# Where in the API do I find special column names

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-in-the-api-do-i-find-special-column-names/119747>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 9, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-in-the-api-do-i-find-special-column-names/119747 "2007-11-09T22:53:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/byrnejb)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-in-the-api-do-i-find-special-column-names/119747/1 "2007-11-09T22:53:50Z")

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I am looking at the api (activerecord) for the list of special column  
names (like changed\_at) but I cannot find the appropriate class or  
module. Can someone tell me where to look?

Regards,

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/byrnejb)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-in-the-api-do-i-find-special-column-names/119747/2 "2007-11-09T23:09:38Z")

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James B. pisze:

> I am looking at the api (activerecord) for the list of special column  
> names (like changed\_at) but I cannot find the appropriate class or  
> module. Can someone tell me where to look?
> 
> Regards,  
> have a look at this: [http://rails.raaum.org/database-conventions.html](http://rails.raaum.org/database-conventions.html)  
> don’t know where you can find it in ruby sources.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/d2c977/32.png) [@byrnejb](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/byrnejb)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/where-in-the-api-do-i-find-special-column-names/119747/3 "2007-11-09T23:22:23Z")

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Piotr N. wrote:

> have a look at this: [http://rails.raaum.org/database-conventions.html](http://rails.raaum.org/database-conventions.html)  
> don’t know where you can find it in ruby sources.

Thanks. That is a very helpful reference.

Does anyone know if this list of special column names is exhaustive?

created\_at updated\_on lock\_version  
created\_on updated\_at type  
id #{table\_name}\_count position  
parent\_id lft rgt  
#(table\_name)\_id

Regards,