Rails - Apr 2006 - Using Migrations to convert join table to join model

Greetings,

I''m trying to convert a HABTM w/attributes join table in my database 
into a join model table in order to utilize the new has_many :through 
functionality introduced in Rails 1.1.  Here''s the current table 
definition:

licenses_user_groups: license_id, user_group_id, usage_notes

Perhaps it was a mistake, but I made (license_id, user_group_id) the 
primary key.

Now, after playing with has_many :through, I have discovered that, among 
other modifications, I really need to add an id column to the table and 
make it the primary key.  However, I cannot figure out how to use the 
SchemaStatements to add the new column, set it to auto-increment, and 
then redefine the primary key to be the id column instead of the 
(license_id, user_group_id) columns.

I could use the execute statement and use SQL directly, but I would 
prefer not to (one of the reasons behind migrations, I thought, was to 
provide a DB independent way of creating and modifying schemas; using 
SQL directly makes it possible and likely that database specific changes 
will be introducted).

Any help (or confirmation that execute is the only way to do what I''m 
looking to do) would be appreciated.

Thanks.

David.

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Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Anyone out there?

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Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Hello David,
> Now, after playing with has_many :through, I have discovered that,
> among
> other modifications, I really need to add an id column to the table and
> make it the primary key.  However, I cannot figure out how to use the
> SchemaStatements to add the new column, set it to auto-increment, and
> then redefine the primary key to be the id column instead of the
> (license_id, user_group_id) columns.
>
> I could use the execute statement and use SQL directly, but I would
> prefer not to (one of the reasons behind migrations, I thought, was to
> provide a DB independent way of creating and modifying schemas;
> using
> SQL directly makes it possible and likely that database specific changes
> will be introducted).
Maybe I''m wrong but i don''t think it''s possible
without a direct
SQL execute statement. For me, the primary key is created
during a #create_table call. And there are no methods to suppress
or create a primary key (or I haven''t found them yet).

The only way I see : create another table with a primary key id,
transfer the date into it, suppress the old join model table.

Not nice.

The simplest way is the SQL statement...

    -- Jean-Fran?ois.


--
? la renverse.

Jean-Fran?ois wrote:
> Maybe I''m wrong but i don''t think it''s possible
without a direct
> SQL execute statement. For me, the primary key is created
> during a #create_table call. And there are no methods to suppress
> or create a primary key (or I haven''t found them yet).
> 
> The only way I see : create another table with a primary key id,
> transfer the date into it, suppress the old join model table.
> 
> Not nice.
Yep, that sounds about right to me.

There''s a bug in trac to support this funcitonality. Didn''t
make it into
1.1, and it''s now slated for 1.2.
http://dev.rubyonrails.org/ticket/3735

--
Josh Susser
http://blog.hasmanythrough.com

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Josh Susser wrote:
Jean-Fran?ois wrote:

Thanks for your responses; it is what I feared, but at least I can do 
what I need to.

Am I just weird?  I can''t be the only person running into all of these 
has_many :through issues and using migrations to convert a HABTM join 
table into a has_many :through join model.  I''ve also had issues with 
migrations not support foreign keys and such; my experiences are making 
me feel like a lot of RoR features are rather incomplete.

Like I said, I appreciate the confirmation both of you provided.

David.

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Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

David Willis wrote:
> Am I just weird?  I can''t be the only person running into all of
these
> has_many :through issues and using migrations to convert a HABTM join 
> table into a has_many :through join model.  I''ve also had issues
with
> migrations not support foreign keys and such; my experiences are making 
> me feel like a lot of RoR features are rather incomplete.
:through associations are still a relatively new feature, and there are 
some facets that are incomplete. When you run into missing piece, the 
best thing you can do is to make sure there is a ticket in trac. Either 
create a new ticket, or add any pertinent information that is missing 
from an existing ticket. Test cases can help. And if want to submit a 
patch (with test cases) to fix the problem, go for it!

I gotta say though, you may be borrowing trouble here. Rather than do 
things the "right" way using database agnostic migrations, just do the
simplest thing that will work (without causing you grief later on).

--
Josh Susser
http://blog.hasmanythrough.com

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.