HasMagicColumnsExtends ActiveRecord models and adds "magic" columns and attributes to a model. Model classes or instances can maintain completely unique and separate data and are able to access this data through the standard ActiveRecord style interface.

This is useful in multi-user or multi-account applications where each user can "customize" the attributes they would like to use without managing multiple schema or installations.

This plugin was written by and maintained by Brandon Keene, a professional Rails developer working in San Francisco, CA.

InstallationYou need to create table definitions for included column and attribute models.

Generate the migration using the included task:

rake has_magic_columns:db:createRun the standard migrate task to update your schema:

rake db:migrateYou're ready to start using Has Magic Columns!

- Brandon Keene

Exampleclass Person < ActiveRecord::Base
has_magic_columns
end

1. Create a Person
   @bob = Person.create(:email => "bob@example.com")

1. Add some MagicColumns
   @bob.magic_columns << MagicColumn.create(:name => "first_name")
   @bob.magic_columns << MagicColumn.create(:name => "last_name")
   @bob.magic_columns << MagicColumn.create(:name => "birthday", :datatype => "date")

1. Give @bob some magic...
   @bob.first_name = "Bob"
   @bob.last_name = "Magic!"
   @bob.birthday = Date.today

1. Save @bob like normal
   @bob.save

1. Find @bob and inspect him
   @bob = Person.find(@bob.id)
   @bob.first_name #=> "Bob"
   @bob.last_name #=> "Magic!"
   @bob.birthday #=> #Inherit from "Template" ColumnsA child can "inherit" magic columns from its parent. You can use container models to provide a column template for contained objects. For example, an Account has_magic_columns and has_many :people. A Person inherits magic columns from its account:

class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :account
has_magic_columns :inherit => :account
endChildren people now all share the columns of their parent account. You don't need to use these magic columns on the Account of course. It's just a convenient and logical way to provide column templating.