# Question from Super-Novice regarding Permalink **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 10, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-from-super-novice-regarding-permalink/91583 "2007-04-10T18:30:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-from-super-novice-regarding-permalink/91583/1 "2007-04-10T18:30:38Z")
Hi- I am two weeks new to Ruby on Rails and I am working through the SitePoint book. Specifically Chapter 7. I am trying to do the permalink example for a story posting in their example, but I am getting an undefined method error. I have checked all the textmate files, and they match. And I have gone into the ruby console to pull the story up, find the name, but when i write: s.update\_attribute :permalink, ‘my-shiny-weblog’. I get a the following: > > s.update\_attribute :permalink, ‘my-shiny-weblog’ > > NoMethodError: undefined method `permalink=' for # from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/ active_record/base.rb:1858:in `method\_missing’ > > from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/ > > active\_record/validations.rb:772:in `send' from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/ active_record/validations.rb:772:in `update\_attribute’ > > from (irb):25 ========== When I run a full trace on [http://localhost:3000/story/show/my-shiny-weblog](http://localhost:3000/story/show/my-shiny-weblog), I get this: NoMethodError in StoryController#show undefined method `find\_by\_permalink’ for Story:Class RAILS\_ROOT: script/…/config/… Application Trace | Framework Trace | Full Trace /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/ active\_record/base.rb:1197:in `method_missing' app/controllers/story_controller.rb:15:in `show’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/base.rb:1095:in `send' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action_controller/base.rb:1095:in `perform\_action\_without\_filters’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/filters.rb:632:in `call_filter' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action_controller/filters.rb:619:in `perform\_action\_without\_benchmark’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/benchmarking.rb:66:in `perform_action_without_rescue' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/benchmark.rb:293:in `measure’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/benchmarking.rb:66:in `perform_action_without_rescue' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action_controller/rescue.rb:83:in `perform\_action’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/base.rb:430:in `send' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action_controller/base.rb:430:in `process\_without\_filters’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/filters.rb:624:in `process_without_session_management_support' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action_controller/session_management.rb:114:in `process’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-1.13.2/lib/ action\_controller/base.rb:330:in `process' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/dispatcher.rb:41:in `dispatch’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/webrick\_server.rb: 113:in `handle_dispatch' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/webrick_server.rb: 79:in `service’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:104:in `service' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/httpserver.rb:65:in `run’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:173:in `start_thread' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:162:in `start’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:162:in `start_thread' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:95:in `start’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:92:in `each' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:92:in `start’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:23:in `start' /usr/local/lib/ruby/1.8/webrick/server.rb:82:in `start’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/webrick\_server.rb: 63:in `dispatch' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/commands/servers/ webrick.rb:59 /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in `gem\_original\_require’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `require' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active\_support/dependencies.rb:342:in `new_constants_in' /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require’ /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/commands/server.rb: 39 /usr/local/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb:27:in `gem_original_require' /usr/local/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb:27:in `require’ script/server:3 ---
**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-from-super-novice-regarding-permalink/91583/2 "2007-04-10T18:52:40Z")
On 4/10/07, Zak [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > following: > > > > > > ========== > > When I run a full trace on [http://localhost:3000/story/show/my-shiny-weblog](http://localhost:3000/story/show/my-shiny-weblog), > I get this: > > NoMethodError in StoryController#show > > undefined method `find\_by\_permalink’ for Story:Class > RAILS\_ROOT: script/…/config/… First step in debugging this is to look at the error message. Your controller called Story.find\_by\_permalink, and it blew up. Normally, you’d just realize you either misspelled the method name, or are calling it on the wrong object. Or, maybe you got drunk and deleted it from your class 🙂 However, ActiveRecord has “Dynamic attribute-based finders” (read about them at [http://rails.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Base.html](http://rails.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Base.html)). Basically, you can call Story.find\_by\_permalink as a shortcut for Story.find(:first, :conditions =\> {:permalink =\> ‘foo’}). So, if THIS is failing, it probably means you have no permalink attribute in the model’s database table. Check and make sure it exists, you’re accessing the right DB, migrations have been run, etc etc. The first update\_attribute error supports this assumption as well. – Rick O. [http://lighthouseapp.com](http://lighthouseapp.com) [http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net) [http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com) ---
**Author:** ![zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8e7dd6/32.png) [@zak](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zak)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/question-from-super-novice-regarding-permalink/91583/3 "2007-04-10T19:14:41Z")
Thnx. If my db only has the columns (schema\_info, stories, and votes) should I add a column called “permalink”? Or should the column be another name? -Zak