# Session modify user updated\_at **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 18, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544 "2009-06-18T18:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Sean_McGilvray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544/1 "2009-06-18T18:32:47Z")
I have a system that uses sessions for users to display their personalized site. I want to modify the updated\_at field in the database when ever their personal account is viewed. Any ideas? Thank you, Sean McGilvray ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Sean_McGilvray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544/2 "2009-06-18T19:46:42Z")
Personally I’d use a last\_visited field instead, since the record wasn’t actually updated. That said, maybe this will help for what you’re asking to do: > **[hacking activerecord’s automatic timestamps](https://blog.evanweaver.com/2006/12/26/hacking-activerecords-automatic-timestamps/)** > > ActiveRecord’s automatic timestamping is handy. But what if we want some attributes to be exempt? Here’s how.why do we need this? Say we have a full-text search client that periodically updates the… On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 11:32 AM, Sean McGilvray [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > I have a system that uses sessions for users to display their > personalized site. I want to modify the updated\_at field in the > database when ever their personal account is viewed. Any ideas? > > Thank you, > > Sean McGilvray > > > – Christopher W. removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid 612.424.9880 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Sean_McGilvray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544/3 "2009-06-18T19:56:06Z")
How would you implement the last\_visited? Sean McGilvray Executive Recruiter Identity Theft Specialist Pre-Paid Legal Service’s, Inc. NYSE:PPD Phone: 760-486-1019 removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://www.transferhome.net](http://www.transferhome.net) On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 9:55 AM, Christopher W. \< ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Sean_McGilvray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544/4 "2009-06-18T20:37:10Z")
You say you’d like to track when their account was last viewed. Do you mean viewed by the user, or viewed by someone else? That said, if it’s by the user, update last\_visited when the user logs in. If it’s someone else, update last\_visited when the view is loaded to show that user’s information. You could run in to some trouble with that if you start doing page caching, though. On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 12:54 PM, Sean McGilvray [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > > – Christopher W. removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid 612.424.9880 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sean\_McGilvray](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Sean_McGilvray)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-modify-user-updated-at/170544/5 "2009-06-19T01:22:03Z")
On Jun 18, 6:54 pm, Sean McGilvray [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > How would you implement the last\_visited? As Sean says, it sounds like you’re looking for a field that’s somewhat different to what updated\_at is supposed to represent. To track the visit information, you could add a last\_visited datetime to your model. You would add the code: @user.update\_attribute(:last\_visited, Time::now) to the action that you wanted to record access to. You can also do the same with the updated\_at field if you prefer. -Matt