how to create a guest user in Rails 3 + Devise

Question

currently I have a rails 3 app with devise. it requires the users to register / signin for access.

I would like to enable guest users. So that when a user visits certain views a guest user account is created for that user and then if/when they authenticate/register that guest user is then upgraded to a normal user.

Think of the app as a chat room. I want guest users to be able to join the chat room, then later oauth into twitter to register. But I don't want to force users to register before joining.

Suggestions?

I found this: https://github.com/plataformatec/devise/wiki/How-To:-Create-a-guest-user

Problem with that is I added the helper, but don't understand how to initiate current_or_guest_user. Also not sure how to initiate per specific allowed views?

Any ideas? Pointers? Thanks

Answer 1

Another more transparent way is this:

def current_user
  super || guest_user
end

private

def guest_user
 User.find(session[:guest_user_id].nil? ? session[:guest_user_id] = create_guest_user.id : session[:guest_user_id])
end

def create_guest_user
  u = User.create(:name => "guest", :email => "guest_#{Time.now.to_i}#{rand(99)}@example.com")
  u.save(:validate => false)
  u
end

Answer 2

After following the wiki, just replace calls to current_user with current_or_guest_user

As far as views goes, do it in the controller with a before_filter.

Without seeing any code from you it is hard to guess, but in pseudo-code it would be something like

class ChatController < ApplicationController
 before_filter authenticate_user!, :except => [:join]  #this will force users to log in except for the join action

  def join
   chat_handle = current_or_guest_user.handle
   # some more code...
  end