# Rails 2.3 Model.touch(:column) always also updates :updated\_at? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [October 16, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403 "2009-10-16T13:59:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/1 "2009-10-16T13:59:37Z")
Hi, Am I the only one (i.e. something I do is wrong), or does the touch- method always update updated\_at, even though giving it a column to use INSTEAD is meant to update just that column??? Thanks, Michael ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/2 "2009-10-16T15:19:13Z")
On Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 4:57 AM, [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) \< [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)\> wrote: > Michael, is the attribute that you’re passing to the touch method a field of type datetime or date? If not, then it only makes sense that field that you’re passing to the touch method is one of those. Good luck, -Conrad ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/3 "2009-10-16T15:19:13Z")
> Michael, is the attribute that you’re passing to the touch method a field of > type datetime or date? If not, then it only makes > sense that field that you’re passing to the touch method is one of those. It is “datetime”. But anyway, just looking at the code for “touch” I can’t see how it’s is supposed to NOT always write updated\_at - it uses write\_attribute which as far as I found out only changes the in-memory object, there must be a “save” somewhere else and that goe4s through the usual validations etc. There’s a lighthouse ticket for “touch” calling for it not to do validations ([Activity - rails](https://rails.lighthouseapp.com/projects/) 8994-ruby-on-rails/tickets/2520-patch-activerecordtouch-without- validations). ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/4 "2009-10-16T15:19:48Z")
In the mean time, can you work around this issue with something like: Create a separate table with a 1:1 relationship to your current table Migrate the field you want to touch to the new table. Touch the field in that table, which will leave the updated\_at field in your original table alone. You could even make the new table without the timestamps fields, if you wanted. –wpd ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/5 "2009-10-16T16:20:06Z")
So… I put it all into the mySQL triggers now. Saves a lot of ActiveRecord overhead anyway, and keeps this very low-level issue/ optimization away from the “business logic” of the application. ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rails-2-3-model-touch-column-always-also-updates-updated-at/177403/6 "2009-10-16T15:23:19Z")
Well, I’m using separate timestamps for associated objects as an aid for cache-key generation, to avoid throwing out too many cache entries needlessly. I could look at the updated\_at of the associated items themselves - but guess what, I want to save database queries 🙂 So adding another table is not quite the way. I consider writing my own (SQL-based!) method, especially after finding out through the lighthouse ticket mentioned previously that all the validations are called. I have quite a few triggers and procedures in the database already anyway doing stuff behind rails’ back, I would just like to limit those to certain critical areas, and a (non-frequent) timestamp update wasn’t on my list of things to do through trigger rather than through actvierecord. Thanks, Michael On Oct 16, 3:06 pm, Patrick D. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: … > Create a separate table with a 1:1 relationship to your current table > …