# Using rails with existing database or adjusting it

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-rails-with-existing-database-or-adjusting-it/129113>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 14, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-rails-with-existing-database-or-adjusting-it/129113 "2008-02-14T14:41:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![giulianov](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@giulianov](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/giulianov)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-rails-with-existing-database-or-adjusting-it/129113/1 "2008-02-14T14:41:00Z")

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Hi,  
I have a php bot that fill a mysql database, and i want to build a web  
app on top of that with rails.  
I have te possibility to change the database structure to adhere to the  
rails convetions (it is still quasi empty)  
If i do that, i will able to use all the rails commodities and  
convetions (as if i build the bot and/or database directly in rails) ?  
You have other suggestions for, or methods to adjust the database ?  
It’ s a good idea do modify it to adhere to the rails convetions ? Or it  
is the same (i mean, if I modify it i will really able to use rails with  
it as if I built it ?).  
Thank you in advance.  
Bye

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![giulianov](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@giulianov](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/giulianov)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-rails-with-existing-database-or-adjusting-it/129113/2 "2008-02-14T15:04:30Z")

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this may depend on many details, so nobody can give you really good  
advice  
but in my experience Rails relies much on naming conventions, eg where  
to use singular or plural forms for names  
most of that can be adjusted, but you may have trouble to find errors,  
when Rails automaticly tries to access some table or field with an  
‘assumed’ name and it will slow down your development process, since  
you’ll have to find out more details how to tell Rails, what fieldames  
to use

if you can adjust it, you should definitely go for that