undefined local variable or method `user_params

Question

So I followed the rails cast for "Authentication from scratch" - http://railscasts.com/episodes/250-authentication-from-scratch

I understand that rails 4 does not use attr_accessible. I defined user_params in my users controller as a private method. For some reason, rails is giving me an undefined error for user params. I am working on another rails app, and I checked the post controller in it. It is exactly the same, except it's working. Any idea what the problem is here?

users_controller.rb

class UsersController < ApplicationController
  def new
    @user = User.new
  end

  def create
    @user = User.create(user_params)
  if @user.save
   redirect_to root_url, :notice => "Signed up!"
 else
   render "new"
   end
private

def user_params
  params.require(:user).permit(:email, :password, :password_confirmation)
 end    

Error Message:

undefined local variable or method `user_params' for #<UsersController:0x00000004522098>

Full Stack Trace:

app/controllers/users_controller.rb:7:in `create' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/implicit_render.rb:4:in `send_action'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:189:in
`process_action' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/rendering.rb:10:in `process_action'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:20:in `block
in process_action' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:113:in `call' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:113:in `call' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:229:in `block in halting'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:229:in `call'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:229:in `block in
halting' activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in
`call' activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in
`block in halting' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `call' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `block in halting'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `call'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:166:in `block in
halting' activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:86:in
`call' activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:86:in
`run_callbacks' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:19:in `process_action' actionpack
(4.1.1) lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:29:in `process_action'
actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:31:in `block in
process_action' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `block in instrument'
activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in
`instrument' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `process_action'
actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/params_wrapper.rb:250:in `process_action'
activerecord (4.1.1)
lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:18:in
`process_action' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:136:in `process' actionview (4.1.1)
lib/action_view/rendering.rb:30:in `process' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal.rb:195:in `dispatch' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb:13:in `dispatch'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:231:in `block in
action' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:80:in `call' actionpack
(4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:80:in `dispatch'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:48:in
`call' actionpack (4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:71:in
`block in call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:59:in `each' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:59:in `call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:676:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/etag.rb:23:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/conditionalget.rb:35:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/head.rb:11:in `call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/params_parser.rb:27:in `call'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/flash.rb:254:in
`call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:225:in `context'
rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:220:in `call' actionpack
(4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/cookies.rb:560:in `call'
activerecord (4.1.1) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:36:in `call'
activerecord (4.1.1)
lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:621:in
`call' activerecord (4.1.1) lib/active_record/migration.rb:380:in
`call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:29:in `block in call'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:82:in
`run_callbacks' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:27:in `call' actionpack
(4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb:73:in `call'
actionpack (4.1.1) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/remote_ip.rb:76:in
`call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/debug_exceptions.rb:17:in `call'
actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/show_exceptions.rb:30:in `call'
railties (4.1.1) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:38:in `call_app' railties
(4.1.1) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:20:in `block in call' activesupport
(4.1.1) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:68:in `block in tagged'
activesupport (4.1.1) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:26:in
`tagged' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:68:in `tagged' railties (4.1.1)
lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:20:in `call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/request_id.rb:21:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:21:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/runtime.rb:17:in `call' activesupport (4.1.1)
lib/active_support/cache/strategy/local_cache_middleware.rb:26:in
`call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call' actionpack (4.1.1)
lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb:64:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/sendfile.rb:112:in `call' railties (4.1.1)
lib/rails/engine.rb:514:in `call' railties (4.1.1)
lib/rails/application.rb:144:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/content_length.rb:14:in `call' rack (1.5.2)
lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:60:in `service'
/home/rick/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.1/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:138:in
`service'
/home/rick/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.1/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:94:in
`run'
/home/rick/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.1/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/server.rb:295:in
`block in start_thread'

Answer 1

If that's a direct code paste then it looks like your private and def user_params are nested inside of your create action. I.e. the indentation is all funky so it's hard to tell but the syntax isn't currently correct as a result. Mind the indentation!

Answer 2

Count your end's. Your code should look like this instead:

class UsersController < ApplicationController
  def new
    @user = User.new
  end

  def create
    @user = User.create(user_params)
    if @user.save
      redirect_to root_url, :notice => "Signed up!"
    else
      render "new"
    end
  end

  private

  def user_params
    params.require(:user).permit(:email, :password, :password_confirmation)
  end
end