diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md index 65578c1dc9..dc8b600ec6 100644 --- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md +++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md @@ -1,5 +1,11 @@ ## Rails 3.2.0 (unreleased) ## +* Generated association methods are created within a separate module to allow overriding and + composition using `super`. For a class named `MyModel`, the module is named + `MyModel::GeneratedFeatureMethods`. It is included into the model class immediately after + the `generated_attributes_methods` module defined in ActiveModel, so association methods + override attribute methods of the same name. *Josh Susser* + * Implemented ActiveRecord::Relation#explain. *fxn* * Add ActiveRecord::Relation#uniq for generating unique queries. diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb index 34684ad2f5..60bbc325df 100644 --- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb +++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb @@ -196,6 +196,26 @@ module ActiveRecord # * Project#categories.empty?, Project#categories.size, Project#categories, Project#categories<<(category1), # Project#categories.delete(category1) # + # === Overriding generated methods + # + # Association methods are generated in a module that is included into the model class, + # which allows you to easily override with your own methods and call the original + # generated method with +super+. For example: + # + # class Car < ActiveRecord::Base + # belongs_to :owner + # belongs_to :old_owner + # def owner=(new_owner) + # self.old_owner = self.owner + # super + # end + # end + # + # If your model class is Project, the module is + # named Project::GeneratedFeatureMethods. The GeneratedFeatureMethods module is + # is included in the model class immediately after the (anonymous) generated attributes methods + # module, meaning an association will override the methods for an attribute with the same name. + # # === A word of warning # # Don't create associations that have the same name as instance methods of