# Automatic finder **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/automatic-finder/57703 "2006-04-13T04:46:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sfwalter)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/automatic-finder/57703/1 "2006-04-13T04:46:57Z")
It looks rails automatically creates a “finder” method on models that have a “belongs\_to”. So I tried this in the console: c = Category.find(2) chunks = Chunk.find\_by\_category(c) chunks is always returned as an empty array. When I know have some chunks with a category\_id of 2. Should the find\_by\_category do what I think it should be doing or am I completely off base? thanks, cott. * * * What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lor more that it’s ever done in a PC. My Digital Life - [http://scottwalter.com/blog](http://scottwalter.com/blog) Pro:Blog - [http://scottwalter.com/problog](http://scottwalter.com/problog) ---
**Author:** ![sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sfwalter)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 7:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/automatic-finder/57703/2 "2006-04-13T07:25:04Z")
First of all the find\_by\_xxx methods just return 1 record. I think the find\_all\_by\_xxx is what you need. Does this work? chunks = Chunk.find\_all\_by\_category\_id(2) I’m not entirely sure the dynamic finders work with associations, but since “category\_id” is a direct property of the model it shouldn’t have a problem with it. Might make a nice patch though. -Alex ---
**Author:** ![sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@sfwalter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/sfwalter)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/automatic-finder/57703/3 "2006-04-13T14:23:33Z")
yes that worked perfectly! thanks. * * * What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lor more that it’s ever done in a PC. My Digital Life - [http://scottwalter.com/blog](http://scottwalter.com/blog) Pro:Blog - [http://scottwalter.com/problog](http://scottwalter.com/problog) ----- Original Message ---- From: Alex W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 12:23:51 AM Subject: Re: [Rails] Automatic finder ``` First of all the find_by_xxx methods just return 1 record. I ``` think the find\_all\_by\_xxx is what you need. Does this work? chunks = Chunk.find\_all\_by\_category\_id(2) I’m not entirely sure the dynamic finders work with associations, but since “category\_id” is a direct property of the model it shouldn’t have a problem with it. Might make a nice patch though. -Alex Scott W. wrote: It looks rails automatically creates a “finder” method on models that have a “belongs\_to”. So I tried this in the console: c = Category.find(2) chunks = Chunk.find\_by\_category(c) chunks is always returned as an empty array. When I know have some chunks with a category\_id of 2. Should the find\_by\_category do what I think it should be doing or am I completely off base? thanks, cott. * * * What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac? A whole lor more that it’s ever done in a PC. My Digital Life - [http://scottwalter.com/blog](http://scottwalter.com/blog) Pro:Blog - [http://scottwalter.com/problog](http://scottwalter.com/problog) ``` _______________________________________________ Rails mailing list ``` removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) * * * Rails mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails)