I have orig_student = Student.find_first(:conditions => ["pnumber = ?", tudent.pnumber]) And I get ` update_database(): pnumber is "00149246 " update_database(): exception is You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''?"00149246 " LIMIT 1'' at line 1 You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''?"00149246 " LIMIT 1'' at line 1 /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/mysql_adapter.rb:119:in `query'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/mysql_adapter.rb:119:in `execute'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/mysql_adapter.rb:230:in `select'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/mysql_adapter.rb:97:in `select_all'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/base.rb:376:in `find_by_sql'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/base.rb:343:in `find'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/base.rb:341:in `find'' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.11.1/lib/active_record/deprecated_finders.rb:22:in `find_first'' populate_tables2.rb:433:in `update_database'' Is there an obvious cause of this? I can''t see it. Is the following patch against rails 0.13.1 a sensible suggestion? Hugh --- ./mysql_adapter.rb.orig 2005-11-09 19:15:20.575395000 -0800 +++ ./mysql_adapter.rb 2005-11-09 19:26:23.411710000 -0800 @@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ elsif exception.message.split(":").first =~ /Packets out of order/ raise ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid, "''Packets out of order'' error was received from the database. Please update your mysql bindings (gem update mysql) and read http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/password-hashing.html for more information." else - raise + raise exception.class.new(exception.message + ": SQL was: " + sql) end end