I have an app where I need to prevent users from editing data while it is being edited by a different user. I'm trying to think of the best way to do it and wanted to ask for ideas. So far, I've created a settings model that stores application wide configuration on the db in key/value pairs. So, for the lock, I have a settings instance that's called LOCKED_TABLE_UID, and it stored the user_id of the user editing the table or null (nil) if the table is free.
>> lock = Setting.find_by_key('LOCKED_TABLE_UID')
Then, I implemented 2 methods in my application controller to acquire and release the lock:
# current_user returns the user currently logged in
def acquire_lock
lock = Setting.find_by_key("LOCKED_TABLE_UID")
if lock.value
# if lock taken, see if it's the current_user or someone else
if lock.value.to_i == current_user.id.to_i
return true
else
return false
end
else
# lock is free, assign it to this user
lock.value = current_user.id
return true if lock.save
end
end
def release_lock
lock = Setting.find_by_key("LOCKED_TABLE_UID")
if lock.value
# the lock belongs to current_user, so he can release it
if lock.value.to_i == current_user.id.to_i
lock.value = nil
return true if lock.save
else
# not your lock, go away
return false
end
else
# lock is free, quit bugging
return true
end
end
What I want is to create some kind of block code that contains the locking mechanism, something like this:
def some_crud_action
requires_locking do |lock|
if lock
# do some CRUD stuff here
else
# decline CRUD and give some error
end
end
end
I'd appreciate help on this - but I'm also open to other suggestions on how to accomplish all that, or some things I may have overlooked. This lock doesn't have to be atomic, but fairly basic and most important - that it works :) thanks.