# Activerecord search

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-search/145208>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 6, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-search/145208 "2008-08-06T20:54:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-search/145208/1 "2008-08-06T20:54:44Z")

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def self.search(search, page)  
paginate\_by\_sql [‘SELECT FROM posts WHERE #{time\_difference created\_at}  
\<= #{search}’], :per\_page =\> 15, :page =\> page  
end

I need something to this extent, where time\_difference is a helper  
method, created\_at is the timestamp field for an activerecord object,  
and search is a parameter passed into my self.search method.

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**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-search/145208/2 "2008-08-06T20:56:52Z")

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Justin To wrote:

> def self.search(search, page)  
> paginate\_by\_sql [‘SELECT FROM posts WHERE #{time\_difference created\_at}  
> \<= #{search}’], :per\_page =\> 15, :page =\> page  
> end
> 
> I need something to this extent, where time\_difference is a helper  
> method, created\_at is the timestamp field for an activerecord object,  
> and search is a parameter passed into my self.search method.

Correction, paginate\_by\_sql [‘SELECT FROM posts WHERE  
#{Time.now.minus\_with\_coercion created\_at} \<= #{search}’]

Thanks! =)

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**Author:** ![jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jturney](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jturney)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-search/145208/3 "2008-08-06T23:05:51Z")

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On Aug 6, 7:56 pm, Justin To [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Correction, paginate\_by\_sql [‘SELECT FROM posts WHERE  
> #{Time.now.minus\_with\_coercion created\_at} \<= #{search}’]

Not quite sure what you’re after. something like

def search(time\_diff\_in\_minutes)  
… WHERE created\_at \<  
#{time\_diff\_in\_minutes.minutes.ago.to\_s(:db)} …  
end

?

Fred