Industry Zero: One man’s thought on software, business and life

Here is a question comes up a lot. Here is how to do it without additional plugin.
config/database.yml:

development:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/development.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

second_development:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/second_development.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

test:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/test.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

second_test:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/second_test.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

production:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/production.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

second_production:

adapter: sqlite3
database: db/second_production.sqlite3
timeout: 5000

migration for models in first database is like normal migration, example (xxxxxxx_create_user.rb):

def self.up

create_table “users” do |t|

t.string “password”
t.string “email”

t.timestamps

end

end

def self.down

drop_table :users

end

migration for models in second database require slightly modification, example (xxxxxxx_create_dogs.rb)

def self.up

ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection “second_#{RAILS_ENV}”
create_table :dogs do |t|
t.string :name, :null=>falset.timestamps
end
ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection “#{RAILS_ENV}”

end

def self.down

ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection “second_#{RAILS_ENV}”
drop_table :users
ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection “#{RAILS_ENV}”

end

Note that schema_migration table is located in the first database (default one) only in this case.

Models for the first (default database) is the same as regular rails model.

Models for the second database requires adding the following line in the Models:
establish_connection “second_#{RAILS_ENV}”
Example:

class Dog < ActiveRecord::Base
establish_connection “second_#{RAILS_ENV}”
end

That is it.  Not that complicated.