Rails: Absolutely stumped with delayed_job. Not receiving arguments anywhere

Question

I'm trying to send mail in a Rails 3 application using collectiveidea's delayed_job. If I try to send mail regularly (.deliver) it works fine, but as soon as I switch to delayed job, things fall to pieces.

The standard error I get in the delayed_job mysql table is:

{undefined method `name' for nil:NilClass...

where 'name' is the first argument in the mailer's view (@contact.name). This works fine if I take delayed_job out again.

If I remove all references to @contact in the view, I get

{A sender (Return-Path, Sender or From) required to send a message

In short, it doesn't seem to be understanding any arguments at all.

All relevant code below - if anyone has any suggestions for this it would be very appreciated

CONTROLLER

  def sendmail
    @contact = Contact.new(params[:contact])
    if @contact.save
      ContactMailer.delay.contact_mail(@contact)
      flash[:notice] = 'Your message has been successfully sent'
      redirect_to root_path
    else
      render :action => 'index'
    end
  end

MAILER:

class ContactMailer < ActionMailer::Base
  default :from => "[email protected]"  

  def contact_mail(contact)
    @contact = contact
    mail(:to => '[email protected]', :subject => 'Contact Form Query', :from => '[email protected]', :content_type => 'text/plain')
  end
  handle_asynchronously :contact_mail, :run_at => Proc.new { 2.seconds.from_now }
end

MAILER VIEW:

You have received a new query:
-----------------------------------

<%= @contact.name %>

<%= @contact.business %>

<%= @contact.phone %>

-----------------------
<%= @contact.message %>
-----------------------

INITIALIZER:

Delayed::Worker.destroy_failed_jobs = false
Delayed::Worker.max_run_time = 5.weeks

And finally, the full error message:

    {undefined method `name' for nil:NilClass

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/activesupport-3.0.0/lib/active_support/whiny_nil.rb:48:in `method_missing'

/Users/john/Websites/Rails/InDevelopment/connectted/app/views/contact_mailer/contact_mail.html.erb:4:in `_app_views_contact_mailer_contact_mail_html_erb___3386534441642202773_2166008980__4301703149293725172'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/action_view/template.rb:135:in `block in render'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/activesupport-3.0.0/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:54:in `instrument'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/action_view/template.rb:127:in `render'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:59:in `block in _render_template'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/activesupport-3.0.0/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `block in instrument'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/activesupport-3.0.0/lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:21:in `instrument'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/activesupport-3.0.0/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:52:in `instrument'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:56:in `_render_template'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/action_view/render/rendering.rb:26:in `render'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:114:in `_render_template'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:108:in `render_to_body'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:101:in `render_to_string'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionpack-3.0.0/lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:92:in `render'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/deprecated_api.rb:111:in `render'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/old_api.rb:210:in `block in create_parts'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/old_api.rb:208:in `each'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/old_api.rb:208:in `create_parts'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/deprecated_api.rb:143:in `create_parts'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/old_api.rb:77:in `process'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:446:in `process'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:441:in `initialize'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:425:in `new'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/actionmailer-3.0.0/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:425:in `method_missing'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/performable_mailer.rb:6:in `perform'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/backend/base.rb:83:in `invoke_job'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:119:in `block (2 levels) in run'

/Users/john/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:57:in `timeout'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed
/worker.rb:119:in `block in run'

/Users/john/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/benchmark.rb:309:in `realtime'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:118:in `run'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:176:in `reserve_and_run_one_job'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:103:in `block in work_off'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:102:in `times'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:102:in `work_off'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:77:in `block (2 levels) in start'

/Users/john/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/benchmark.rb:309:in `realtime'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:76:in `block in start'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:73:in `loop'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/worker.rb:73:in `start'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:100:in `run'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:79:in `block in run_process'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:250:in `call'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:250:in `block in start_proc'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/daemonize.rb:199:in `call'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/daemonize.rb:199:in `call_as_daemon'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:254:in `start_proc'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:294:in `start'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/controller.rb:70:in `run'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons.rb:193:in `block in run_proc'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/cmdline.rb:112:in `call'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/cmdline.rb:112:in `catch_exceptions'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons.rb:192:in `run_proc'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:78:in `run_process'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:72:in `block in daemonize'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:70:in `times'

/Users/john/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0/bundler/gems/delayed_job-c933ffcd776a/lib/delayed/command.rb:70:in `daemonize'
script/delayed_job:5:in `<main>' |

Answer 1

The issue is with the code in your mailer taking the object instead of the objects id:

def contact_mail(contact)
    @contact = contact
    mail(:to => '[email protected]', :subject => 'Contact Form Query', :from => '[email protected]', :content_type => 'text/plain')
end

You should change that to this:

def contact_mail(contact_id)
    @contact = Contact.find(contact_id)
    mail(:to => '[email protected]', :subject => 'Contact Form Query', :from => '[email protected]', :content_type => 'text/plain')
end

Never pass the actual objects to your mailer. Simply pass the id's and retrieve them upon processing.

Answer 2

I had this same problem, and fixed it by moving all the attributes into instance variables. So, in the view:

<%= @contact.name %>
<%= @contact.business %>
<%= @contact.phone %>

becomes:

<%= @name %>
<%= @business %>
<%= @phone %>

and I just looked up the instance variables in the mailer method. So, in the mailer:

def contact_mail(contact)
    @contact = contact
    mail(:to => '[email protected]', :subject => 'Contact Form Query', :from => '[email protected]', :content_type => 'text/plain')
end

becomes:

def contact_mail(contact)
    @name = contact.name
    @business = contact.business
    @phone = contact.phone
    mail(:to => '[email protected]', :subject => 'Contact Form Query', :from => '[email protected]', :content_type => 'text/plain')
end