Ruby Forum Ruby on Rails > ActiveRecord column with reserved name 'class'

I have a legacy database with a column named 'class' which is causing
Rails problems. Renaming the column isn't an option and the workarounds
I've seen so far don't suit.

I'm running rails 2.0.2 and an example of the error thrown looks like
this...
undefined method `generated_methods' for "ADD":String

c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-2.0.2/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb:188:in
`method_missing'

(The value returned in the 'class' column is 'ADD' in this case.

Can anyone suggest a nice, neat, dry, satisfying solution?

On 11 Jan 2008, at 09:40, Derek Mailer wrote:

> c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-2.0.2/lib/active_record/ 
> attribute_methods.rb:188:in
> `method_missing'
>

How about
class MyTable < AR:Base
   class << self
     def instance_method_already_implemented?(method_name)
       return true if method_name == 'class'
       super
     end
   end
end

If I'm reading things right, that will stop AR from generating a class
method to read your attribute. You can still get at it via foo[:class]
(or define you own method returning read_attribute(:class)

Fred

Frederick Cheung wrote:

> How about
> class MyTable < AR:Base
>    class << self
>      def instance_method_already_implemented?(method_name)
>        return true if method_name == 'class'
>        super
>      end
>    end
> end
> 
> If I'm reading things right, that will stop AR from generating a class
> method to read your attribute. You can still get at it via foo[:class]
> (or define you own method returning read_attribute(:class)

You're absolutely right and that'll ding dang do for me very nicely 
thanks, Fred! I no longer have errors in all the places they were 
showing before.

Just as a note to anyone else reading this post, you might need to 
restart script/console rather than issue a reload! command after 
implementing this fix.

Derek

The same thing worked for me as well. GORGEOUS!!  AHHHHHHH!!  I want to 
go run around my office now.

Thank you so much for the help!!  AWESOME!