# Detecting when a record is saved

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 20, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419 "2007-03-20T11:17:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chris_finch)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419/1 "2007-03-20T11:17:23Z")

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Hi all,

I have wrote a RoR app that analyzes results in a mysql database. Data  
is input to the database with a java GUI. Is it possible to  
automatically detect when new data is saved into the DB and then do  
something?

Chris

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**Author:** ![chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chris_finch)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 11:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419/2 "2007-03-20T11:55:15Z")

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try the after\_save callback

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**Author:** ![chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chris_finch)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419/3 "2007-03-20T12:36:46Z")

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You could put a timestamp on each record and then do a polling loop  
looking for records newer than the last record you found previously.  
That would detect the new records inserted by Java.

Michael

On Mar 20, 3:17 am, chris finch [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)

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**Author:** ![chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chris_finch)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419/4 "2007-03-20T13:45:38Z")

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i misread the OP. sorry about that.

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**Author:** ![chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@chris\_finch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chris_finch)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/detecting-when-a-record-is-saved/89419/5 "2007-03-22T16:38:52Z")

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If MySQL supports triggers, you could create a DB trigger to execute a  
Ruby script upon an insertion.

On Mar 20, 3:17 am, chris finch [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)