README

Versions
========

If you are using Rails 2.3.8 or other version < 3, you have to use the version 1.1.x of this plugin, for Rails 3 you need to use the version 1.2.x or master of this plugin.

ClassTableInheritance 1.2.0 
===========================

 This is an ActiveRecord plugin designed to allow 
 simple multiple table (class) inheritance.
 
 This plugin was inspired by:
 inherits_from plugin => http://github.com/rwl4/inherits_from and
 Multiple Table Inheritance with ActiveRecord => http://mediumexposure.com/multiple-table-inheritance-active-record/

How to install
==============

gem install class-table-inheritance


Example Configuration
=====================

  # Migrations 

  create_cti_table :product, :has_children => true do |t|
    t.string  :description
    t.decimal :price
    t.timestamps
  end
  
  create_cti_table :book, :has_parent => :product, :has_children => true do |t|
    t.string :author
  end

  create_cti_table :novel, :has_parent => :book do |t|
    t.string :genre
  end
  
  create_cti_table :encyclopedia, :has_parent => :book do |t|
    t.string :editor
  end
  
  create_cti_table :videos, :has_parent => :product do |t|
    t.string :year 
    t.string :genre
  end

  # Models

  class Product < ActiveRecord::Base
	  has_children 
  end

  class Book < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_parent :product
  end

  class Novel < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_parent :product
  end

  class Encyclopedia < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_parent :product
  end

  class Video < ActiveRecord::Base
    has_parent :product
  end


Accessing children directly
===========================

  book = Book.find(1)
  book.name => "Agile Development with Rails"
  book.author => "Dave Thomas"
  book.price => 19.00
  
  video = Video.find(2)
  video.name => "Inseption"
  video.year => "2010"
  video.genre => "SCI-FI" 
  video.price => 22.00
  
  book = Book.new
  book.name = "Hamlet"
  book.author = "Shakespeare, William"
  book.price => 14.00
  book.save


Accessing and searching children using parent
=============================================

  product = Product.find(1)  # This is a Book instance.
  product.author

  product = Product.find(2) # This is a Video instance.
  product.genre
  

Copyright (c) 2010-2011 Derrick Parkhurst
Copyright (c) 2010 Bruno Cordeiro, released under the MIT license