Belongs_to form NoMethodError when association uses different foreign_key

[coneybeare]

Setup

class AuthorLink < ActiveRecord::Base
  belongs_to :author
  belongs_to :link_type, class_name: 'AuthorLinkType', foreign_key: :author_link_type_id
  ...
end

class AuthorLinkDashboard < Administrate::BaseDashboard
  ATTRIBUTE_TYPES = {
    link_type: Field::BelongsTo.with_options(class_name: "AuthorLinkType"),
    ...
  }
...
end

Problem

Visiting /admin/author_links/2/edit results in

The NoMethodError stems from Field::BelongsTo.permitted_attribute, where you assume a standard association and hardcode _id accordingly.

def self.permitted_attribute(attr)
  :"#{attr}_id"
end

Solution

There needs to be more intelligence here to detect foreign_key variances amongst others. Agreed?

[zamith]

Since we are passing the class_name as an option, we can pass the foreign_key as well, no?

Or we can try to be a bit more clever and do something like:

AuthorLink.reflect_on_association(:link_type).foreign_key
=> :author_link_type_id

which right now is not possible, since the field does not know about the AuthorLink class.

[coneybeare]

I would prefer passing the option in the dashboard, but I know that the goal of administrate is to avoid DSL and keeping the with_options as limited as possible. This could be problematic because if you allow :foreign_key in the options, then you also should allow the other options for associations like :conditions, :through, :polymorphic etc...

[ACPK]

Any update or monkey patch for this so we can use Administrative?

[buren]

@ACPK, @coneybeare I ran in into the same problem I fixed by adding those methods to the ActiveRecord model.

Here is something that could work in your case:

class AuthorLink < ActiveRecord::Base
  # ... 

  def link_type_id
  end

  def link_type_id=(id)
    self.link_type = AuthorLinkType.find(id)
  end
end

[angusfretwell]

Any update on this?

I found a slightly nicer workaround:

class Lister < User
  belongs_to :company, foreign_key: :organisation_id

  alias_attribute :company_id, :organisation_id
end

[dduqueti]

@angusfretwell Thank you!

[pablobm]

I think this was fixed with #807. I'm closing, but please reopen if you think differently.