Hello everyone, I’ve got a question for the ActiveRecord gurus.
ActiveRecord version: 2.3.4
ActiveRecord adapter: mysql
I’m accessing a database originally designed as the back-end data-
store for a Microsoft Access-based GUI application (using “linked”
tables). MS Access, if using linked tables to use a MySQL database
wants its boolean fields, like ActiveRecord, to by TINYINT(1) fields.
However, is makes the field “signed” and uses 0 for false and -1 for
true.
I’ve taken several approaches to interfacing with boolean fields in
this database in an interoperable way (keeping boolean true values as
-1). What seems like it should be so easy/simple has yet yield a clean
solution (to me at least).
My Example Table (tblImages):
ImageID, UNSIGNED INTEGER, AUTOINCREMENT, PRI-KEY
IsFixed, TINYINT, DEFAULT 0
ActiveRecord class:
class Image < ActiveRecord::Base
set_table_name ‘tblImages’
set_primary_key ‘ImageID’
def fixed
self.IsFixed_before_type_cast == “-1”
end
def fixed=(val)
self[:IsFixed] = (val ? ‘-1’ : ‘0’)
end
end
The above code is just one of the many approaches I’ve taken. I always
get so close yet so far. Reading the value is easy by getting it prior
to type-casting and interpreting it how I want. However, coercing
ActiveRecord (and the MySQL adapter) to issue an “UPDATE tblImage SET
IsFixed = -1 …” seem all but impossible when I issue a save! on an
instance.
So, is there any way to tell ActiveRecord (or the MySQL adapter) to
simply disable its boolean emulation on a given field (or even the
whole table or database)? Or, does anyone have any alternate ideas
that might work instead or even better?
Thanks for your help!
–
Kendall G.