Newbie -- Migration Error

Rails
1

I just performed a couple of migrations - one adding database columns:

def self.up
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :auctions_desc, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :bank_owned_desc, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :short_sales_desc, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :trades_desc, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :listing_price, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_price, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_date, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_agent_id, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_agent_name,
:string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_co_agent_id,
:string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_co_agent_name,
:string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_office_id, :string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_office_name,
:string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_co_office_id,
:string
add_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :selling_co_office_name,
:string
end

one removing:

def self.up
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :area_display
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :search_price
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :co_office_phone
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :garage_spaces
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :virtual_tour_url
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :contact_phone_1
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :co_agent_phone_1
remove_column :properties_sfar_commercial, :price_change
end

And now that all columns are as they should be (I think?) I get this
error on rake:

** Invoke idx:load_properties (first_time)
** Execute idx:load_properties
** Execute idx:update_db
rake aborted!
no implicit conversion from nil to integer
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:16:in
[]' /var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:16:inmap_property’
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/tasks/idx.rake:84
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/quickidx.rb:142:in
parse' /var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/quickidx.rb:136:inparse’
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/tasks/idx.rake:52
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:544:in execute' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:541:inexecute’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:508:in
invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/thread.rb:135:insynchronize’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:501:in
invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:518:ininvoke_prerequisites’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1183:in each' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:515:ininvoke_prerequisites’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:507:in
invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/1.8/thread.rb:135:insynchronize’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:501:in
invoke_with_call_chain' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:494:ininvoke’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1931:in invoke_task' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1909:intop_level’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1909:in top_level' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1948:instandard_exception_handling’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1903:in top_level' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1881:inrun’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1948:in
standard_exception_handling' /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/lib/rake.rb:1878:inrun’
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.8.1/bin/rake:31
/usr/bin/rake:16

I’m new at Ruby on Rails but know that we are running 2.0.2 and this
would be the first time we have ever seen this error.

Anyone able to diagnose? Thanks much

2

On Jun 12, 6:30 pm, Caroline B. [email protected]
wrote:

** Invoke idx:load_properties (first_time)
** Execute idx:load_properties
** Execute idx:update_db
rake aborted!
no implicit conversion from nil to integer
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:1 6:in
`[]’
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:1 6:in

Have you had a look at the code here ?

Fred

3

Frederick C. wrote:

On Jun 12, 6:30�pm, Caroline B. [email protected]
wrote:

** Invoke idx:load_properties (first_time)
** Execute idx:load_properties
** Execute idx:update_db
rake aborted!
no implicit conversion from nil to integer
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:1 6:in
`[]’
/var/www/apps/quickidx/releases/20080519171438/lib/idx/sfar_commercial.rb:1 6:in

Have you had a look at the code here ?

Fred

Yes, but as a newbie, errors cause and solutions don’t just, you know,
jump off the page.
Plus, I didn’t build this system but am assigned to maintain it, so
every new thing is just that. A new thing. To me it looks like “1 space
6” in array. But what does that mean and how do I fix it? I’m not trying
to look stupid. I’m just trying to get my work done.

thanks for taking the time to help…

4

Look at line 16 of sfar_commercial.rb. The error indicates that some
variable (or return value) is nil when then code was expecting an
integer. My guess is that it was trying to index an array with nil
(hence the reference to ‘[]’).

On Jun 12, 1:54 pm, Caroline B. [email protected]

5

Paul L. wrote:

Look at line 16 of sfar_commercial.rb. The error indicates that some
variable (or return value) is nil when then code was expecting an
integer. My guess is that it was trying to index an array with nil
(hence the reference to ‘[]’).

On Jun 12, 1:54�pm, Caroline B. [email protected]

Ok - this line is as follows

property[:area] = data[map['area_display']]

Not surprisingly this would refer to one of the columns that I just
migrated out! Apparently the feed author has discontinued it and now
that my databases are updated I’m getting this error. But I *did migrate
it out. I suppose this file does not follow awareness of migrations.

In any case, is it OK just to comment out this line? I know that Ruby is
a sensitive system to a lot of scrap hap hazard cutting around the code.
But hey! that’s what its there for right?

Thanks for all your help.

6

In my project, the developer who writes a migration that changes
tables is typically the same person who changes the code to work with
the changes. But, it sounds like you got these migrations from a
third-party source, someone who is responsible for the data but not
the code written to use it?

Anyway, I would recommend checking to see how “property[:area]” gets
used before commenting out the line. There could be other changes
needed. You should also check on how the program uses the other
columns that were removed. (The column names should most likely
appear somewhere in the code). You might also want to think about
whether your program needs to do something with the new columns. This
will all probably involve a lot of digging through the code, reading
it, and understanding what it is doing and why.

On Jun 12, 2:09 pm, Caroline B. [email protected]

7

2009/6/12 Caroline B. [email protected]:

  property[:area] = data[map[‘area_display’]]

Not surprisingly this would refer to one of the columns that I just
migrated out! Apparently the feed author has discontinued it and now
that my databases are updated I’m getting this error. But I *did migrate
it out. I suppose this file does not  follow awareness of migrations.

All the migration does is to change the structure of the database.
That file (sfar_commercial.rb) is part of the application written by
the original builder. Someone will have to work out what the code was
doing and work out what it should now do instead.

Good luck

Colin