Re: [Rails] Not updating the updated_at field

On 24 October 2012 11:02, Peter Hickman <peterhickman386@googlemail.com> wrote:
> The problem is that the updated_at field is useful for other functions
> but the last_seen field being updated is causing the updated_at field
> to update and records are being processed if they have been updated
> since the system was last checked (I hope I explained that correctly).
> Basically the records are being polled for changes based on the
> updated_at time. The last_seen field is causing the records to appear
> to be updated when they are not, at least not in any way that we are
> interested in.
>
> Creating a 'real_updated_at' field would be confusing by itself and
> require code changes to make sure that it always gets updated when
> anything but the last_seen field is updated (not a big problem I know
> but less than obvious to anyone reading the code).

I think you have the name wrong. The normal updated_at is the 'real'
updated at time. You are asking for a non-standard updated_at field.
The code would go in a before_save filter probably. I think it could
be more confusing for anyone reading the code to have an updated_at
field which did not reflect the actual time the record was updated
rather than a new one which is only updated under certain
circumstances.

>
> Another alternative that I can see is a new table for last_seen that
> has a strict one to one relationship with the master record. Which
> normalisation would say should be part of the master record, just to
> get round the updated_at field.
>
> I suspect that raw SQL will be the way round this. I was just hoping
> to make this transparent (you just know someone will see the raw SQL
> and not read the comments and 'improve' the code).

An additional field would solve all the problems.

Colin

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