belongs_to association in Rails

Methods

class Book < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :author
end

Book class will gain 5 methods related to association

author
author=(association)
build_author(attributes: {})
create_author(attributes: {})
create_author!(attributes: {})

Options

1. auto_save

2. class_name

3. counter_cache

class Author < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :books 
end 

class Book < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :author, counter_cache: true
end 

when asking value for @author.books.size, counter_cache avoid perform query COUNT(*) to database multiple times by save size value to cache.

actual column must be added to the associated (has_many) model. You would need to add column books_count to the Author model.

4. dependent

• :destroy associated objects to also be destroyed
• :delete_all associated objects to also be deleted from database (callbacks are not executed)
• :nullify foreign_key keys to be set NULL (callbacks are not executed)
• :restricted_with_exception causes an exception to be raised if there are associated records
• :restricted_with_error causes an error to the owner if there are associated objects

  5. foreign_key

  lets you set the name of foreign_key directly.

  6. inverse_of

  7. polymorphic

  8. touch

  if you set option touch: true, whenever associated be added or destroyed, updated_at or updated_on will be set to current time

  9. validate

  if you set option validate: true, whenever object is save, then associated object will be validated.

  10. optional

  if option optional: true. the presence of associated object will not be validated.

  Scopes

1. where

let you specify the conditions that associated object must meet

class Book < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :author, ->{where active: true}, dependent: :destroy
end

2. includes

class LineItem < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :book
end
 
class Book < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :author
  has_many :line_items
end
 
class Author < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :books
end

If you frequently retrieve directly authors from line items (@line_items.book.author), you can make your code more efficiently by add includes

class LineItem < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :book, -> { includes :author }
end
 
class Book < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :author
  has_many :line_items
end
 
class Author < ApplicationRecord
  has_many :books
end

3. readonly

4. select

Assign any object to the belongs_to association doesn’t automatically save the object.