Using ActiveRecord, I have an object, Client, that zero or more Users (i.e. via a has_many association). Client also has a ‘primary_contact’ attribute that can be manually set, but always has to point to one of the associated users. I.e. primary_contact can only be blank if there are no associated users.
What’s the best way to implement Client such that:
a) The first time a user is added to a client, primary_contact is set to point to that user?
b) The primary_contact is always guaranteed to be in the users association, unless all of the users are deleted? (This has two parts: when setting a new primary_contact or removing a user from the association)
In other words, how can I designate and reassign the title of “primary contact” to one of a given client’s users? I’ve tinkered around with numerous filters and validations, but I just can’t get it right. Any help would be appreciated.
UPDATE: Though I’m sure there are a myriad of solutions, I ended up having User inform Client when it is being deleted and then using a before_save call in Client to validate (and set, if necessary) its primary_contact. This call is triggered by User just before it is deleted. This doesn’t catch all of the edge cases when updating associations, but it’s good enough for what I need.
Though I’m sure there are a myriad of solutions, I ended up having User inform Client when it is being deleted and then using a before_save call in Client to validate (and set, if necessary) its primary_contact. This call is triggered by User just before it is deleted. This doesn’t catch all of the edge cases when updating associations, but it’s good enough for what I need.