Object; remove_method :flickr end

The global flickr method is not going to be removed from flickraw.

[9mm]

The 'flickr' global variable in this is absolutely fucking insane... is it 1992? It's wrong on so many levels that it's painful.

[cyclotron3k]

I don't want to pour gasoline on the fire here, but I have to agree with the others here. It's a really unusual and unexpected way of doing things. And generally, unexpected and unusual behaviour is not a great feature of a gem.

Imagine if every gem started dumping methods in the global scope.

Would you consider revising your position on the issue?

[9mm]

My favorite part is this: However this is a bug in ActiveRecord, not in flickraw

Yes, if I douse your house with gasoline and burn it to the ground it MUST be the gasoline manufacturers fault.

[9mm]

I'll see myself out before I make it worse, everyone have a good day.

[hanklords]

It can be done with a version bump.
Also doc and examples need to be updated

[cyclotron3k]

I can do a PR for the documentation if you like

[hanklords]

@cyclotron3k send your PR :)

[cyclotron3k]

I created PR #102 👍

[cyclotron3k]

Done. The changes can't be released as part of the 0.9.x series because they are breaking changes, but they can be found in the Flickr gem, version 2.x.x