Starting a new project

rubyonrails-talk
1

When starting a new project, should I build my database in a database client program, or should i just use database migrations right away?

I'm new on the list btw... Hi :slight_smile:

Christian...

2

Christian Wattengård wrote:

When starting a new project, should I build my database in a database client program, or should i just use database migrations right away?

Whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you start with a non migration approach you can always export the schema into a migration later on (at least the features supported by the schema dumper). Personally, I always go straight into migrations.

I'm new on the list btw... Hi :slight_smile:

Welcome to the list.

3

Christian Wattengård wrote:

When starting a new project, should I build my database in a database client program, or should i just use database migrations right away?

Start with a test case that fails because a given model does not exist

Then use script/generate model foo to create the model. I suspect it creates the migration.

Then migrate with both rake db:migrate and rake RAILS_ENV=test db:migrate.

4

Hi --

Christian Watteng�rd wrote:

When starting a new project, should I build my database in a database client program, or should i just use database migrations right away?

Start with a test case that fails because a given model does not exist

Then use script/generate model foo to create the model. I suspect it creates the migration.

It also creates the unit test file for the model. I'm probably showing my lack of TDD rigor, but I have no problem with creating a model, letting the framework create the relevant boilerplate files for me (including the test file), and then starting the process. For one thing, writing a failing test before generating the model is going to mean creating a home-made test file, which, if it's going to fail for the right reasons, should be identical to the one that the framework creates. I don't see any gain in doing that manually.

David

5

Hi --

When starting a new project, should I build my database in a database client program, or should i just use database migrations right away?

I would at least give yourself the experience of using the migrations from the beginning in a project, and see what you think. Migrations have some fragilities, but they're kind of addictive. Just remember that migrations and non-migrations don't mix. The migration system expects to be in pretty much complete control once it's in use.

I'm new on the list btw... Hi :slight_smile:

Hi!

David

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Seeing as I have no experience at all in TDD I think that I will skip that part :wink: I'll try both using migrations and the oldschool way I think. :slight_smile:

Christian