# Remove instance of model and its associations **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 5, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282 "2008-07-05T23:22:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/1 "2008-07-05T23:22:43Z")
I’m a newb with a quick question. I have a model class Call has\_many :visits and class Visit belongs\_to :call If I delete a call will it automatically delete the associated visits?? Any help will be greatly appreciated ---
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/2 "2008-07-06T00:19:26Z")
On Jul 5, 2008, at 5:22 PM, THEBIGO wrote: > I’m a newb with a quick question. > > I have a model > class Call > has\_many :visits > has\_many :visits, :dependent =\> :destroy this should do the trick. Best. Mike ---
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/3 "2008-07-06T00:26:27Z")
On Jul 5, 2008, at 5:22 PM, THEBIGO wrote: > If I delete a call will it automatically delete the associated > visits?? Sorry, I was too quick on the draw with the last email. The association you have will not delete the visits. The last message I posted will destroy associated visits when you destroy the call. If you don’t want AR callbacks to fire on the associated vists you can use has\_many :visits, :dependent =\> :delete\_all Best. Mike ---
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/4 "2008-07-06T00:38:08Z")
Mike - Thank you for your response so I take it that if I have say 20 calls and call with call.id = 5 and if there are say 11 visits with various visit.id’s but with their call\_id = 5 linking them to the above call then when I execute the delete action for call with id=5 then it will be deleted along with it’s 11 visits then I should use the first one you said has\_many :visits, :dependent =\> :destroy ??? Thanks again ---
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/5 "2008-07-06T00:45:43Z")
On Jul 5, 2008, at 6:37 PM, THEBIGO wrote: > Mike - Thank you for your response so I take it that if I have say 20 > calls and call with call.id = 5 and if > there are say 11 visits with various visit.id’s but with their call\_id > = 5 linking them to the above call > then when I execute the delete action for call with id=5 then it will > be deleted along with it’s 11 visits > then I should use the first one you said > > has\_many :visits, :dependent =\> :destroy ??? From the API > **[ActiveRecord::Associations::ClassMethods](https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Associations/ClassMethods.html)** > > Associations are a set of macro-like class methods for tying objects together through foreign keys. : dependent - If set to :destroy all the associated objects are destroyed alongside this object by calling their destroy method. If set to :delete\_all all associated objects are deleted without calling their destroy method. If set to :nullify all associated objects’ foreign keys are set to NULL without calling their save callbacks. _Warning:_ This option is ignored when also using the :through option. Best. Mike ---
**Author:** ![THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@THEBIGO](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/THEBIGO)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/remove-instance-of-model-and-its-associations/142282/6 "2008-07-06T01:03:50Z")
Thank you mike so very much - it worked like a charm. One more itteration complete Owen