update_all(updates) public

Updates all records in the current relation with details given. This method constructs a single SQL UPDATE statement and sends it straight to the database. It does not instantiate the involved models and it does not trigger Active Record callbacks or validations. Values passed to `update_all` will not go through ActiveRecord’s type-casting behavior. It should receive only values that can be passed as-is to the SQL database.

Parameters

  • updates - A string, array, or hash representing the SET part of an SQL statement.

Examples

# Update all customers with the given attributes
Customer.update_all wants_email: true

# Update all books with 'Rails' in their title
Book.where('title LIKE ?', '%Rails%').update_all(author: 'David')

# Update all books that match conditions, but limit it to 5 ordered by date
Book.where('title LIKE ?', '%Rails%').order(:created_at).limit(5).update_all(author: 'David')
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March 23, 2011
5 thanks

Timestamps

Note that ActiveRecord will not update the timestamp fields (updated_at/updated_on) when using update_all().

December 10, 2010 - (>= v3.0.0)
3 thanks

complex conditions

If you need add complex conditions you can use this:

Model.where(:foo => 'bar').where(:attr => 1).update_all("author = 'David'")
October 1, 2013
1 thank

Update multiple attributes with raw sql

You can update multiple attributes with sql for each record being updated by using the following syntax:

example

Model.update_all("foo = 'bar', baz = 'bat'")
June 17, 2011
1 thank

bug's fixed, though

in 3.1.0. it works in sqlite3 even, via nested query

but 3.0.3, 3.0.7-9 all broken

June 15, 2011
1 thank

bug?

beware, update_all silently ignores :limit and :order option in 3.0.8.

I’ve fixed my code temporarily with

update_all "foo=1 where #{myscope.where_values} limit 1"