# ROR on top of a non-SQL database

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 21, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528 "2009-05-21T23:24:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/1 "2009-05-21T23:24:44Z")

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Hi All  
So I have a database called OpenAccess (used for describing electrical  
objects like transistors etc.) and I’d like to put Rails on top of  
it.  
First question is “Is this possible?” i.e. can you put ActiveRecord  
(or some component thereof) on top of a non-SQL database, then have  
access to most of the rails goodness?

Thanks much  
Kretch

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**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 1:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/2 "2009-05-22T13:39:35Z")

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Kretch Kretchmer wrote:

> Hi All  
> So I have a database called OpenAccess (used for describing electrical  
> objects like transistors etc.) and I’d like to put Rails on top of  
> it.  
> First question is “Is this possible?” i.e. can you put ActiveRecord  
> (or some component thereof) on top of a non-SQL database, then have  
> access to most of the rails goodness?

I don’t know offhand how to do this but it should be possible: there are  
people using Rails with CouchDB, and with Amazon’s SimpleDB (the  
SimpleRecord library).

> Thanks much  
> Kretch

## Best,

Marnen Laibow-Koser  
[http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/3 "2009-05-22T17:52:29Z")

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Marnen Laibow-Koser wrote:

> I don’t know offhand how to do this but it should be possible: there are  
> people using Rails with CouchDB, and with Amazon’s SimpleDB (the  
> SimpleRecord library).

Yes you can, just not with ActiveRecord without creating your own  
intermediate layer.

–  
Roderick van Domburg  
[http://www.nedforce.com](http://www.nedforce.com)

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**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/4 "2009-05-22T19:13:16Z")

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So SimpleDB is a drop-in replacement for ActiveRecord? Or does is sit  
between ActiveRecord and the Amazon Simple DB?

Thanks much  
Kretch

On May 22, 8:52 am, Roderick van Domburg \<rails-mailing-l…@andreas-

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/5 "2009-05-22T19:12:05Z")

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Thanks Marnen-  
The SimpleDB example is very interesting, and looks like it could be  
applicable to my problem. Thank you for pointing me in that direction!

regards  
Kretch

On May 22, 4:39 am, Marnen Laibow-Koser \<rails-mailing-l…@andreas-

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kretch](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kretch)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ror-on-top-of-a-non-sql-database/168528/6 "2009-06-30T04:47:29Z")

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We’ve built a drop in replacement for ActiveRecord called  
SimpleRecord:

[http://code.google.com/p/simple-record/](http://code.google.com/p/simple-record/)

Just make your models extend SimpleRecord::Base instead of  
ActiveRecord::Base and you’re good to go.

Travis