Notes from RailsConf 2014
Link to talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShPAxNcLm3o
What is Arel?
Arel stands for: "A Relational Algebra"
In actuality, Arel is an AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) parser
that takes Ruby code and turns it into SQL syntax. Arel knows nothing about your tables or database. Its purely a Query Builder that uses Ruby to talk to ActiveRecord.
Arel Helpers
https://github.com/camertron/arel-helpers
What do they do?
They reduce the verbosity of Arel syntax.
Example:
Post.select(:id) # using ActiveRecord
Post.arel_table(:id) # using bare Arel
Post[:id] # using Arel Helpers.
What are Terminal methods
Post.select(:id).count.to_sql
# => NoMethodError: undefined method `to_sql' for 107:Integer
#count is a "Terminal Method" meaning it will "terminate" the SQL chain and not allow for continuous chaining.
Adding functions
Lets say you need to add a function thats not part of the Arel functions IE: non-standard SQL methods that may vary from database to database.
Heres how that would happen:
Post.select(
Arel::Nodes::NamedFunction.new(
"LENGTH", [Post.arel_table[:text]]
).as("length")
).to_sql
# => SELECT LENGTH('posts', 'text') AS length from 'posts'
## To reduce verbosity
include Arel::Nodes
Post.select(
NamedFunction.new(
"LENGTH", [Post[:text]]
).as("length")
).to_sql
# => SELECT LENGTH('posts', 'text') AS length from 'posts'
Arel Star!
Substitute "*" with Arel.star !
Post.select("*")
# => SELECT * from 'posts'
Post.select(Arel.star)
# => SELECT * from 'posts'
Select From
Post.select(:id).from(Post.select([:id, :text]).ast).to_sql
# => SELECT id FROM SELECT id, text FROM 'posts'
.ast will give you the constructed AST for a given Arel function.
Where
Post.where(title: "Arel is Cool").to_sql # using ActiveRecord
Post.where(Post[:title].eq("Arel is Cool")).to_sql # Using Arel
Post.where("title != 'Arel is Cool'").to_sql
# Using AR
# => SELECT 'posts'.* from 'posts'
# WHERE (title != 'Arel is Cool')
Post.where(Post[:title].not_eq("Arel is Cool")).to_sql
# Using Arel
# => SELECT 'posts'.* from 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts'.'title' != 'Arel is Cool'
Post.where(Post[:title].not_eq(nil)).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts.title' IS NOT NULL
# Greater than
Post.where(Post[:visitors].gt(250)).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts'.'visitors' > 250
# Less than
Post.where(Post[:visitors].lt(250)).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts'.'visitors' < 250
# Greater than or equal to
Post.where(Post[:visitors].gteq(250)).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts'.'visitors' >= 250
# Less than or equal to
Post.where(Post[:visitors].lteq(250)).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE 'posts'.'visitors' <= 250
# Chaining AND + OR
Post.where(
Post[:title].eq("Arel is Cool")
.and(
Post[:id].eq(22)
.or(
Post[:id].eq(23)
)
)
).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE (
# 'posts'.'title' = 'Arel is Cool'
# AND
# ('posts'.'id' = 22 OR 'posts'.'id' = 23)
# )
# Using IN
Post.where(
Post[:title].eq("Arel is Cool")
.and(
Post[:id].in(22, 23)
)
)
# => SELECT 'posts'.* FROM 'posts'
# WHERE (
# 'posts'.'title' = 'Arel is Cool'
# AND
# 'posts'.'id' IN (22, 23)
# )
# Using our NamedFunction
Post.where(
Post[:title].eq("Arel is Cool")
.and(
NamedFunction.new("LENGTH", [Post[:slug]]).gt(10)
)
).to_sql
# => SELECT 'posts'.'title' = 'Arel is Cool' AND
# LENGTH('posts'.'slug') > 10
Using joins
Setup
We'll assume the following setup:
class Post < ApplicationRecord
has_many :comments
end
class Comment < ApplicationRecord
belongs_to :post
has_one :author
end
class Author < ApplicationRecord
belongs_to :comment
end
Using it
To use a regular INNER JOIN you would do the following:
Author.joins(
Author.arel_table.join(Comment.arel_table)
.on(Comment[:id].eq(Author[:comment_id]))
.join_sources
)
.where(Post[:id].eq(42))
.to_sql
To use an OUTER JOIN you would do the following:
Author.joins(
Author.arel_table.join(Comment.arel_table, Arel::OuterJoin)
.on(Comment[:id].eq(Author[:comment_id]))
.join_sources
)
.where(Post[:id].eq(42))
.to_sql
Cleaning up with ArelHelpers
To clean up the above code we can use ArelHelpers #join_association method.
