# Attr\_accessible vs. attr\_reader

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/attr-accessible-vs-attr-reader/93226>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 29, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/attr-accessible-vs-attr-reader/93226 "2007-04-29T17:21:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/running_idiot)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/attr-accessible-vs-attr-reader/93226/1 "2007-04-29T17:21:10Z")

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I got another question - what is difference between attr\_accessible  
and attr\_reader?

I am not too smart from google’s results (  
[http://www.google.com/search?q=“attr\_accessible”+“attr\_reader”](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22attr_accessible%22+%22attr_reader%22)  
), so I ask here.

When should I use atr\_accessible and when attr\_reader?

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**Author:** ![running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/running_idiot)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/attr-accessible-vs-attr-reader/93226/2 "2007-04-29T17:46:13Z")

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On 4/29/07, running idiot [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> I got another question - what is difference between attr\_accessible  
> and attr\_reader?
> 
> I am not too smart from google’s results (  
> ["attr\_accessible" "attr\_reader" - Google Search](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22attr_accessible%22+%22attr_reader%22)  
> ), so I ask here.
> 
> When should I use atr\_accessible and when attr\_reader?

attr\_reader and attr\_accessor are ruby methods:

[http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Module.html#M001702](http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Module.html#M001702)  
[http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Module.html#M001703](http://ruby-doc.org/core/classes/Module.html#M001703)

attr\_accessible and attr\_protected are for ActiveRecord only:

[http://rails.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Base.html#M001006](http://rails.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Base.html#M001006)

–  
Rick O.  
[http://lighthouseapp.com](http://lighthouseapp.com)  
[http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net)  
[http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@running\_idiot](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/running_idiot)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/attr-accessible-vs-attr-reader/93226/3 "2007-04-29T19:34:19Z")

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well, thank you. I understand these four models _theoretically_, but  
in fact it works quite strange and is quite chaotic. Or I have  
mistakes in different places, but I don’t want to fill this list with  
useless pieces of my not-working code 🙂

Thanks anyway!