# ActiveRecord find/include question (MySQL)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-find-include-question-mysql/165184>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 9, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-find-include-question-mysql/165184 "2009-04-09T23:39:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gmoniey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@gmoniey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gmoniey)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-find-include-question-mysql/165184/1 "2009-04-09T23:39:07Z")

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I found that if I do something like (on MySQL):

File.all(:conditions =\> {‘files.deleted’ =\> false, ‘assets.deleted’ =\>  
false}, :include =\> :assets)

will only return Files which have at least 1 assets associated with it.  
If i removed the assets.deleted = 0 condition, then it returns all  
Files, and their assets (if any); which is how I expected things to  
behave.

now I can do something like:

File.all(:conditions =\> ‘files.deleted AND (assets.file\_id IS NULL OR  
assets.deleted = 0)’, :include =\> :assets)

And it will return all Files, and their assets (if any)…but righting a  
query like this every time I do an include (i.e. almost all my tables  
has a deleted bit) seems a bit cumbersome, as I prefer the hash  
conditions over the string version.

Is there any way around this? Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gmoniey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@gmoniey](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gmoniey)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-find-include-question-mysql/165184/2 "2009-04-10T00:07:32Z")

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On Apr 9, 10:39 pm, gm gm [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> now I can do something like:
> 
> File.all(:conditions =\> ‘files.deleted AND (assets.file\_id IS NULL OR  
> assets.deleted = 0)’, :include =\> :assets)
> 
> And it will return all Files, and their assets (if any)…but righting a  
> query like this every time I do an include (i.e. almost all my tables  
> has a deleted bit) seems a bit cumbersome, as I prefer the hash  
> conditions over the string version.
> 
> Is there any way around this? Thanks

Not really. When an include is done in a single query conditions apply  
to all rows, which makes unobvious things like your first example  
happen. You might be able to craft a named scope to alleviate the  
typing work.

Fred