method

method_missing

v1.2.6 - Show latest stable - Class: ActiveRecord::Base

method_missing(method_id, *args, &block)

private

Allows access to the object attributes, which are held in the @attributes hash, as were they first-class methods. So a Person class with a name attribute can use Person#name and Person#name= and never directly use the attributes hash — except for multiple assigns with ActiveRecord#attributes=. A Milestone class can also ask Milestone#completed? to test that the completed attribute is not nil or 0.

It’s also possible to instantiate related objects, so a Client class belonging to the clients table with a master_id foreign key can instantiate master through Client#master.

# File activerecord/lib/active_record/base.rb, line 1846
      def method_missing(method_id, *args, &block)
        method_name = method_id.to_s
        if @attributes.include?(method_name) or
            (md = /\?$/.match(method_name) and
            @attributes.include?(query_method_name = md.pre_match) and
            method_name = query_method_name)
          define_read_methods if self.class.read_methods.empty? && self.class.generate_read_methods
          md ? query_attribute(method_name) : read_attribute(method_name)
        elsif self.class.primary_key.to_s == method_name
          id
        elsif md = self.class.match_attribute_method?(method_name)
          attribute_name, method_type = md.pre_match, md.to_s
          if @attributes.include?(attribute_name)
            __send__("attribute#{method_type}", attribute_name, *args, &block)
          else
            super
          end
        else
          super
        end
      end

1Note

See documentation for the class method

bquorning · Feb 25, 2010

Since Rails version 2, this instance method no longer exists.

You may be looking for its namesake class method, ActiveRecord::Base.method_missing

method_missing

1Note

See documentation for the class method

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