# Text columns

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/text-columns/68880>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [September 16, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/text-columns/68880 "2006-09-16T06:55:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/text-columns/68880/1 "2006-09-16T06:55:57Z")

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Ok, this is probably a stupid question: how to handle mysql text  
columns in rails?

\<%= @foo.text\_column\_name %\> returns ###

\<%= @foo.send(‘text\_column\_name’) %\> returns #

Using the scaffold-generated edit view, I see the text but saving it  
returns “expected and got string”.

I need to store text longer than 255 chars, so varchar won’t work  
(until we upgrade mysql…)

I know it’s something simple…

Thanks

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/text-columns/68880/2 "2006-09-16T12:54:17Z")

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> Ok, this is probably a stupid question: how to handle mysql text  
> columns in rails?
> 
> \<%= @foo.text\_column\_name %\> returns ###
> 
> \<%= @foo.send(‘text\_column\_name’) %\> returns #

I’ll be honest: I don’t completely understand the situation. Where is  
@foo assigned a value?

Also, you might just find that there is better support for  
Rails-specific problems (if that ends up being the case) on the  
[RubyOnRails.org](http://RubyOnRails.org) mailing list, rather than here. Or, you can get on IRC  
and talk it up on #rubyonrails. You’ll find that we mainly deal with  
non-Rails stuff.

M.T.

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**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/text-columns/68880/3 "2006-09-16T20:10:54Z")

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thanks, i’ve moved the question over to the rails group.