problem writing to a counter_cache with update_attribute

I added a counter_cache to an existing parent-child model pair and wanted to set all the values for the counter_cache but can't do it using update_attribute (or a number of other methods).

Should I create a bug report?

I created a simple test app in 2.2.1 to isolate the problem.

# create the learner and learner_session models and migrations:

script/generate model learner name:string learner_session_id:integer script/generate model learner_session learner_id:integer rake db:migrate

# add the associations to the models:

class Learner < ActiveRecord::Base    has_many :learner_sessions end

class LearnerSession < ActiveRecord::Base    belongs_to :learner end

# create a learner and 2 learner sessions without a counter_cache

$ script/console

l = Learner.create(:name => "stephen")

=> #<Learner id: 1, name: "stephen", learner_session_id: nil>

l.learner_sessions.create

=> #<LearnerSession id: 1, learner_id: 1>

l.learner_sessions.create

=> #<LearnerSession id: 2, learner_id: 1>

l.learner_sessions.count

=> 2

# now run this migration:

class AddCounterCacheToLearners < ActiveRecord::Migration    def self.up      add_column :learners, :learner_sessions_count, :integer, :default => 0      # Learner.reset_column_information    end

   def self.down      remove_column :learners, :learner_sessions_count    end end

# and add the counter_cache to the belongs_to association

class LearnerSession < ActiveRecord::Base    belongs_to :learner, :counter_cache => true end

# back into script/console

$ script/console

l = Learner.find(:first)

=> #<Learner id: 1, name: "stephen", learner_session_id: nil, learner_sessions_count: 0>

# there are still 2 learner sessions:

l.learner_sessions.count

=> 2

# but the learner_sessions_count is not set yet:

l.learner_sessions_count

=> 0

# update the learner_sessions_count:

l.update_attribute(:learner_sessions_count, 2)

=> true

# it is written to the model object:

l

=> #<Learner id: 1, name: "stephen", learner_session_id: nil, learner_sessions_count: 2>

l.learner_sessions_count

=> 2

# but not to the database

l = Learner.find(:first)

=> #<Learner id: 1, name: "stephen", learner_session_id: nil, learner_sessions_count: 0>

I added a counter_cache to an existing parent-child model pair and wanted to set all the values for the counter_cache but can't do it using update_attribute (or a number of other methods).

Should I create a bug report?

From the docs (Peak Obsession):

Note: Specifying a counter cache will add it to that model‘s list of readonly attributes using attr_readonly.

Fred