Rails, string or integer values in status-column in db

Question

I'm having an event-model that has a status attribute, and wonder if I should make it into a string or integer field. The event can have three different statuses, "gathering", "active" or "closed". If I should go with the integer solution, should I define a constant somewhere making it possible to just use CLOSED insted of "2" (and where should I put this constant??)

Thanks in advance!

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 09 '12 at 03:22

5

I would recommend using an integer for two main reasons.

Most databases can query and index integer columns faster than strings.
It takes up less space on disk, and over the network when querying large data sets.

Weather you choose strings or integers, you should define them as constants and reference them only through their constants. You should never use the values directly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_string_(programming)

edited Aug 09 '12 at 03:22

crazymykl

524
3
8

answered Mar 20 '11 at 00:32

Paul Alexander

31,970
14
96
151

Where should I define them to make them available everywhere (controllers, views, observers an so on..)? – jonepatr Mar 20 '11 at 00:36
2

I'd imagine that this state is stored in the model, define it there. ie. Event::CLOSED. – Paul Alexander Mar 20 '11 at 00:38

Rails, string or integer values in status-column in db

1 Answers1