some minor refactors

app.rb

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ get "#{api_prefix}/search/threads" do
     end
     num_pages = [1, (search.total / per_page.to_f).ceil].max
     {
-      collection: search.results.map{|t| t.to_hash(recursive: value_to_boolean(params["recursive"]))},
+      collection: search.results.map{|t| t.to_hash(recursive: bool_recursive)},
       num_pages: num_pages,
       page: page,
     }.to_json
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ get "#{api_prefix}/:commentable_id/threads" do |commentable_id|
     page = [num_pages, [1, page].max].min
     paged_comment_threads = comment_threads.page(page).per(per_page)
     {
-      collection: paged_comment_threads.map{|t| t.to_hash(recursive: value_to_boolean(params["recursive"]))},
+      collection: paged_comment_threads.map{|t| t.to_hash(recursive: bool_recursive)},
       num_pages: num_pages,
       page: page,
     }.to_json
@@ -109,14 +109,14 @@ end
 
 post "#{api_prefix}/:commentable_id/threads" do |commentable_id|
   thread = CommentThread.new(params.slice(*%w[title body course_id]).merge(commentable_id: commentable_id))
-  thread.anonymous = value_to_boolean(params["anonymous"]) || false
+  thread.anonymous = bool_anonymous || false
   thread.tags = params["tags"] || ""
   thread.author = user
   thread.save
   if thread.errors.any?
     error 400, thread.errors.full_messages.to_json
   else
-    user.subscribe(thread) if value_to_boolean params["auto_subscribe"]
+    user.subscribe(thread) if bool_auto_subscribe
     thread.to_hash.to_json
   end
 end
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ get "#{api_prefix}/threads/tags/autocomplete" do
 end
 
 get "#{api_prefix}/threads/:thread_id" do |thread_id|
-  CommentThread.find(thread_id).to_hash(recursive: value_to_boolean(params["recursive"])).to_json
+  CommentThread.find(thread_id).to_hash(recursive: bool_recursive).to_json
 end
 
 put "#{api_prefix}/threads/:thread_id" do |thread_id|
@@ -148,13 +148,13 @@ end
 
 post "#{api_prefix}/threads/:thread_id/comments" do |thread_id|
   comment = thread.comments.new(params.slice(*%w[body course_id]))
-  comment.anonymous = value_to_boolean(params["anonymous"]) || false
+  comment.anonymous = bool_anonymous || false
   comment.author = user 
   comment.save
   if comment.errors.any?
     error 400, comment.errors.full_messages.to_json
   else
-    user.subscribe(thread) if value_to_boolean params["auto_subscribe"]
+    user.subscribe(thread) if bool_auto_subscribe
     comment.to_hash.to_json
   end
 end
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ delete "#{api_prefix}/threads/:thread_id" do |thread_id|
 end
 
 get "#{api_prefix}/comments/:comment_id" do |comment_id|
-  comment.to_hash(recursive: value_to_boolean(params["recursive"])).to_json
+  comment.to_hash(recursive: bool_recursive).to_json
 end
 
 put "#{api_prefix}/comments/:comment_id" do |comment_id|
@@ -179,14 +179,14 @@ end
 
 post "#{api_prefix}/comments/:comment_id" do |comment_id|
   sub_comment = comment.children.new(params.slice(*%w[body course_id]))
-  sub_comment.anonymous = value_to_boolean(params["anonymous"]) || false
+  sub_comment.anonymous = bool_anonymous || false
   sub_comment.author = user
   sub_comment.comment_thread = comment.comment_thread
   sub_comment.save
   if sub_comment.errors.any?
     error 400, sub_comment.errors.full_messages.to_json
   else
-    user.subscribe(comment.comment_thread) if value_to_boolean params["auto_subscribe"]
+    user.subscribe(comment.comment_thread) if bool_auto_subscribe
     sub_comment.to_hash.to_json
   end
 end
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ post "#{api_prefix}/users" do
 end
 
 get "#{api_prefix}/users/:user_id" do |user_id|
-  user.to_hash(complete: value_to_boolean(params["complete"])).to_json
+  user.to_hash(complete: bool_complete).to_json
 end
 
 put "#{api_prefix}/users/:user_id" do |user_id|

lib/helpers.rb

@@ -47,4 +47,20 @@ helpers do
     !!(value.to_s =~ /^true$/i)
   end
 
+  def bool_recursive
+    value_to_boolean params["recursive"]
+  end
+
+  def bool_complete
+    value_to_boolean params["complete"]
+  end
+
+  def bool_auto_subscribe
+    value_to_boolean params["auto_subscribe"]
+  end
+
+  def bool_anonymous
+    value_to_boolean params["anonymous"]
+  end
+
 end

models/comment.rb

@@ -8,20 +8,20 @@ class Comment < Content
   
   voteable self, :up => +1, :down => -1
 
-  field :body, type: String
   field :course_id, type: String
+  field :body, type: String
   field :endorsed, type: Boolean, default: false
   field :anonymous, type: Boolean, default: false
   field :at_position_list, type: Array, default: []
 
