Added none query method to return zero records.

And added NullRelation class implementing the null object pattern for the `Relation` class.

activerecord/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 ## Rails 4.0.0 (unreleased) ##
 
+*   Implemented ActiveRecord::Relation#none method
+
+    The `none` method returns a chainable relation with zero records
+    (an instance of the NullRelation class).
+
+    Any subsequent condition chained to the returned relation will continue
+    generating an empty relation and will not fire any query to the database.
+
+    *Juanjo Bazán*
+
+*   Added the `ActiveRecord::NullRelation` class implementing the null
+    object pattern for the Relation class. *Juanjo Bazán*
+
 *   Added deprecation for the `:dependent => :restrict` association option.
 
     Please note:

activerecord/lib/active_record.rb

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     autoload :AutosaveAssociation
 
     autoload :Relation
+    autoload :NullRelation
 
     autoload_under 'relation' do
       autoload :QueryMethods

activerecord/lib/active_record/null_relation.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+module ActiveRecord
+  # = Active Record Null Relation
+  class NullRelation < Relation
+    def exec_queries
+      @records = []
+    end
+  end
+end

activerecord/lib/active_record/querying.rb

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module Querying
     delegate :find_each, :find_in_batches, :to => :scoped
     delegate :select, :group, :order, :except, :reorder, :limit, :offset, :joins,
              :where, :preload, :eager_load, :includes, :from, :lock, :readonly,
-             :having, :create_with, :uniq, :references, :to => :scoped
+             :having, :create_with, :uniq, :references, :none, :to => :scoped
     delegate :count, :average, :minimum, :maximum, :sum, :calculate, :pluck, :to => :scoped
 
     # Executes a custom SQL query against your database and returns all the results. The results will

activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/query_methods.rb

@@ -196,6 +196,39 @@ def lock(locks = true)
       relation
     end
 
+    # Returns a chainable relation with zero records, specifically an
+    # instance of the NullRelation class.
+    #
+    # The returned NullRelation inherits from Relation and implements the
+    # Null Object pattern so it is an object with defined null behavior:
+    # it always returns an empty array of records and avoids any database query.
+    #
+    # Any subsequent condition chained to the returned relation will continue
+    # generating an empty relation and will not fire any query to the database.
+    #
+    # Used in cases where is needed a method or a scope that could return zero
+    # results but the response has to be chainable.
+    #
+    # For example:
+    #
+    #   @posts = current_user.visible_posts.where(:name => params[:name])
+    #   # => the visible_post method response has to be a chainable Relation
+    #
+    #   def visible_posts
+    #     case role
+    #     if 'Country Manager'
+    #       Post.where(:country => country)
+    #     if 'Reviewer'
+    #       Post.published
+    #     if 'Bad User'
+    #       Post.none # => returning [] instead breaks the previous code
+    #     end
+    #   end
+    #
+    def none
+      NullRelation.new(@klass, @table)
+    end
+
     def readonly(value = true)
       relation = clone
       relation.readonly_value = value

activerecord/test/cases/relations_test.rb

@@ -215,6 +215,19 @@ def test_select_with_block
     assert_equal [2, 4, 6, 8, 10], even_ids.sort
   end
 
+  def test_none
+    assert_no_queries do
+      assert_equal [], Developer.none
+      assert_equal [], Developer.scoped.none
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_none_chainable
+    assert_no_queries do
+      assert_equal [], Developer.none.where(:name => 'David')
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_joins_with_nil_argument
     assert_nothing_raised { DependentFirm.joins(nil).first }
   end