I'm using Ruby on Rails and i have a find_or_create_by_custom_stuff method. However i would like to know if the object i get back was found, or was created. Something like this
user = User.find_or_create_by_custom_stuff(params[:user])
if user.was_found_from_database?
...
elsif user.was_recently_created?
...
end
Is there any way I can do this without relying on the created_at timestamp of the user?
You have the ActiveRecord method for that
@instance.new_record?
For you
user = User.find_or_create(params[:user])
user.new_record?
Note :
.new_record? => NOT RECORDED IN DATABASE
I would try not to use the find_or_create* method. The reason is that almost always the finder pattern will diverge from the creation one.
Another approach could be:
user = User.custom_finder(params)
if user.blank?
user = User.create(params)
#some business logic goes here
else
#other business logic goes here
end
This could also be implemented into the User model for better structure
create means that the new object will be persisted in the database, thus making it indistinguishable from a found object (unless you look at created_at, which would be very sloppy of you).
first_or_initialize check here: apidock.com/rails/v5.2.3/ActiveRecord/Relation/…You can try find_or_initialize_by and then do the new_record? check. One thing to keep in mind is that a user could be created before you have the chance to save your new record. You also have that same issue with find_or_create_by but this might give a larger window for such a thing to happen.
user = User.find_or_initialize_by(email: params[:email])
if user.new_record?
if user.save
render json: user, status: :created
else
render json: { errors: @like.errors }, status: :unprocessable_entity
end
else
render json: user
end
user = User.find_or_create_by_custom_stuff(params[:user])
if user.new_record?
# record does not exist in datastore
else
...
end
new, not create. Thank you.user_total = User.count
user = User.find_or_create_by_custom_stuff(params[:user])
if user_total == User.count
#No new user was created, find method was used.
...
else
#New user created, create method was used.
...
end
