render_to_string returns empty string when called from controller

Question

I am using rails 5.1, I have a controller, when I try to render to a string I am getting an empty string

def pdf_string
    path = Rails.root.join("/app/views/menu/recipe_card.pdf.erb").to_s;

   render_to_string(
      :file => path,
      locals: get_pdf_locals
    )
end

But if I do

ActionController::Base.new.render_to_string(
  :file => path,
  locals: get_pdf_locals
)

I am getting the view rendered. The problem is that using ActionController::Base.new inside my controller seems kinda odd, and the view is not having access to helper methods. Any idea why the render_to_string of my controller is returning emtpy string while the ActionController::Base.new.render_to_string is rendering correctly?

That is most certainly very odd. Did you try using pry-byebug to set a breakpoint and step into the method to see whether it maybe was overriden somewhere? — Marcus Ilgner
– Marcus Ilgner, Commented Jan 19, 2019 at 9:35
Can you please share your controller class definition and maybe the rest of your controller? — Pierre-Louis Gottfrois
– Pierre-Louis Gottfrois, Commented Jan 19, 2019 at 12:49
where's that pdf_string method defined? in the controler or in a helper file? it looks like you are defining it inside a helper file, which gets included in the view which does not have a render_to_string method, you can define it on the controller and add a helper_method :pdf_string line after it so that's used in the right context — arieljuod
– arieljuod, Commented Jan 19, 2019 at 15:40

Avraam Mavridis · Accepted Answer · 2019-01-20 18:45:17Z

4

The problem was that my controller was extending ActionController::API instead of ActionController::Base, unfortunately the render_to_string was returning empty string, it would be easier to debug if it was failing hard.

answered Jan 20, 2019 at 18:45

Avraam Mavridis

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