# Can the has\_many create() method return an ID? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 9, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689 "2006-07-09T18:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/1 "2006-07-09T18:07:46Z")
Hi all, I have a has\_many relationship, Cookbook :has\_many Recipes If I want to create a new recipe in my cookbook I do: cookbook.recipes.create(data) It would be nice if I could then easily get the id of the new recipe, but the create() method doesn’t seem to return anything. Any ideas how? Thanks in advance! Cameron ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/2 "2006-07-09T18:37:26Z")
This should work, because the create returns the object it created cookbook.recipes.create(data).id roland ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/3 "2006-07-13T03:32:56Z")
I have some evidence of an id not being returned on create (from the console): > > Post.count > > =\> 0 > > > Post.new.id > > =\> nil > > > Post.create.id > > =\> 0 > > > Post.create.id > > =\> 0 > > > Post.count > > =\> 2 > > > Post.find(:all).collect { |post| post.id } > > =\> [1, 2] and > > @post.categories.create({:name =\> ‘cc1’}).id > > =\> 0 > > > @post.categories.create({:name =\> ‘cc2’}).id > > =\> 0 > > > @post.categories.size > > =\> 2 Are there any work arounds for this? - trav ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/4 "2006-07-13T04:03:14Z")
As a work around, this should do the trick, but it requires attributes that in combination are equivalent (or close) to the id column. Therefore its a bit iffy. class Post \< ActiveRecord::Base def after\_create write\_attribute( ‘id’, Post.find( :first, :select =\> ‘id’, :conditions =\> [# attributes #] ).id ) end cheers, - trav ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/5 "2006-07-13T04:18:49Z")
That’s definitely not normal Rails behaviour. What version of Rails are you running, what system, what database, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/6 "2006-07-13T04:46:33Z")
activerecord (1.14.2) activesupport (1.3.1) rails (1.1.2) sqlite3-ruby (1.1.0) sqlite3 -version =\> 3.1.3 OS-X 10.4.7 I’ve been hanging around this problem for a while now, if you want to point me in the right direction I’ll look at the source and see if I can do anything about it. - trav ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/7 "2006-07-13T21:58:40Z")
I’m hung up on this same problem, on the same platform, save for the fact that I’m using rails 1.1.4 and corresponding versions of its libraries. I took Travis’ suggestion, but extended it a bit, to make a good effort to insure that it returns the desired record: #my class is called Itinerary, and uses the created\_at convention, obviously def after\_create write\_attribute( ‘id’, Itinerary.find( :first, :select =\> ‘id’, :conditions =\> [“name = ? and created\_at = ?”, self.name, self.created\_at] ).id ) end This works, but it’s pretty ugly, and not 100% safe: what if two users save an Itinerary named “Trip to Houston” within one second of each other? ;-p David R. (doppler) ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/8 "2006-07-14T10:46:19Z")
Wow, thanks Pete, Your awesome. ---
**Author:** ![cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@cdb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cdb)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/can-the-has-many-create-method-return-an-id/97689/9 "2006-07-14T03:22:47Z")
From the How To Use SQLite in Rails page (http:// [wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowtoUseSQLite](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowtoUseSQLite)): > Q: It seems is that ActiveRecord?s save method doesn?t set the id > of the inserted row after saving the record to a SQLite database. > Is this an issue with SQLite or with ActiveRecord? > > A: Make sure you have swig installed before installing sqlite3- > ruby! See the question immediately above this one for instructions. > I?ve had the exact problem and installing swig then re-install > sqlite3-ruby did fix it. One note: I believe sqlite3-ruby is the > preferred module (sudo gem install sqlite3-ruby). > and the relevant bit on installing swig: > On Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, try uninstalling the gem (sudo gem > uninstall sqlite3), then use DarwinPorts or Fink to install SWIG > (sudo port install swig), making sure SWIG is in your PATH, then re- > install the SQLite3 gem (sudo gem install sqlite3). Pete Y. [http://9cays.com/\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_](http://9cays.com/ _______________________________________________ ) Rails mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails)