create_or_update method in rails

Question

if ClassName.exists?(["id = ?", self.id])
  object = ClassName.find_by_name(self.name)
  object.update_attributes!( :street_address => self.street_address,
    :city_name => self.city_name,
    :name => self.org_unit_name,
    :state_prov_id => self.state_prov_id,
    :zip_code => self.zip_code)
else
  ClassName.create! :street_address => self.street_address,
    :city_name => self.city_name,
    :federalid => self.federalid,
    :name => self.org_unit_name,
    :state_prov_id => self.state_prov_id,
    :zip_code => self.zip_code
end

I have code like this. I would like to improve it so that it uses a method, something like create_or_update.

    ClassName.create_or_update_by_name(:name => self.name,
    :street_address => self.street_address,
    :city_name => self.city_name,
    :federalid => self.federalid,
    :name => self.org_unit_name,
    :state_prov_id => self.state_prov_id,
    :zip_code => self.zip_code)

If the name exists in the database then it should update that object otherwise it should create a new object.

Is there is any method that exists that I can do this with?

score 83 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 19 '21 at 00:05

83

my_class = ClassName.find_or_initialize_by_name(name)

my_class.update_attributes(
   :street_address => self.street_address,
   :city_name => self.city_name,
   :federalid => self.federalid,
   :state_prov_id => self.state_prov_id,
   :zip_code => self.zip_code
)

As of Rails 6, update_attributes! and update_attributes is deprecated for update! and update, respectively:

my_class.update(
   :street_address => self.street_address,
   :city_name => self.city_name,
   :federalid => self.federalid,
   :state_prov_id => self.state_prov_id,
   :zip_code => self.zip_code
)

edited Feb 19 '21 at 00:05

BryanH

5,826
3
34
47

answered Jun 11 '10 at 17:30

Ju Nogueira

8,435
2
29
33

3

Thanks for this. As a note, the name doesn't have to be passed in again since it was already initialized with a name. Also the hash brackets aren't needed here. – Joseph Ravenwolfe Oct 31 '12 at 17:04
And so operations are separate, not in a transaction. – Green Jun 14 '13 at 10:08
find_or_intialize_by_method is deprecated as of Rails 4 – Zach Colon Mar 03 '16 at 15:58

score 10 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

10

The checked answer above works well for Rails 3. That said the find_or_initialize_by_attribute methods were deprecated in Rails 4. This is the new way. See Rails4 Deprecation warning for find_or_initialize_by method

person = Person.find_or_initialize(name: 'name')   
person.update_attributes(other_attrs)

edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

Community

1
1

answered Apr 30 '14 at 13:05

Zach Colon

177
2
11

score 6 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 11 '10 at 17:17

6

person = Person.find_by_name(name) || Person.new(:name => name)
person.update_attributes!(:street_address => street_address, :city_name => city_name) #etc etc

answered Jun 11 '10 at 17:17

lambdabutz

344
1
10

create_or_update method in rails

3 Answers3

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