# Add hash to serialized column

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/add-hash-to-serialized-column/150590>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 10, 2008, 8:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/add-hash-to-serialized-column/150590 "2008-10-10T08:49:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 8:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/add-hash-to-serialized-column/150590/1 "2008-10-10T08:49:58Z")

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Hey guys,

I’m trying to merge a hash with another using the .merge! function.

class User \< ActiveRecord::Base  
serialize :preferences  
end

This is what I end up with in the console:

> > u = User.find(1)  
> > u.preferences.merge!{:test =\> 1}  
> > SyntaxError: compile error  
> > (irb):32: syntax error, unexpected tASSOC, expecting ‘}’  
> > u.preferences.merge!{:test =\> 1}  
> > ^  
> > from (irb):32  
> > from :0

Any ideas?

Take care.

---

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**Author:** ![alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 8:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/add-hash-to-serialized-column/150590/2 "2008-10-10T08:58:45Z")

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On Oct 10, 8:22 am, Alex [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> > > u = User.find(1)
> 
> Take care.

u.preferences.merge!({:test =\> 1})

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**Author:** ![alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@alex](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/alex)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 9:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/add-hash-to-serialized-column/150590/3 "2008-10-10T09:05:11Z")

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Of course! Thank you very much.