generate model vs generate scaffold: wrong singularization for 'data' in rails 3.2.5?

[fredrated]

In my application I have a table named 'tc_data'. In the original creation of my (first) rails application I used 'rails generate scaffold tc_data field_list_here...'.
'rake db:migrate' resulted in: TABLE NAME 'tc_data', MODEL NAME TcDatum, MODEL FILE NAME tc_datum.rb.
As I hone my application toward it's beta release I rebuilt it and decided to use 'rails generate model tc_data field_list_here' since this table is used by the application but does not need web interface access.
'rake db:migrate' resulted in: TABLE NAME 'tc_data', MODEL NAME TcData, MODEL FILE NAME tc_data.rb.

I am using postgreSQL as my database engine.

It would seem that there is a code difference between 'generate scaffold' and 'generate model' in generating the table and model names.

Since this could cause a wrong convention-based reference to the table or model, I will recreate the table using 'rails generate scaffold'.

[rafaelfranca]

If you need to change the signalization you need to change the inflection in your application.

[fredrated]

I shouldn't need to change singularization since I reran the 'generate'
as 'generate scaffold' instead of 'generate model'.

The issue I thought might exist is: if rails convention expects the
model name to be 'TcDatum' and 'rails generate model' instead creates a
model named 'TcData' then parts of rails that expect to interact with
the model using the name 'TcDatum' would fail because the model name is
instead 'TcData'.

If in the process of producing the model, rails stores somewhere the
model name it created with 'generate model', then uses that lookup when
it needs to refer to the model, then it won't matter if the model name
is 'TcDatum' or 'TcData.

On the other hand, if rails needs to access the model and generates the
model name on-the-fly based on rails convention, then it will fail
because the 'convention' name is TcDatum but the model name is 'TcData.

Since I don't know the inner workings of rails I don't know which of
the two above rails uses, but with all of the talk of 'convention over
configuration', I figured that this non-conventional name (TcData)
produced by 'generate model' could break a rails application.

Fred Parkinson
Application Programmer
Association of Bay Area Governments
510-464-7931

Rafael Mendonça
Françareply@reply.github.com
06/15/2012 9:15 AM >>>
If you need to change the signalization you need to change the
inflection in your application.

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#6746 (comment)

[rafaelfranca]

rails g model expects a singular name. If you run rails g model articles it will generate a model called Articles
rails g scaffold expects a singular name too, but if you run with a plural name it will output:

Plural version of the model detected, using singularized version. Override with --force-plural.

If you run rails g scaffold articles it will output that and generate a model called Article

data is a plural of datum so it will generate the Datum model. You need to pass the --force-plural option.

But, you will get:

The name 'Data' is either already used in your application or reserved by Ruby on Rails. Please choose an alternative and run this generator again.

Because Data is reserved to the Ruby on Rails.

[fredrated]

Thanks for your reply, this makes sense.

I guess I was being sloppy when I did 'rails generate ..' with
singulars 'tc_employee', 'tc_project' etc., then deviated from that with
the plural 'rails generate .. tc_data'.
'rails generate scaffold tc_data' produced the same output as the
(singular) others: plural table name, singular model name, so it works
for me.

Now that I understand it better, I will always use the singular name
when using the generators.

Fred Parkinson
Application Programmer
Association of Bay Area Governments
510-464-7931

Rafael Mendonça
Françareply@reply.github.com
06/15/2012 9:48 AM >>>
rails g model expects a singular name. If you run rails g model articles it will generate a model called Articles
rails g scaffold expects a singular name too, but if you run with a
plural name it will output:

Plural version of the model detected, using singularized version.
Override with --force-plural.

If you run rails g scaffold articles it will output that and generate
a model called Article

data is a plural of datum so it will generate the Datum model.
You need to pass the --force-plural option.

But, you will get:

The name 'Data' is either already used in your application or reserved
by Ruby on Rails. Please choose an alternative and run this generator
again.

Because Data is reserved to the Ruby on Rails.

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