# \[RoR\],\[C.L.R\] How I convert an AR-Class-name to a symbol?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 20, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240 "2007-02-20T21:21:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/1 "2007-02-20T21:21:59Z")

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People,

I’m looking for a method to convert an AR-Class-name to a symbol.

Something like this:

AppServerType.class\_name\_to\_symbol  
=\> :app\_server\_type

Also I’m looking for this:

:app\_server\_type.symbol\_to\_class\_name  
=\> “AppServerType”

I’m sure this code sits in rails somewhere.

I can see evidence of its use all over the place but  
I’m not tuned-in enough to find it.

I tried to find some clues here:

[http://api.rubyonrails.org](http://api.rubyonrails.org)

But, I see too much info there.

-Peter

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**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/2 "2007-02-20T21:56:36Z")

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Peter,

Check out the Inflector module.

Wes

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/3 "2007-02-21T00:32:26Z")

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MyModel.name.underscore.to\_sym  
=\> :my\_model

:my\_model.to\_s.camelize.constantize  
=\> MyModel

On Feb 20, 8:56 pm, Wes G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/4 "2007-09-25T23:05:36Z")

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> I tried to find some clues here:
> 
> [http://api.rubyonrails.org](http://api.rubyonrails.org)

This is a good place to look too:  
[http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/](http://www.ruby-doc.org/core/)

Take a look at the to\_sym method for the String class and the to\_s  
method for the Symbol class.

“hello”.to\_sym =\> :hello  
:hello.to\_s =\> “hello”

Aaron

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/5 "2007-09-25T23:11:57Z")

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Hi there…

“AppServer”.tableize

#=\> “app\_servers”

close enough… ?

jason.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@splattael](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/splattael)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-c-l-r-how-i-convert-an-ar-class-name-to-a-symbol/86240/6 "2007-09-25T23:10:22Z")

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Thanks!

Now I’m curious about how to change:  
“AppServer”  
to  
“app\_server”

-Peter