src/_posts/2017-10-03-elegant-rails-5-scopes.md
---
layout: post
title: Elegant Rails 5 Scopes
description: Stop writing raw SQL, instead let Active Record handle that for you.
---
Rails is great, with each update it's making working with it even more enjoyable. Active Record in particular has added a bunch of little improvements that help avoid writing raw SQL (Which can be risky when combined them with the [joins](https://apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/QueryMethods/joins) & [includes](https://apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/QueryMethods/includes) methods). Here are a few of my favourites:
## More/Less or equal to
If you pass an array into the [where](https://apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/QueryMethods/where) method with the `Float::INFINITY` value, it'll output a `more/less or equal to` SQL equivalent.
```ruby
class User < ApplicationRecord
# Active trial: Where trial_expires_at is a time in the future
# >= can be mixed with DateTimes.
scope :active_trial, -> { where(trial_expires_at: [Time.zone.now..Float::INFINITY]) }
# Has normal amount of cats: Anything less then 4.
# <= can't be used for DateTimes.
scope :has_normal_amount_of_cats, -> { where(cats: [Float::INFINITY..4]) }
end
puts User.active_trial.to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE ("users"."trial_expires_at" >= '2017-10-03 14:26:30.806410')
puts User.has_normal_amount_of_cats.to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE ("users"."cats" <= 4)
```
## Between two values
Passing two integers into into the method will output SQL for "Give me rows where is field is between these values".
```ruby
class User < ApplicationRecord
scope :expired_trial, -> { where(trial_expires_at: [Time.at(0)..Time.zone.now]) }
scope :millennials, -> { where(dob_year: [1985..2000]) }
end
puts User.expired_trial.to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE ("users"."trial_expires_at" BETWEEN '1970-01-01 00:00:00' AND '2017-10-03 14:51:43.216361')
puts User.millennials.to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE ("users"."dob_year" BETWEEN 1985 AND 2000)
```
## Passing Variables
You can also pass variables into your scope.
```ruby
class User < ApplicationRecord
scope :with_dob_year, -> (year){ where(dob_year: year) }
end
puts User.with_dob_year(2001).to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "users"."dob_year" = 2001
```
## Where NOT NULL
The [not](https://apidock.com/rails/ActiveRecord/QueryMethods/WhereChain/not) method is useful for when you require a field to not match a value.
```ruby
class User < ApplicationRecord
scope :confirmed, -> { where.not(confirmed_at: nil) }
end
puts User.confirmed.to_sql
# SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE ("users"."confirmed_at" IS NOT NULL)
```