# Problem with db\_schema\_import and MySQL timestamp!

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-db-schema-import-and-mysql-timestamp/72350>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 23, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-db-schema-import-and-mysql-timestamp/72350 "2006-02-23T15:31:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MiKael\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/f17d59/32.png) [@MiKael\_N](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MiKael_N)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-db-schema-import-and-mysql-timestamp/72350/1 "2006-02-23T15:31:48Z")

</div>

Hi,  
This post concerns a SQL error while I try to import a schema into MySQL  
with timestamp dates.

To reproduce try these commands:

mickey@bunny:~/dev/rails/timeonrails$ rake db\_schema\_dump  
(in /home/mickey/dev/rails/timeonrails)

mickey@bunny:~/dev/rails/timeonrails$ cat db/schema.rb

# This file is autogenerated. Instead of editing this file, please use

the

# migrations feature of ActiveRecord to incrementally modify your

database, and

# then regenerate this schema definition.

ActiveRecord::Schema.define() do

create\_table “categories”, :force =\> true do |t|  
t.column “name”, :string, :limit =\> 20  
t.column “description”, :text  
t.column “created\_on”, :timestamp, :limit =\> 14  
t.column “updated\_on”, :timestamp, :limit =\> 14  
end

end

Then, when I try to re-import the same schema, I get a SQL error:

mickey@bunny:~/dev/rails/timeonrails$ rake db\_schema\_import  
(in /home/mickey/dev/rails/timeonrails)  
rake aborted!  
Mysql::Error: You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check the manual  
that  
corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use  
near ‘(14),  
`updated_on` datetime(14)) ENGINE=InnoDB’ at line 1: CREATE TABLE  
categories  
(`id` int(11) DEFAULT NULL auto\_increment PRIMARY KEY, `name`  
varchar(20),  
`description` text, `created_on` datetime(14), `updated_on`  
datetime(14))  
ENGINE=InnoDB

After executing the import with --trace option it looks like the problem  
is  
coming from mysql\_adapter.rb file, where any reference to :timestamp is  
replaced by :datetime, but the ‘datetime’ SQL command does not accept an  
argument (14)!

PS: Another consequence of this error is that the table is dropped at  
the same  
time, that is not a good news!

I propose the following patch:

mickey@bunny:~/…/vendor/…/active\_record/connection\_adapters$ diff  
-bru  
./mysql\_adapter.rb ./mysql\_adapter-patched.rb

* * *

./mysql\_adapter.rb  
2006-02-23 12:30:19.000000000 +0100  
+++  
./mysql\_adapter-patched.rb  
2006-02-23 12:29:50.000000000 +0100  
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@  
:integer =\> { :name =\> “int”, :limit =\> 11 },  
:float =\> { :name =\> “float” },  
:datetime =\> { :name =\> “datetime” },

- 

```
     :timestamp => { :name => "datetime" },

```

- 

```
     :timestamp => { :name => "timestamp" },
     :time => { :name => "time" },
     :date => { :name => "date" },
     :binary => { :name => "blob" },

```

I don’t know if it’s a good idea, I am not an expert on MySQL.  
So, I’m waiting for yours advises…

Bgrds.