# Changing a column name with migration failed

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-a-column-name-with-migration-failed/156078>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 20, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-a-column-name-with-migration-failed/156078 "2008-12-20T04:52:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-a-column-name-with-migration-failed/156078/1 "2008-12-20T04:52:15Z")

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Hi All,

I had a column-name “changed” that I wanted to replaced with  
“accessed”.

I tried:  
class ModifyChangedAttribute \< ActiveRecord::Migration  
def self.up  
rename\_column(:csvs, :created, :accessed)  
end

def self.down  
rename\_column(:csvs, :accessed, :created)  
end  
end

The migration failed:

1. It was apparent because rake db/migrate returned only one line  
indicating the app’s “home”
2. Sqlite3’s .dump table\_name showed that “created” was unchanged.

I see now that I provided no table\_name to the migration. How do I do  
that?

I’m running:  
ruby 1.8.6  
Rails 2.2.1  
Win-Pro/SP3

Thanks in Advance,  
Richard

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 5:01am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-a-column-name-with-migration-failed/156078/2 "2008-12-20T05:01:36Z")

</div>

BTW, I put up all the code on [http://www.pastie.org/343735](http://www.pastie.org/343735)

HTH,  
Richard

On Dec 19, 10:51 pm, RichardOnRails

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RichardOnRails](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/RichardOnRails)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/changing-a-column-name-with-migration-failed/156078/3 "2008-12-20T05:15:37Z")

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My earlier statement, “I don’t have a column name” is incorrect.

The statement:  
rename\_column(:csvs, :created, :accessed)  
provided the table\_name “cvs” as symbol, the old\_name “created” as a  
symbol, and the new\_name.

So I don’t have a clue as to what’s wrong. All the code is on  
[http://www.pastie.org/343735](http://www.pastie.org/343735), as I mentioned before.

Again, thanks for any insights you may offer,  
Richard

On Dec 19, 11:01 pm, RichardOnRails