# Web Databases and Objects **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [July 14, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392 "2007-07-14T04:23:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/1 "2007-07-14T04:23:16Z")
OK…I’m having a mental block. I have a website started with Ruby on Rails. I’ve got this object Hierarchy in mind. the simple “it’s a database” stuff is fine.but when it comes to the Arrays of Hashes that make up some of the objects within the custom class.the relationship to the database and what happens when I close down the environment (and in future want to start up site.) So how do I Save and retrieve that stuff? do I have to do the Object/Relational mapping myself or do I depend on the “serialize” function/method for the class? the examples I’ve seen don’t have a user create and populate a complex object and then save and retrieve it…things that are saved and retrieved seem pretty simple—though there are lots of instantiations and work live—but I need to create a datastore that gets extended and hit with queries—Am I going to have to recreate and repopulate via “deserialize” ? I imagine the answer is obvious—but it eludes my feeble mind… Help? cj:-) ---
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/2 "2007-07-14T04:50:19Z")
On Jul 13, 2007, at 9:22 PM, Craig J. wrote: > the simple “it’s a database” stuff is fine.but when it comes to > > save and retrieve it…things that are saved and retrieved seem pretty > > I imagine the answer is obvious—but it eludes my feeble mind… > > Help? > > cj:-) Rails is BIG. Take it slowly. I’m still struggling with it too. There are some good books on it. Work through them. It takes time for the details to start sinking in. Don’t rush yourself. Rails comes with the stigma of fast development, but the part about learning curve is often lost in the hype. I’m frustrated with it myself, but the reality is, a framework takes time to learn AND it pays off in the end because it’s better than building all of that functionality yourself. in the meantime, check out streamlined… John J. ---
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/3 "2007-07-14T05:05:21Z")
John, appreciate your shot at it… But—(and I don’t’ want to be a “Joe” here…) if anyone has build a site/ruby app which creates and manipulates complex object classes (things that have Arrays, or Hashes within their Class definitions)… How did you store those things in the database… for example … if I have a recipe which has Steps which have ingredients tied to those steps I might want to create an array of Steps, each of which can have both Actions and an array of ingredients… But…once a user has put in the receipe…and I’ve populated all those objects within the instance… I want to save it… How? throw me some ideas… I’m thinking that I have to serialize the class…and that is what’s needed. cj:) ---
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/4 "2007-07-14T12:55:51Z")
On Jul 13, 2007, at 10:04 PM, Craig J. wrote: > create an array of Steps, each of which can have both Actions and > > > So how do I Save and retrieve that stuff? do I have to do the After creating your database schema, usually using script/generate migration migration\_name, If you run the old ruby script/generate scaffold You’ll be faced with a simple CRUD application. It includes the pretty standard Rails naming of methods in the controllers, it’s in all of the tutorials online and elsewhere. It is a bit cryptic as there isn’t an explicit ‘save by clicking here’ or anything, but basically, the controllers talk to active record and do SQL for you. SQL doesn’t really do a ‘save’ as such, it saves as soon as the record is created, the two are one and the same. If you follow the conventions of Rails (I’m still learning them myself, there is a lot to keep in your head) naming conventions and what not, things should be saved and available the next time. The only thing to really shut down is the database and the server. If the controllers, models, views and database are set up correctly, your data should be saved. I’m going to recommend the Sitepoint book Build Your Own Ruby On Rails Applications, I just bought it today… based on a recommendation or two that gave it high marks for going into details like this. I’m also trying to get details like this, but different. I’ll be reading it tomorrow and if I find something clearer, I’ll let you know. You could also try the Rails list but I’ve found it’s not too beginner friendly sometimes. It’s pretty geared (like many of the books) toward people that have built web apps in other languages before. ---
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/5 "2007-07-14T17:27:10Z")
Thanks. This be useful… I figured it was a “duh” moment coming… Will try it out… thanks again… ---
**Author:** ![cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cpjolicoeur](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cpjolicoeur)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/web-databases-and-objects/109392/6 "2007-07-14T05:21:22Z")
On 7/13/07, Craig J. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > create an array of Steps, each of which can have both Actions and > an array of ingredients… > But…once a user has put in the receipe…and I’ve populated all those > objects within the instance… > I want to save it… > How? > > throw me some ideas… > I’m thinking that I have to serialize the class…and that is what’s needed. Do you have a relational model already designed? Like, for example, with recipes, you might have create table recipes ( id int, name varchar, primary key id ); create table steps ( id int, number int, recipe\_id int, ingredient\_id int, primary key id ); create table ingredients ( id int, name varchar, primary key id ); Note, that’s just a hack-up. A real model would be more complex, and would warrant constraints. But anyway, in Rails, these tables would become classes that can become instantiated upon querying the database. Now, if you really just want to serialize data, then you wouldn’t really need a relational database at all. You would, however, lose the power of the database for queries and data integrity. hth a little, Todd