# Get a collections parent model

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/get-a-collections-parent-model/151374>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 20, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/get-a-collections-parent-model/151374 "2008-10-20T20:31:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![twoism](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@twoism](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twoism)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/get-a-collections-parent-model/151374/1 "2008-10-20T20:31:23Z")

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Is there away get a collections parent model from within the  
collection itself? Where the collection looks like this:

User.first.events.upcoming  
or  
Group.first.events.upcoming.

If the upcoming method is in a mix-in that is shared by two different  
models how could you find what the parent model is (Group or User)?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twoism](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@twoism](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/twoism)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/get-a-collections-parent-model/151374/2 "2008-10-20T21:19:36Z")

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Found it:

proxy\_owner

User.first.events.upcoming

def upcoming  
case self.proxy\_owner.class  
when User

# do stuff for User

when Group

# do stuff for groups

else  
end  
end