-  belongs_to :author, class_name: "User", index: true
   belongs_to :comment_thread, index: true
+  belongs_to :author, class_name: "User", index: true
 
-  attr_accessible :body, :course_id, :endorsed, :anonymous
+  attr_accessible :body, :course_id, :anonymous, :endorsed
 
-  validates_presence_of :body
-  validates_presence_of :course_id # do we really need this?
   validates_presence_of :comment_thread, autosave: false
+  validates_presence_of :body
+  validates_presence_of :course_id
   validates_presence_of :author, autosave: false
 
   counter_cache :comment_thread
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ class Comment < Content
     nodes.map{|node, sub_nodes| node.to_hash.merge("children" => hash_tree(sub_nodes).compact)}
   end
 
+  def thread_title
+    comment_thread.title
+  end
+
+  def commentable
+    comment_thread.commentable
+  end
+
+  def commentable_id
+    comment_thread.commentable_id
+  end
+
   def to_hash(params={})
     sort_by_parent_and_time = Proc.new do |x, y|
       arr_cmp = x.parent_ids.map(&:to_s) <=> y.parent_ids.map(&:to_s)

models/comment_thread.rb

@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ class CommentThread < Content
     !!(tag =~ RE_TAG)
   end
 
+  def thread_title
+    title
+  end
+
 private
 
   RE_HEADCHAR = /[a-z0-9]/

models/content.rb

 class Content
   include Mongoid::Document
+
+  def author_with_anonymity(attr=nil, attr_when_anonymous=nil)
+    if not attr
+      anonymous ? nil : author
+    else
+      anonymous ? attr_when_anonymous : author.send(attr)
+    end
+  end
 end

models/observers/at_user_observer.rb

@@ -24,16 +24,18 @@ class AtUserObserver < Mongoid::Observer
     new_user_ids = current_user_ids - prev_user_ids
 
     unless new_user_ids.empty?
+
       notification = Notification.new(
         notification_type: "at_user",
         info: {
           content_id: content.id,
           content_type: content_type,
-          thread_title: content_type == :thread ? content.title : content.comment_thread.title,
-          actor_username: (content.author.username if not content.anonymous),
+          thread_title: content.thread_title,
+          actor_username: content.author_with_anonymity(:username),
+          commentable_id: content.commentable_id,
         }
       )
-      notification.actor = content.author if not content.anonymous
+      notification.actor = content.author_with_anonymity
       notification.target = content
       receivers = new_user_ids.map { |id| User.find(id) }
       receivers.delete(content.author)

models/observers/post_reply_observer.rb

@@ -14,15 +14,12 @@ class PostReplyObserver < Mongoid::Observer
           thread_title: comment.comment_thread.title,
           comment_id: comment.id,
           commentable_id: comment.comment_thread.commentable_id,
-          actor_username: (comment.author.username if not comment.anonymous),
+          actor_username: comment.author_with_anonymity(:username),
         },
       )
-      notification.actor = comment.author if not comment.anonymous
+      notification.actor = comment.author_with_anonymity
       notification.target = comment
-      receivers = comment.comment_thread.subscribers
-      if not comment.anonymous
-        receivers = (receivers + comment.author.followers).uniq_by(&:id)
-      end
+      receivers = (comment.comment_thread.subscribers + comment.author_with_anonymity(:followers, [])).uniq_by(&:id)
       receivers.delete(comment.author)
       notification.receivers << receivers
       notification.save!

models/observers/post_topic_observer.rb

@@ -11,18 +11,14 @@ class PostTopicObserver < Mongoid::Observer
         notification_type: "post_topic",
         info: {
           commentable_id: comment_thread.commentable_id,
-          #commentable_type: commentable.commentable_type,
           thread_id: comment_thread.id,
           thread_title: comment_thread.title,
-          actor_username: (comment_thread.author.username if not comment_thread.anonymous),
+          actor_username: comment_thread.author_with_anonymity(:username),
         },
       )
-      notification.actor = comment_thread.author if not comment_thread.anonymous
+      notification.actor = comment_thread.author_with_anonymity
       notification.target = comment_thread
-      receivers = comment_thread.commentable.subscribers
-      if not comment_thread.anonymous
-        receivers = (receivers + comment_thread.author.followers).uniq_by(&:id)
-      end
+      receivers = (comment_thread.commentable.subscribers + comment_thread.author_with_anonymity(:followers, [])).uniq_by(&:id)
       receivers.delete(comment_thread.author)
       notification.receivers << receivers
       notification.save!