# Storing BigDecimal in the db **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [May 25, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/storing-bigdecimal-in-the-db/61576 "2006-05-25T05:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pergesu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/storing-bigdecimal-in-the-db/61576/1 "2006-05-25T05:19:06Z")
I need to do some precise math, going to 12-14 decimal places, so I’m using BigDecimal. How can I store this in a db? I’m using postgresql 8.1.0, if that matters at all. I found a plugin [1] but it gives me the error “You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! The error occurred while evaluating nil.each\_pair,” with no line number. The plugin itself never calls #each\_pair, so it has to be somewhere inside Rails or the postgres adapter. I’m using Rails 1.1.2 and the postgres 0.7.1 adapter. Pat ---
**Author:** ![pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pergesu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/storing-bigdecimal-in-the-db/61576/2 "2006-05-25T06:58:38Z")
On 5/24/06, Pat M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I found a plugin [1] Hrm, referenced a link and forgot to include it. [1] [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/2006-April/033425.html](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/pipermail/rails/2006-April/033425.html) ---
**Author:** ![pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pergesu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/storing-bigdecimal-in-the-db/61576/3 "2006-05-25T15:04:12Z")
On Thursday 25 May 2006 04:16, Pat M. wrote: > I need to do some precise math, going to 12-14 decimal places, so I’m > using BigDecimal. How can I store this in a db? I’m using postgresql > 8.1.0, if that matters at all. I found a plugin [1] but it gives me > the error “You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! The error > occurred while evaluating nil.each\_pair,” with no line number. The > plugin itself never calls #each\_pair, so it has to be somewhere inside > Rails or the postgres adapter. I’m using Rails 1.1.2 and the postgres > 0.7.1 adapter. Hi Pat I wrote that 🙂 Can you be more specific about what you are trying to do? Maybe I can help track down the issue. Ashley ---
**Author:** ![pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@pergesu](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pergesu)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/storing-bigdecimal-in-the-db/61576/4 "2006-05-25T16:29:51Z")
On 5/25/06, Ashley M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hi Pat > > - Gregory Chudnovsky > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) Hey Ashley, I’m using Duane J.'s column\_comments plugin [1], and that’s where the error popped up. I’m not entirely sure why the error occurs, as I just wrapped the problem code in an “unless cols.nil?..end” block. Anyway it’s nothing wrong with your plugin. Now schema dumps actually work 🙂 Thanks for doing this, and I’ll look into the column\_comments plugin and get a solution for Duane. Pat [1] [http://blog.inquirylabs.com/2006/04/27/columncomments-rails-plugin/](http://blog.inquirylabs.com/2006/04/27/columncomments-rails-plugin/)