include ArelHelpers::JoinAssociation
# INNER JOIN
Author.joins(
join_association(Author, :comment)
)
.where(Post[:id].eq(42))
.to_sql
# OUTER JOIN
Author.joins(
join_association(Author, :comment, Arel::OuterJoin)
)
.where(Post[:id].eq(42))
.to_sql
join_association block
Join associations can also yield a block and we can use that block to further specify join conditions.
Author.joins(
join_association(Author, :comment) do |assoc_name, join_conds|
join_conds.and(Comment[:created_at].lteq(1.day.ago))
end
)
.where(Post[:id].eq(42))
.to_sql
Join Tables
Setup
Given the following setup:
class Course < ApplicationRecord
has_and_belongs_to_many :teachers
end
class Teacher < ApplicationRecord
has_and_belongs_to_many :courses
end
2 possibilities:
A teacher can teach many courses
A course can have many teachers
This means there are 3 tables:
- Courses table
- Teachers table
- CoursesTeachers table
Course.arel_table # => courses
Teacher.arel_table # => teachers
# ??? No model for courses_teacher join table.
To create a join_table you would do:
courses_teachers = Arel::Table.new(:courses_teachers)
Using the above variable we can then construct the following query:
Course.joins(
Course.arel_table.join(Teacher.arel_table)
.on(Course[:id].eq(courses_teachers[:course_id]))
.and(Teacher[:id].eq(courses_teachers[:teacher_id]))
.join_sources
)
Order
# Using ActiveRecord
Post.order(:views)
Post.order(:views).reverse_order
# Using Arel
Post.order(Post[:views].desc).to_sql
Post.order(Post[:views].asc).to_sql
IN
Post.where(
Post.arel_table[:title].in(
Post.select(:title).where(id: 5).ast
)
)
Like Queries with Matches
Post.where(Post[:title].matches("%arel%")).to_sql
# => SELECT 'phrases'.* from 'phrases'
# WHERE ('phrases'.'key' LIKE x'256172656c25')
Query Builder Pattern
class QueryBuilder
# https://ruby-doc.org/stdlib-2.7.3/libdoc/forwardable/rdoc/Forwardable.html
extend Forwardable
attr_reader :query
def_delegators :@query, :to_a, :to_sql, :each
def initialize(query)
@query = query
end
protected
# instantiates a new class and allow chaining.
def reflect(query)
self.class.new(query)
end
end
Using it
class PostQueryBuilder < QueryBuilder
def initialize(query = nil)
super(query || Post.unscoped)
end
def with_title_matching(title)
reflect(
query.where(post[:title].matches("%#{title}%"))
)
end
# PostQueryBuilder.new.with_title_matching("stimulus_reflex")
def with_comments_by(usernames)
reflect(
query
.joins(comments: :author)
.where(Author[:username].in(usernames))
)
end
# PostQueryBuilder.new.with_comments_by(["hopsoft", "leastbad"])
def since_yesterday
reflect(
query.where(
post[:created_at].gteq(1.day.ago)
)
)
end
end
PostQueryBuilder.new
.with_title_matching("stimulus_reflex")
.with_comments_by(["hopsoft", "leastbad"])
.since_yesterday
Scuttle!
Turns your SQL into Arel code.
Thanks for sticking with me, this is more of a reference for myself for the future!
Bonus!
To see all the available matchers like:
#gt#gteq#lt#lteq
You can run the following in the rails console:
bundle exec rails console
Arel::Predications.instance_methods
# => [
:eq,
:eq_any,
:between,
:not,
# ...
]
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