# How do i merge records together **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 16, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-merge-records-together/157951 "2009-01-16T20:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/timdunn2)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-merge-records-together/157951/1 "2009-01-16T20:43:35Z")
Hi I am Tim Dunn and am working on a web app to help people research their family history. I am wondering how to merge records from the same table into one record based on if they are exact or partial matches in any given set of fields. for example: Record 1: Name:John S. source 1 for name: Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for Name: John S. listed column in source 1 for Name:Husband determined logic in source 1 for Name:Exact As Record Birthdate:1856 source 1 for birthdate:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for birthdate:1856 listed column in source 1 for birthdate:Birthdate determined logic in source 1 for birthdate: Exact As Record Birthplace:Minnesota,USA source 1 for birthplace:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for birthplace:Minnesota,USA listed column in source 1 for birthplace:Birthplace determined logic in source 1 for birthplace:Exact As Record FathersName:Bob S. source 1 for fathersname:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for fathersname:Bob S. listed column in source 1 for fathersname:fathers name determined logic in source 1 for fathersname:Exact As Record SpousesName:Sally Johnson source 1 for spousesname:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for spousesname:Sally Johnson listed column in source 1 for spousesname:Spouses Name determined logic in source 1 for spousesname:Exact As Record Deathdate:feb 4 source 1 for deathdate:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for deathdate:feb 4 listed column in source 1 for deathdate:Deathdate determined logic in source 1 for deathdate:Exact As Record Deathplace:Los A.,CA,USA source 1 for deathplace:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for deathplace:Los A., CA, USA listed column in source 1 for deathplace:Deathplace determined logic in source 1 for deathplace:Exact As Record Record 2: Name:John Henry Smith source 1 for name: Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for Name:John Henry Smith listed column in source 1 for Name:Name determined logic in source 1 for Name:Exact As Record Birthdate:4 july 1856 source 1 for birthdate:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for birthdate:4 july 1856 listed column in source 1 for birthdate:birthdate determined logic in source 1 for birthdate:Exact As Record Birthplace:USA source 1 for birthplace:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for birthplace:USA listed column in source 1 for birthplace:birthplace determined logic in source 1 for birthplace:Exact As Record FathersName:Robert J. Smith source 1 for fathersname:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for fathersname:Robert J. Smith listed column in source 1 for fathersname:FathersName determined logic in source 1 for fathersname:Exact As Record SpousesName:Sally Jean Johnson source 1 for spousesname:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for spousesname:Sally Jean Johnson listed column in source 1 for spousesname:SpousesName determined logic in source 1 for spousesname:Exact As Record Deathdate:1930 source 1 for deathdate:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for deathdate:1930 listed column in source 1 for deathdate:Deathdate determined logic in source 1 for deathdate:Exact As Record Deathplace:CA,USA source 1 for deathplace:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 1 for deathplace:CA, USA listed column in source 1 for deathplace:Deathplace determined logic in source 1 for deathplace:Exact As Record to become 1 record that says: Name:John Henry Smith source 1 for name: Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for Name: John S. listed column in source 1 for Name:Husband determined logic in source 1 for Name:Exact First Name and Exact Last Name as source 2 source 2 for name: Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for Name:John Henry Smith listed column in source 2 for Name:Name determined logic in source 2 for Name:Exact As Record Birthdate:4 july 1856 source 1 for birthdate:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for birthdate:1856 listed column in source 1 for birthdate:Birthdate determined logic in source 1 for birthdate: Exact Year as source 2 source 2 for birthdate:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for birthdate:4 july 1856 listed column in source 2 for birthdate:birthdate determined logic in source 2 for birthdate:Exact As Record Birthplace:Minnesota,USA source 1 for birthplace:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for birthplace:Minnesota,USA listed column in source 1 for birthplace:Birthplace determined logic in source 1 for birthplace:Exact As Record source 2 for birthplace:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for birthplace:USA listed column in source 2 for birthplace:birthplace determined logic in source 2 for birthplace:Exact country as source 1 FathersName:Robert J. Smith source 1 for fathersname:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for fathersname:Bob S. listed column in source 1 for fathersname:fathers name determined logic in source 1 for fathersname:First Name is Nick Name and Last Name Exact as source 2 source 2 for fathersname:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for fathersname:Robert J. Smith listed column in source 2 for fathersname:FathersName determined logic in source 2 for fathersname:Exact As Record SpousesName:Sally Jean Johnson source 1 for spousesname:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for spousesname:Sally Johnson listed column in source 1 for spousesname:Spouses Name determined logic in source 1 for spousesname:Exact First Name and Last Name as source 2 source 2 for spousesname:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for spousesname:Sally Jean Johnson listed column in source 2 for spousesname:SpousesName determined logic in source 2 for spousesname:Exact As Record Deathdate:feb 4 1930 source 1 for deathdate:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for deathdate:feb 4 listed column in source 1 for deathdate:Deathdate determined logic in source 1 for deathdate:Possible same year as source 2 source 2 for deathdate:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for deathdate:1930 listed column in source 2 for deathdate:Deathdate determined logic in source 2 for deathdate:Possible same month and day as source 1 Deathplace:Los A., CA, USA source 1 for deathplace:Minnesota Death Records listed as in source 1 for deathplace:Los A., CA, USA listed column in source 1 for deathplace:Deathplace determined logic in source 1 for deathplace:Exact As Record source 2 for deathplace:Smith Family Bible listed as in source 2 for deathplace:CA, USA listed column in source 2 for deathplace:Deathplace determined logic in source 2 for deathplace:Exact State and Country as source 1 ---
**Author:** ![timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/timdunn2)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-merge-records-together/157951/2 "2009-01-17T04:58:17Z")
Hi Tim, There is no out-of-box way to marge records in Rails framework. However, by using ActiveRecord, you can do data operations like comparing filed values, inserting new records, and deleting old records. I think you are asking very core part of your business, and I assume no one can really answer what to do for your problem. How do you define “data is similar or same”? If records matches, which record should be left or creating new one? Is this process happens in batch mode or when user processed specific actions? Thinking these questions may help you to define “your algorithm”. Once you come up with your algorithm, you put it into your model and encapsulate the process. Hope this will help. Glen ---
**Author:** ![timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@timdunn2](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/timdunn2)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-merge-records-together/157951/3 "2009-01-17T06:13:42Z")
On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Tim Dunn [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hi I am Tim Dunn and am working on a web app to help people research > their family history. I am wondering how to merge records from the same > table into one record based on if they are exact or partial matches in > any given set of fields. You might want to check out this plugin: > **[GitHub - collectiveidea/merger: A gem for merging Active Record models](https://github.com/collectiveidea/merger)** > > A gem for merging Active Record models. Contribute to collectiveidea/merger development by creating an account on GitHub. Right now it doesn’t have any of the logic for picking which which fields to keep, but it will merge all the associations to the oldest model and delete the newer ones. ``` @person1.merge(@person2, @person3) ``` ## – Brandon Training by Collective Idea: Refer a friend and get $100 [http://training.collectiveidea.com](http://training.collectiveidea.com) – San Antonio, TX – Jan 20-23