# Using data from results of a query

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-data-from-results-of-a-query/104853>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 23, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-data-from-results-of-a-query/104853 "2007-05-23T07:53:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**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:** [May 23, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-data-from-results-of-a-query/104853/1 "2007-05-23T07:53:11Z")

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Hello,

I have a query that returns a number and I want to use that number  
after that.

Could you please let me know how to access the data.

I fire the query like:

numscens = Progression.find\_by\_sql(“select numscenarios from  
progressions where id = #{params[:progressionid]}”)

How can I access and use the numscenarios returned by the query that  
is part of my numscens variable now.

If I do a numscens.to\_xml I get:

\<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?\> 2 

Still I cannot figure out how to access that number in numscenarios  
tag.

I want to do if (numscens == 1) do this else that…

Apologies for the novice question.

Many Thanks,  
Aman