# Easy scaffold question(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [March 23, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794 "2006-03-23T21:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/1 "2006-03-23T21:38:56Z")
I’m doing very well with the Hibbs Rolling on Rails tutorial. I have an easy question for my personal notes. I’m coming up with a simple framework of steps for creating a basic database. It includes the following maxims to make original app creation easy: app\_name = MySQL database name SQL\_tablename = model\_name model\_name = controller-name Is this going to work for getting the simple structure set up? This naming convention seems easy to me and should work. I’d like feedback on this before I “make it real” for my process notes. Second question. with this convention I’m running scaffold to get things up and running for testing purposes. I’ll replace the scaffold items one at a time until things work as expected. when I run scaffold I’ll type “scaffold :recipes” for example. Am I scaffolding the MySQL table when I do this or am I scaffolding the ruby model\_name? Thanks in advance! * * * Joshua Burke Web M. Heartland AEA 11 ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/2 "2006-03-23T22:29:11Z")
I’m not sure but I think if you use the script/scaffolding it will create the model and the controller at the same time… (I’m using RadRails and it works like that) You can also use the rails --pretend command to see if you are doing the right thing. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/3 "2006-03-23T22:42:21Z")
When it scaffolds though, what is it scaffolding? Is it pulling the MySQL tablename or the ruby model\_name? Joshua ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/4 "2006-03-23T22:50:05Z")
Can I go with an example? I’ll show you what convention I follow. Application name “Cookbook”. You’d usually set up two databases on your development box: cookbook\_test cookbook\_development One model: ruby script/generate Recipe # generates Recipe model The table would be called: recipes (always plural) The controller can be called: “recipe” or “recipes”. Most people prefer plural, i.e. “recipes” To answer your second question: I never use scaffold, but I checked [http://api.rubyonrails.com/](http://api.rubyonrails.com/) and you should always use the singular name of your model, e.g. scaffold :recipe Rob ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/5 "2006-03-23T23:17:38Z")
When you enter the scaffold call into your controller (as is done in the cookbook tutorial), you are using dynamic scaffolding that works at run time. This will track changes in your tables. If, instead, you run the scaffold command from the command line, this will physically generate the scaffold code into real files and represents the definition of your table at the time you run the command. While this is less flexible, it does let you actually see the code (and modify it). Curt ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/6 "2006-03-24T16:17:36Z")
Thanks for hanging in there with the new guy. One final question about scaffolding. What I’ve been doing is placing the scaffold :model\_name in the controller (as per Hibbs tutorial part 1) and then, when I get everything just the way I want it I generate a scaffold command as you have indicated below (and as per Hibbs tutorial part 2). This allows me to edit the scaffold code and generally allows me an easy transition between the dynamic scaffold and replacing and controlling each element of the scaffold individually. This seems to work well and so far it has allowed me to get into customization much more quickly than defining and controlling each def individually. So, I’m actually using both methods to great advantage. I " dynamically scaffold" until I’ve got things in the order I want them in general and then generate a scaffold to create editable code. The generated scaffold pulls over (for the most part) everything as it was in the dynamic scaffold and saves this poor n00b a lot of headache. The question is, is this going to bite me in the butt later on? I can’t see a disadvantage but I thought I’d ask the forum. I’m trying to set up a series of “ruby habits” that will be guideposts when creating apps from scratch. Joshua ---
**Author:** ![jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jdw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jdw)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/easy-scaffold-question-s/55794/7 "2006-03-24T17:39:01Z")
On 3/24/06, Web M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > customization much more quickly than defining and controlling each def > series of “ruby habits” that will be guideposts when creating apps from > scratch. That’s precisely the way the I do it. Curt