# ActiveRecord outside rails

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-outside-rails/96154>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 26, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-outside-rails/96154 "2006-06-26T21:16:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Darken)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-outside-rails/96154/1 "2006-06-26T21:16:29Z")

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Hi,

I am making web application, not based on ROR, but using ActiveRecord  
library.

ActiveRecord automatically manage created\_on and created at columns. I  
would like to add columns created\_by and changed\_by, to remember user,  
who created or modified this record… So, what do you think is most  
simple and cleanest way? I tryed to to extend ActiveRecord::Base, but I  
am still bit confused from rails libraries 🙂

Thank you

Darken

---

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**Author:** ![Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Darken)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-outside-rails/96154/2 "2006-06-26T23:02:58Z")

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On 6/26/06, Darken [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I am making web application, not based on ROR, but using ActiveRecord  
> library.
> 
> ActiveRecord automatically manage created\_on and created at columns. I  
> would like to add columns created\_by and changed\_by, to remember user,  
> who created or modified this record… So, what do you think is most  
> simple and cleanest way? I tryed to to extend ActiveRecord::Base, but I  
> am still bit confused from rails libraries 🙂

There are some good sites on this, and it’s pretty easy.  
Here’s one:  
[http://beer-monkey.com/articles/2006/06/02/database-programming-in-ruby-with-activerecord](http://beer-monkey.com/articles/2006/06/02/database-programming-in-ruby-with-activerecord)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Darken](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Darken)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-outside-rails/96154/3 "2006-06-27T06:02:02Z")

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Also, check out Chad F.'s excellent book “Rails Recipes”. It’s  
covered in there very throughly.

Michael