# Error deleting object with has many relationship

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-deleting-object-with-has-many-relationship/142234>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 4, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-deleting-object-with-has-many-relationship/142234 "2008-07-04T21:53:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-deleting-object-with-has-many-relationship/142234/1 "2008-07-04T21:53:25Z")

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Hi,

Im getting this strange error when trying to delete an employee, im  
guessing its something to do with one of the has\_many relationships but  
how do i know which one.

ndefined method `table\_name’ for File:Class

vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/associations/has\_many\_association.rb:152:in  
`construct_sql' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/has_many_association.rb:6:in`initialize’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/associations.rb:1032:in  
`new' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb:1032:in`files’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/callbacks.rb:309:in  
`callback' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb:309:in`callback’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/callbacks.rb:304:in `each' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/callbacks.rb:304:in`callback’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/callbacks.rb:294:in  
`destroy_without_transactions' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb:104:in`destroy’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/connection\_adapters/abstract/database\_statements.rb:66:in  
`transaction' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb:80:in`transaction’  
vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active\_record/transactions.rb:100:in  
`transaction' vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/transactions.rb:104:in`destroy’  
app/controllers/employees\_controller.rb:131:in `destroy' -e:4:in`load’  
-e:4

Anyone got any ideas?

JB

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@johnnybutler7](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/johnnybutler7)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/error-deleting-object-with-has-many-relationship/142234/2 "2008-07-04T22:28:48Z")

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On Jul 4, 8:53 pm, John B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> Im getting this strange error when trying to delete an employee, im  
> guessing its something to do with one of the has\_many relationships but  
> how do i know which one.

Random guess: it’s the one called files. That makes rails load up  
File, but oh no, it’s found ruby’s File class, which isn’t an  
activerecord class and hence doesn’t respond to table\_name.

Fred