# Boolean to text? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 23, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035 "2006-11-23T17:29:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/1 "2006-11-23T17:29:22Z")
I’m new to RoR, but learning quickly (I hope) I have stored a boolean value in my database (is\_organic). How do I convert the value to something meaningful. In this case 1 = Organic. I suppose I could do it with a loop, but that seems wasteful. Are these functions available in RoR? ~k ---
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/2 "2006-11-23T18:21:32Z")
On Nov 23, 2006, at 5:26 PM, Kurth Bemis wrote: > I’m new to RoR, but learning quickly (I hope) > > I have stored a boolean value in my database (is\_organic). How do I > convert the value to something meaningful. In this case 1 = Organic. > > I suppose I could do it with a loop, but that seems wasteful. Are > these functions available in RoR? You don’t. In the Ruby side you use always Ruby booleans: thing.is\_organic = true thing.toggle! :is\_organic thing.is\_organic? # provided by AR if type is boolean nonorganics = Thing.find\_all\_by\_is\_organic(false) You see. – fxn ---
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/3 "2006-11-23T18:51:36Z")
I do see. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank You. On 11/23/06, Xavier N. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > – fxn > > > – Ozone Computer Computer consulting, Services and Sales. 9 Main Street Springfield, Vermont 1-802-885-8030 ---
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/4 "2006-11-24T04:18:40Z")
Hi, I would recommend using a Hash to achieve your goal. Also, I would highly recommend getting a good understanding of the Ruby language an its associated idoms. You’ll find this to be very helpful when you’re working with the Rails web development framework. Good luck, -Conrad ---
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/5 "2006-11-24T04:30:41Z")
Conrad T. wrote: > Hi, I would recommend using a Hash to achieve your goal. Ooh, I guess that where I said “without creating a new lookup table”, I could have extended that to “and not a Hash”. Same idiom different framework. ---
**Author:** ![Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kurth\_Bemis](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kurth_Bemis)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/boolean-to-text/77035/6 "2006-11-23T19:15:39Z")
Xavier N. wrote: > thing.is\_organic = true > thing.toggle! :is\_organic > thing.is\_organic? # provided by AR if type is boolean > > nonorganics = Thing.find\_all\_by\_is\_organic(false) Suppose I miss the C++ metamacro trick. Suppose I have global constants: YoDude = 2 WhatsUp = 3 Now I want a 2 to produce ‘YoDude’ as a string, and 3 to produce ‘WhatsUp’. Preferrably without overloading 2 and 3, and without creating a new lookup table. (That would happen if we go over 10 or so constants and I return control to the OnsiteCustomer.) How do I do an enumeration that can reflect its values as strings? – Phlip [Redirecting...](http://www.greencheese.us/ZeekLand) ← NOT a blog!!!