[Rails] Newbie Question

Nithin Reddy
Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:51:09 -0000

Well using your model, you can hide a lot of "ugly DB design" if it is
just naming conventions. You can use something like...

def customer_id
   attribute_read("cust_obj_id")
end

then just call customer_id from then on in your controllers and views.
BTW the table customers should have a primary key simply called "id"
for true Rails semantics.

On 2/27/06, Joe Cairns <joe.cairns@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi!  I just ran the first few Rails tutorials and I''m really
impressed
> at how quickly I was able to get something up and running.
>
> I''m slowly emerging from the stone ages, and leaving my
powerbuilder
> behind ? yes, I know, keep the snickering to a minimum please!  I
> started into J2EE/STRUTS, but was quickly frustrated by how long it
> would take to code anything but relatively simple applications, and
> while I continue to work the java, I knew I had to find something else.
>
> Enter RoR - wow!  I''m really in, well if not love, definitely deep
> infatuation.  Naturally, I''m starting to dig through the closet
looking
> for skeletons before entering into a meaningful relationship though.
>
> The main question I have is: how does RoR play with bad DB design?
> Most of the projects I''ve been working on have consisted of
dealing with
> connecting to legacy databases.  Sometimes, really ugly legacy
> databases, with schemas designed by someone who should be strapped to a
> rocket and shot into the sun.
>
> A lot of the design considerations that Rails seems to need to maximize
> the horsepower are out of the control of developers in many shops.
> Currently, if I asked for a primary key named "customer_id" in a
table
> named "customers" I would, in a best case, be forced into a DBA
> Inquisition meeting, and, after some minutes of torture and ridicule,
> simply be told "no".
>
> In short, how much does dealing with ugly data design (and thus ugly
> data) foul up RoR?  I know making views could help a lot, but there are
> a lot of shops out there that will not allow any of your own objects
> into the DB - even if it is in their best interest to do so.
>
>
>
> --
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