Is the Rails update_attributes method the best choice for doing an update of a model in the database?

Question

def update
  @album = Album.find(params[:id])
  if @album.update_attributes(params[:album])
    redirect_to(:action=>'list')
  else
    render(:action=>'edit')
  end    
end

A Rails 1.1.6 tutorial that I'm covering recommends using the update_attributes method for updating a model, as in the example code from my controller listed above. Looking at the Rails documentation I'm wondering why the update method would not have been preferred, especially since it is named so logically.

Answer 1

Update takes an object id parameter and a set of attributes that otherwise work like update_attributes.

So this (from AWDWR 3rd edition)

Order.update(12, :name => "Barney", :email => "barney@bedrock.com")

is equivalent to

Order.find(12).update_attributes(:name => "Barney", :email => "barney@bedrock.com")

So if all you want to do is update a row of known id with a set of attributes then I'd say there's no reason not to use update - it looks like that's the reason they wrote it!

(Is there any way you can get your tutorial to upgrade from 1.1.6? It's pretty old and wasn't a particularly earth-shattering release when it was current. 1.2.6 was better - the last of the 1.xs, if I remember correctly).

Answer 2

Using update_attributes method just suppose that you already have an object, and you would just pass the set of attributes. And the work is done !