ActiveRecord::Reflection active_record read-only method

[John Merlino]

I was horsing around with the reflect_on_assocation class method of
ActiveRecord Reflection, which returns an instance of
AssociationReflection. One of its methods is called active_record. I
run it in console:

Account.reflect_on_association(:users).active_record
=> Account(id: integer, name: string, created_at: datetime,
updated_at: datetime, ancestry: string, street_address: string, city:
string, postal_code: string, state: string, country: string,
street_address2: string, account_type_id: integer, client_logo:
string, subdomain: string, email: string, phone: string)

What it returns is not the Account object.

According to documentation, it "Returns the value of attribute
active_record".


http://rubydoc.info/docs/rails/3.0.0/ActiveRecord/Reflection/MacroReflection#active_record-instance_method


Well, that's not too informative...

thanks for response

[Frederick Cheung]

On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 2:09:41 AM UTC+1, John Merlino wrote:

Account.reflect_on_association(:users).active_record
 => Account(id: integer, name: string, created_at: datetime,
updated_at: datetime, ancestry: string, street_address: string, city:
string, postal_code: string, state: string, country: string,
street_address2: string, account_type_id: integer, client_logo:
string, subdomain: string, email: string, phone: string)

What it returns is not the Account object.

According to documentation, it "Returns the value of attribute
active_record".


http://rubydoc.info/docs/rails/3.0.0/ActiveRecord/Reflection/MacroReflection#active_record-instance_method


Well, that's not too informative...

What's your question (and what the relationship with  your subject line?) ?

Fred

[John Merlino]

I'm saying that active_record called on AssociationReflection seems to
just return the class object itself. For example:

Account.reflect_on_association(:users).active_record # => Account

What's the point of that? Can't you just do Account.class?

On Jul 31, 5:42 am, Frederick Cheung <frederick.che...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Tuesday, July 31, 2012 2:09:41 AM UTC+1, John Merlino wrote:
>
> > Account.reflect_on_association(:users).active_record
> >  => Account(id: integer, name: string, created_at: datetime,
> > updated_at: datetime, ancestry: string, street_address: string, city:
> > string, postal_code: string, state: string, country: string,
> > street_address2: string, account_type_id: integer, client_logo:
> > string, subdomain: string, email: string, phone: string)
>
> > What it returns is not the Account object.
>
> > According to documentation, it "Returns the value of attribute
> > active_record".
>

> >http://rubydoc.info/docs/rails/3.0.0/ActiveRecord/Reflection/MacroRef...

[Ace Suares]

I think, #reflect_on_association is a class method. So it tells you if the class has some association and the stuff related to that.

Account.reflect_on_association(:users) will give you some information about how the attribute :users is associated with the model Account. Probably, a has_many association, I guess.

Now, in most cases, it goes like this:

Account.reflect_on_association(:users).active_record => User

But in your case, the model Account seems to be associated with itself through :users. It would be really helpful if you post your models here.

So, to answer your question: Can't you just do Account.class?
Well, in this special case you could, but in most other cases, not.

Hope this helps.

Ace