Join table naming

Rails
1

Hi,
I’m an amateur learning rails and could use some help…
I created a join table “pictures_questions”
and append to it in the following way:
@picture = Picture.new(params[:picture])
…
if @picture.save
@question.pictures << @picture

Everything works fine but honestly I think I got this working by sheer
luck and trial and error. I have 2 questions:

  1. I do not understand the difference between naming the join table
    pictures_questions vs questions_pictures (ie how to decide which to use)
  2. I do not understand the “.pictures” in @question.pictures - is it
    an attribute of @question because of the join table?

Thanks

2

1 - You name it “pictures_questions” because they are in alphabetical
order
that way, and that’s what Rails assumes

2 - Yes, it is an attribute of Question because you specified
“has_and_belongs_to_many :pictures” in your model. Then rails assumes
there
will be a join table.

3

On 24 April 2013 19:00, Dave C. [email protected] wrote:

luck and trial and error. I have 2 questions:

  1. I do not understand the difference between naming the join table
    pictures_questions vs questions_pictures (ie how to decide which to use)
  2. I do not understand the .pictures in @question.pictures - is it
    an attribute of @question because of the join table?

I will give the same answer that I usually do for beginners, which is
to work right through a good tutorial such as railstutorial.org in
order to understand the basics of Rails, then you should be able to
answer the questions, and many of the ones that come hereafter,
yourself.

Colin

4

On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 2:47 PM, Colin L. [email protected]
wrote:

Everything works fine but honestly I think I got this working by sheer
yourself.

Colin

In addition, thorough reading and re-reading of
Active Record Associations — Ruby on Rails Guides is essential.