How to have searchlogic initialize with no records

Answer 1

Change your logic to this:

def search
    @products = []
    @search = params[:search] && !params[:search].blank? ?
        Product.searchlogic(params[:search]) : nil
    @products = @search.all unless @search.nil?
end

Granted you could keep your if statement like so:

def search
    @products = []
    @search = nil
    if params[:search] && !params[:search].blank?
        Product.searchlogic(params[:search])
    end
    @products = @search.all unless @search.nil?
end