Rails - May 2006 - Storing additional data on join tables with Rails

Hi there

I need to store additional attributes on join table. Searching the
Wiki [1] revealed two possible methods:

1) push_with_attributes, as described by Justin Palmer [2].
Unfortunately, "this method is now deprecated" [3]. Even if it
wasn''t,
there seem to be inherent problems with that approach, for example
with updating those additional attributes, though Joshua Muheim have
provided us with a plugin for that [4].

2) promote the join-table to a full module. This approach seems to
integrate better with Rails, and even a newb like me can sense that it
has a lesser chance of rubbing ActiveRecord''s magic the wrong way,
thereby breaking something. Still, that habtm association is just an
association, not a model. I wouldn''t want to make it a model if I
could help it.

So, what''s the best practice for storing additional data on join
tables with Rails?

-Alder

-------------------
[1] http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/has_and_belongs_to_many
[2]
http://encytemedia.com/blog/articles/2005/06/15/storing-additional-data-on-join-tables-with-rails#comment-490
[3]
http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html
[4]
http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/Update+has_and_belongs_to_many+Attributes

Make the join table a full model and look in the docs for has_many :through

http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html

Peter


On 5/6/06, Alder Green <alder.green@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi there
>
> I need to store additional attributes on join table. Searching the
> Wiki [1] revealed two possible methods:
>
> 1) push_with_attributes, as described by Justin Palmer [2].
> Unfortunately, "this method is now deprecated" [3]. Even if it
wasn''t,
> there seem to be inherent problems with that approach, for example
> with updating those additional attributes, though Joshua Muheim have
> provided us with a plugin for that [4].
>
> 2) promote the join-table to a full module. This approach seems to
> integrate better with Rails, and even a newb like me can sense that it
> has a lesser chance of rubbing ActiveRecord''s magic the wrong way,
> thereby breaking something. Still, that habtm association is just an
> association, not a model. I wouldn''t want to make it a model if I
> could help it.
>
> So, what''s the best practice for storing additional data on join
> tables with Rails?
>
> -Alder
>
> -------------------
> [1] http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/has_and_belongs_to_many
> [2]
http://encytemedia.com/blog/articles/2005/06/15/storing-additional-data-on-join-tables-with-rails#comment-490
> [3]
http://api.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html
> [4]
http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/Update+has_and_belongs_to_many+Attributes
> _______________________________________________
> Rails mailing list
> Rails@lists.rubyonrails.org
> http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails
>

Alder Green wrote:
> So, what''s the best practice for storing additional data on join
> tables with Rails?
http://blog.hasmanythrough.com/articles/2006/04/20/many-to-many-dance-off

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

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

On 5/6/06, Josh Susser <josh@hasmanythrough.com>
wrote:
> Alder Green wrote:
> > So, what''s the best practice for storing additional data on
join
> > tables with Rails?
>
> http://blog.hasmanythrough.com/articles/2006/04/20/many-to-many-dance-off
>
> --
> Josh Susser
> http://blog.hasmanythrough.com
Thanks Josh!

"has_many :through" is awesome, and your article is very informative.

Certainly, through associations are the proper way to do what I want.

Regards,
Alder