# Why default to plural controller in generate scaffold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [November 15, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810 "2005-11-15T03:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/1 "2005-11-15T03:27:09Z")
from ‘generate scaffold’: “If a controller name is not given, the plural form of the model name will be used. The model and controller names may be given in CamelCase or under\_score and should not be suffixed with ‘Model’ or ‘Controller’. Both model and controller names may be prefixed with a module like a file path; see the Modules Example for usage.” Isn’t this the complete opposite of the whole singularization philosophy? I thought controllers were supposed to be singular. But it doesn’t work anyhow: > generate scaffold Abc > You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! > You might have expected an instance of Array. > The error occured while evaluating nil.include? csn * * * Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. [http://farechase.yahoo.com](http://farechase.yahoo.com) ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/2 "2005-11-15T04:12:15Z")
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Nov 14, 2005, at 6:25 PM, CSN wrote: > Isn’t this the complete opposite of the whole > singularization philosophy? I thought controllers were > supposed to be singular. Not sure about that. Explain? > But it doesn’t work anyhow: > > > generate scaffold Abc > > You have a nil object when you didn’t expect it! > > You might have expected an instance of Array. > > The error occured while evaluating nil.include? This bug has been fixed in the next release. Please specify both model and controller name: script/generate scaffold Abc Abc jeremy -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDeVHkAQHALep9HFYRAhlHAKDdvBy4dYxrAjrNZBihiKlsHgdq4QCdFQuR jq+6qzPF0i3HmT0s1omyddg= =Ehvk -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/3 "2005-11-15T04:21:16Z")
— Jeremy K. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > names may be given in CamelCase or under\_score and > > were > > supposed to be singular. > > Not sure about that. Explain? Everything I’ve read in Rails states that tables should be singularized when creating models and controllers, e.g. items table → Item controller, Item model. Seems like the default should be to create a singular model. Or at least match the inflection of the controller. csn * * * Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors’ Choice 2005 > **[\[object](https://mail.yahoo.com/)** > > \[object ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/4 "2005-11-15T06:09:29Z")
On 11/14/05, CSN [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > form of > > > > > > > model. Seems like the default should be to create a > Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors’ Choice 2005 > [http://mail.yahoo.com](http://mail.yahoo.com) > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) While it’s true that Rails defaults would lead you to have an items table → Item model, I don’t believe I’ve heard anyone apply the same convention to controller names. As far as I’ve seen, most people seem to use singular/plural controller names interchangeably, depending on the specific case, and what they prefer. Gabe ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/5 "2005-11-15T06:12:30Z")
On 11/14/05, Gabe B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > > “If a controller name is not given, the plural > > > > usage.” > > > > controllers, e.g. items table → Item controller, Item > > > > * * * > > convention to controller names. As far as I’ve seen, most people seem > to use singular/plural controller names interchangeably, depending on > the specific case, and what they prefer. > > Gabe “Interchangeably” might have been a poor choice of words; that implies someone might use both singular and plural forms to refer to the same controller. Of course, I meant that someone might use the singular form for one controller name (i.e. ItemsController), and the plural form for another (i.e. BlogController). 🙂 Gabe ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/6 "2005-11-15T10:22:30Z")
> Of course, I meant that someone might use the singular > form for one controller name (i.e. ItemsController), and the plural > form for another (i.e. BlogController). I prefer the other way around 😉 Plural = ItemsController Singular = BlogController Craig ---
**Author:** ![cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cool\_screen\_name900](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cool_screen_name900)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/why-default-to-plural-controller-in-generate-scaffold/61810/7 "2005-11-15T15:47:48Z")
On 11/15/05, Craig W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Craig W. | web: [http://xeriom.net/](http://xeriom.net/) | Monkey see, monkey do: Okay. > [Xeriom.NET](http://Xeriom.NET) | tel: +44 (0)131 516 8595 | Monkey top post: Bad monkey. > > * * * > > Rails mailing list > removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid > [http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails](http://lists.rubyonrails.org/mailman/listinfo/rails) Hmm. Now that you mention it, I think I like your way better. 🙂 Gabe