# Using an ActiveRecord model in routes.rb

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-an-activerecord-model-in-routes-rb/192288>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 27, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-an-activerecord-model-in-routes-rb/192288 "2010-07-27T19:37:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![asetzler](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@asetzler](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asetzler)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-an-activerecord-model-in-routes-rb/192288/1 "2010-07-27T19:37:17Z")

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Is it potentially dangerous to use an ActiveRecord model in routes.rb?

Here’s a line from our routes.rb file:

> map.resources :registrations, :requirements =\> { :id =\> User::USERNAME\_REGEXP }  
> Registration#to\_param returns the User’s username.  
> User::USERNAME\_REGEXP is just a regex that matches one or more valid  
> username characters.

This route works as expected, but my concern is that using an  
ActiveRecord model in the routes file is loading it prematurely and  
could cause problems somehow.

This is all in Rails 2.3.8, REE 1.8.7 2010.02.