# Find all ActiveRecord::Base subclasses?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/find-all-activerecord-base-subclasses/50079>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 12, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/find-all-activerecord-base-subclasses/50079 "2005-12-12T21:04:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_OSBrien)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/find-all-activerecord-base-subclasses/50079/1 "2005-12-12T21:04:34Z")

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I’m wondering was the most Rubyish way to get an array of all  
subclasses of ActiveRecord::Base. This should be possible through  
Ruby’s reflection capabilities, right? Or is there a method in  
ActiveRecord?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_OSBrien)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/find-all-activerecord-base-subclasses/50079/2 "2005-12-12T21:40:40Z")

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You might query the ObjectSpace.

Kent.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Andrew\_OSBrien](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_OSBrien)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/find-all-activerecord-base-subclasses/50079/3 "2005-12-12T21:58:42Z")

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Andrew O’Brien wrote:

> I’m wondering was the most Rubyish way to get an array of all  
> subclasses of ActiveRecord::Base. This should be possible through  
> Ruby’s reflection capabilities, right? Or is there a method in  
> ActiveRecord?
> 
> Thanks.

You could do something like this:

module ActiveRecord  
class Base  
def self.get\_subclasses  
@@subclasses  
end  
end  
end

ActiveRecord::Base.get\_subclasses

ActiveRecord does have a ActiveRecord::Base.subclasses method, but its  
private.

Regards,  
Blair

–  
Blair Z., Ph.D.  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
Subversion and Orca training and consulting  
[http://www.orcaware.com/svn/](http://www.orcaware.com/svn/)