# Migration numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 30, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439 "2010-07-30T11:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/1 "2010-07-30T11:36:53Z")
Why do the migration numbers not appear. I am following the famous depot example, but I am finding that when I migrate the database using rake db:migrate I get a createproducts file with a long integer string before the .rb file, i.e. 20100730085920\_create\_products.rb. How do I get this changed. See I want to roll back the database and/or make some ammendments but I cannot find a way to get this done as in the example the preceeding integer is supposed to be only 001. Is this a setting someplace? ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/2 "2010-07-30T11:46:28Z")
Dis T. wrote: > Why do the migration numbers not appear. I am following the famous depot > example, but I am finding that when I migrate the database using rake > db:migrate I get a createproducts file with a long integer string before > the .rb file, i.e. 20100730085920\_create\_products.rb. How do I get this > changed. See I want to roll back the database and/or make some > ammendments but I cannot find a way to get this done as in the example > the preceeding integer is supposed to be only 001. Is this a setting > someplace? I believe this is related to the version of Rails. Anyone is welcome to correct me, but the Depot application tutorial is _dated_. At the time of that tutorial, migration date and time prefixes where not used. It is far better to have the prefix of date and time than a simple 3 digit integer. That said, I’m sure there will be a way to alter the prefix. A Google search should give you the answer if what I’ve said is not satisfactory. ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/3 "2010-07-30T11:46:50Z")
Dis T. wrote: > Why do the migration numbers not appear. I am following the famous depot > example, but I am finding that when I migrate the database using rake > db:migrate I get a createproducts file with a long integer string before > the .rb file, i.e. 20100730085920\_create\_products.rb. How do I get this > changed. See I want to roll back the database and/or make some > ammendments but I cannot find a way to get this done as in the example > the preceeding integer is supposed to be only 001. Is this a setting > someplace? BTW I am using MySQL, is this a problem with the DB. I have tried adding a +1 to version number and migrating. ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/4 "2010-07-30T11:46:56Z")
On Jul 30, 10:36 am, Dis T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Why do the migration numbers not appear. I am following the famous depot > example, but I am finding that when I migrate the database using rake > db:migrate I get a createproducts file with a long integer string before > the .rb file, i.e. 20100730085920\_create\_products.rb. How do I get this > changed. See I want to roll back the database and/or make some > ammendments but I cannot find a way to get this done as in the example > the preceeding integer is supposed to be only 001. Is this a setting > someplace? 20100730085920 is the migration number. This changed something like 2 years go, which implies that the tutorial you are following might be a bit out of date. Fred ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/5 "2010-07-30T11:47:40Z")
Frederick C. wrote: > On Jul 30, 10:36�am, Dis T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Why do the migration numbers not appear. I am following the famous depot > > example, but I am finding that when I migrate the database using rake > > db:migrate I get a createproducts file with a long integer string before > > the .rb file, i.e. 20100730085920\_create\_products.rb. How do I get this > > changed. See I want to roll back the database and/or make some > > ammendments but I cannot find a way to get this done as in the example > > the preceeding integer is supposed to be only 001. Is this a setting > > someplace? > > 20100730085920 is the migration number. This changed something like 2 > years go, which implies that the tutorial you are following might be a > bit out of date. > > Fred Thank you for reinforcing my point. ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/6 "2010-07-30T13:42:19Z")
If you really must have your three digit migration numbers, then just rename the file after it is created… ruby script/generate migration blah blah blah rake db:migrate But please do try to find a newer tutorial… the depot tutorial is ancient, and many things have changed… ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/7 "2010-07-30T11:49:17Z")
That number (20100730085920) is Year 2010 Month 07 Day 30 Hour 08 Minute 59 Seconds 20 and tells you much more about the migration than 012 does. ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/8 "2010-07-30T14:53:08Z")
You can revert to the sequential numbering scheme by setting config.active\_record.timestamped\_migrations to false in config/ environment.rb. –Martin ---
**Author:** ![disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@disruptivetechnolog](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/disruptivetechnolog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/migration-numbers/192439/9 "2010-07-30T15:43:29Z")
On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 7:42 AM, Ar Chron [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > But please do try to find a newer tutorial… the depot tutorial is > ancient, and many things have changed… I’m assuming the depot example is the one from Agile Web D. with Rails. There have been 3 printed editions of AWDWR, the first came out right before Rails 1.0, the second covered Rails 1.1 (which had lots of changes) but was before the change to timestamped migrations\*. The latest, for which Sam Ruby took over the role of primary author from Dave T., covers Rails 2.x and is the first to show timestamped migrations. In each of these the depot app has been brought up to the, then, current version of Rails. And there’s a fourth edition in preparation which covers Rails 3. It’s available under the Pragmatic Programmers beta program, in softcopy (pdf, epub, and mobi formats) updated as they get closer to press, and optionally as a pre-ordered print edition. Since I’m a bit of a pack-rat, my bookshelf holds all 3 printed editions, I bought the beta versions of at least the 3rd and upcoming 4th editions. I always used to pre-order the paper copy, but since I seem to be able to comfortably read books and the like on my iPad (something I was never comfortable with on a desktop or laptop). I decided to just go with the soft copy, - It hasn’t been mentioned, but the reason rails went from sequence numbered to timestamped migrations is that on projects with more than one developer it was not uncommon to have collisions over the numbering when different developers were working on different branches. Since it’s highly unlikely that two developers will generate migrations at the same second, this goes a long way to alleviate the problem. As with many things in Rails, it started out as a patch/plugin from some Rails user and eventually got assimilated into the Borg^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^hRails. – Rick DeNatale Blog: [http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/](http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/) Github: [rubyredrick (Rick DeNatale) · GitHub](http://github.com/rubyredrick) Twitter: @RickDeNatale WWR: [http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale](http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale) LinkedIn: [http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale)