title: Using ActionMailer with Sinatra, receiving nil object with mail method
body: <p>I have a pretty lightweight blog, where I created a contact form. I decided to go with ActionMailer, but for whatever reason when I call the Mailer.contact method it is returning nil, so that I cant call the deliver method on it. The error is -undefined method `deliver' for nil:NilClass. This is in my app.rb</p>
  
  <pre><code>#app.rb
  require "action_mailer"
  require_relative 'mailer/init'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>this is the file where I am configuring action mailer, its initializing fine, tested.</p>
  
  <pre><code>#mailer/init.rb
  configure do
    ActionMailer::Base.delivery_method = :smtp
    ActionMailer::Base.raise_delivery_errors = true
    ActionMailer::Base.smtp_settings = {
      :address        =&gt; 'smtp.sendgrid.net',
      :port           =&gt; '587',
      :authentication =&gt; :plain,
      :user_name      =&gt; ENV['SENDGRID_USERNAME'],
      :password       =&gt; ENV['SENDGRID_PASSWORD'],
      :domain         =&gt; 'heroku.com',
      :enable_starttls_auto =&gt; true
    }
    ActionMailer::Base.view_paths = File.expand_path('views')
  end
  
  class Mailer &lt; ActionMailer::Base
    def contact
      mail(
        to: "email@address.com",
        from: "email",
        subject: "subject") do |format|
          format.html
      end
    end
  end
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Using tux when i call Mailer.contact it returns nil. I also noticed that ActionMailer::Base.view_paths is also returning nil, but I have this in a views folder -</p>
  
  <pre><code>#views/mailer/contact.html.erb
  this is the email
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I have no idea why I am not being returned a mail object when I call the Mailer.contact method, any help is much appreciated. Below is the full error stacktrace</p>
  
  <pre><code>NoMethodError - undefined method `deliver' for nil:NilClass:
      /Users/Matts/projects/blog_site/routes/init.rb:169:in `block in &lt;top (required)&gt;'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1593:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1593:in `block in compile!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:957:in `[]'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:957:in `block (3 levels) in route!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:976:in `route_eval'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:957:in `block (2 levels) in route!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:997:in `block in process_route'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:995:in `catch'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:995:in `process_route'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:955:in `block in route!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:954:in `each'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:954:in `route!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1067:in `block in dispatch!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `block in invoke'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `catch'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `invoke'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1064:in `dispatch!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:889:in `block in call!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `block in invoke'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `catch'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1049:in `invoke'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:889:in `call!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:877:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/xss_header.rb:18:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/base.rb:50:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/base.rb:50:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/path_traversal.rb:16:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/json_csrf.rb:18:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/base.rb:50:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/base.rb:50:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-protection-1.5.2/lib/rack/protection/frame_options.rb:31:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:225:in `context'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:220:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/logger.rb:15:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:210:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/head.rb:11:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:21:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/show_exceptions.rb:21:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:180:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:2004:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1469:in `block in call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1778:in `synchronize'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:1469:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sass-3.2.14/lib/sass/plugin/rack.rb:54:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/lint.rb:49:in `_call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/lint.rb:37:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/showexceptions.rb:24:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/commonlogger.rb:33:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/sinatra-1.4.4/lib/sinatra/base.rb:217:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:86:in `proceed_as_child'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:31:in `call!'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/loader.rb:18:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/favicon.rb:12:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/shotgun-0.9/lib/shotgun/static.rb:14:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/builder.rb:138:in `call'
      /usr/local/rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247@bridge/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:60:in `service'
      /usr/local/rvm/rubies/ruby-2.0.0-p247/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:138:in `service'
      /usr/local/rvm/rubies/ruby-2.0.0-p247/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:94:in `run'
      /usr/local/rvm/rubies/ruby-2.0.0-p247/lib/ruby/2.0.0/webrick/server.rb:295:in `block in start_thread'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So I went ahead and started commenting stuff out to see where the problem could be, this is my new app.rb, and it is still returning a nil object when i call Mailer.contact</p>
  
  <pre><code># require 'dotenv'
  # Dotenv.load
  
  require "sinatra"
  require "action_mailer"
  # require "sinatra/activerecord"
  # require "bcrypt"
  # require "carrierwave"
  # require "carrierwave/orm/activerecord"
  
  # ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection(ENV['DATABASE_URL'] || 'postgres://localhost/db_name')
  
  # enable :sessions
  
  # require_relative 'config/initializers/carrierwave'
  # require_relative 'uploaders/image_uploader'
  # require_relative 'models/models'
  # require_relative 'helpers/helpers'
  # require_relative 'routes/routes'
  
  configure do
    ActionMailer::Base.delivery_method = :smtp
    ActionMailer::Base.raise_delivery_errors = true
    ActionMailer::Base.smtp_settings = {
      :address        =&gt; 'smtp.sendgrid.net',
      :port           =&gt; '587',
      :authentication =&gt; :plain,
      :user_name      =&gt; ENV['SENDGRID_USERNAME'],
      :password       =&gt; ENV['SENDGRID_PASSWORD'],
      :domain         =&gt; 'heroku.com',
      :enable_starttls_auto =&gt; true
    }
    ActionMailer::Base.view_paths = File.expand_path('views')
  end
  
  class Mailer &lt; ActionMailer::Base
    def contact
      mail(
        to: "email@address.com",
        from: "email",
        subject: "subject") do |format|
          format.html
      end
    end
  end
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>UPDATE: so it turns out there is a conflict with action mailer and some of the other gems I was requiring. I think my best bet here is to try a different gem like pony.</p>