Add change tracking methods for belongs_to associations

Permit checking whether a belongs_to association has been pointed to a new target record in the previous save and whether it will point to a new target record in the next save.

    post.category # => #<Category id: 1, name: "Ruby">

    post.category = Category.second   # => #<Category id: 2, name: "Programming">
    post.category_changed?            # => true
    post.category_previously_changed? # => false

    post.save!

    post.category_changed?            # => false
    post.category_previously_changed? # => true

Author: georgeclaghorn

activerecord/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+*   Two change tracking methods are added for `belongs_to` associations.
+
+    The `association_changed?` method (assuming an association named `:association`) returns true
+    if a different associated object has been assigned and the foreign key will be updated in the
+    next save.
+
+    The `association_previously_changed?` method returns true if the previous save updated the
+    association to reference a different associated object.
+
+    *George Claghorn*
+
 *   Add option to disable schema dump per-database
 
     Dumping the schema is on by default for all databases in an application. To turn it off for a

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations.rb

@@ -364,6 +364,8 @@ def association_instance_set(name, association)
       #   create_other(attributes={})       |     X      |              |    X
       #   create_other!(attributes={})      |     X      |              |    X
       #   reload_other                      |     X      |      X       |    X
+      #   other_changed?                    |     X      |      X       |
+      #   other_previously_changed?         |     X      |      X       |
       #
       # === Collection associations (one-to-many / many-to-many)
       #                                     |       |          | has_many
@@ -1624,6 +1626,10 @@ def has_one(name, scope = nil, **options)
         #   if the record is invalid.
         # [reload_association]
         #   Returns the associated object, forcing a database read.
+        # [association_changed?]
+        #   Returns true if a new associate object has been assigned and the next save will update the foreign key.
+        # [association_previously_changed?]
+        #   Returns true if the previous save updated the association to reference a new associate object.
         #
         # === Example
         #
@@ -1634,6 +1640,8 @@ def has_one(name, scope = nil, **options)
         # * <tt>Post#create_author</tt> (similar to <tt>post.author = Author.new; post.author.save; post.author</tt>)
         # * <tt>Post#create_author!</tt> (similar to <tt>post.author = Author.new; post.author.save!; post.author</tt>)
         # * <tt>Post#reload_author</tt>
+        # * <tt>Post#author_changed?</tt>
+        # * <tt>Post#author_previously_changed?</tt>
         # The declaration can also include an +options+ hash to specialize the behavior of the association.
         #
         # === Scopes

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/belongs_to_association.rb

@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@ def decrement_counters_before_last_save
       end
 
       def target_changed?
+        owner.attribute_changed?(reflection.foreign_key) || (!foreign_key_present? && target&.new_record?)
+      end
+
+      def target_previously_changed?
+        owner.attribute_previously_changed?(reflection.foreign_key)
+      end
+
+      def saved_change_to_target?
         owner.saved_change_to_attribute?(reflection.foreign_key)
       end
 

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/belongs_to_polymorphic_association.rb

@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ def klass
       end
 
       def target_changed?
+        super || owner.attribute_changed?(reflection.foreign_type)
+      end
+
+      def target_previously_changed?
+        super || owner.attribute_previously_changed?(reflection.foreign_type)
+      end
+
+      def saved_change_to_target?
         super || owner.saved_change_to_attribute?(reflection.foreign_type)
       end
 

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/association.rb

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ def self.build(model, name, scope, options, &block)
       define_accessors model, reflection
       define_callbacks model, reflection
       define_validations model, reflection
+      define_change_tracking_methods model, reflection
       reflection
     end
 
@@ -117,6 +118,10 @@ def self.define_validations(model, reflection)
       # noop
     end
 
+    def self.define_change_tracking_methods(model, reflection)
+      # noop
+    end
+
     def self.valid_dependent_options
       raise NotImplementedError
     end
@@ -158,6 +163,7 @@ def _after_commit_jobs
 
     private_class_method :build_scope, :macro, :valid_options, :validate_options, :define_extensions,
       :define_callbacks, :define_accessors, :define_readers, :define_writers, :define_validations,
-      :valid_dependent_options, :check_dependent_options, :add_destroy_callbacks, :add_after_commit_jobs_callback
+      :define_change_tracking_methods, :valid_dependent_options, :check_dependent_options,
+      :add_destroy_callbacks, :add_after_commit_jobs_callback
   end
 end

activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/builder/belongs_to.rb

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def self.add_counter_cache_callbacks(model, reflection)
       model.after_update lambda { |record|
         association = association(reflection.name)
 
-        if association.target_changed?
+        if association.saved_change_to_target?
           association.increment_counters
           association.decrement_counters_before_last_save
         end
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def self.add_touch_callbacks(model, reflection)
       if reflection.counter_cache_column
         touch_callback = callback.(:saved_changes)
         update_callback = lambda { |record|
-          instance_exec(record, &touch_callback) unless association(reflection.name).target_changed?
+          instance_exec(record, &touch_callback) unless association(reflection.name).saved_change_to_target?
         }
         model.after_update update_callback, if: :saved_changes?
       else
@@ -127,7 +127,20 @@ def self.define_validations(model, reflection)
       end
     end
 
-    private_class_method :macro, :valid_options, :valid_dependent_options, :define_callbacks, :define_validations,
-      :add_counter_cache_callbacks, :add_touch_callbacks, :add_default_callbacks, :add_destroy_callbacks
+    def self.define_change_tracking_methods(model, reflection)
+      model.generated_association_methods.class_eval <<-CODE, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
+        def #{reflection.name}_changed?
+          association(:#{reflection.name}).target_changed?
+        end
+
+        def #{reflection.name}_previously_changed?
+          association(:#{reflection.name}).target_previously_changed?
+        end
+      CODE
+    end
+
+    private_class_method :macro, :valid_options, :valid_dependent_options, :define_callbacks,
+      :define_validations, :define_change_tracking_methods, :add_counter_cache_callbacks,
+      :add_touch_callbacks, :add_default_callbacks, :add_destroy_callbacks
   end
 end

activerecord/test/cases/associations/belongs_to_associations_test.rb

@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@
 require "models/parrot"
 require "models/book"
 require "models/citation"
+require "models/tree"
+require "models/node"
 
 class BelongsToAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   fixtures :accounts, :companies, :developers, :projects, :topics,
            :developers_projects, :computers, :authors, :author_addresses,
-           :essays, :posts, :tags, :taggings, :comments, :sponsors, :members
+           :essays, :posts, :tags, :taggings, :comments, :sponsors, :members, :nodes
 
   def test_belongs_to
     client = Client.find(3)
@@ -1508,6 +1510,104 @@ def test_multiple_counter_cache_with_after_create_update
     assert_equal 1, Comment.where(post_id: post.id).count
     assert_equal post.id, Comment.last.post.id
   end
+
+  test "tracking change from one persisted record to another" do
+    node = nodes(:child_one_of_a)
+    assert_not_nil node.parent
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.parent = nodes(:grandparent)
+    assert node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.save!
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert node.parent_previously_changed?
+  end
+
+  test "tracking change from persisted record to new record" do
+    node = nodes(:child_one_of_a)
+    assert_not_nil node.parent
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.parent = Node.new(tree: node.tree, parent: nodes(:parent_a), name: "Child three")
+    assert node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.save!
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert node.parent_previously_changed?
+  end
+
+  test "tracking change from persisted record to nil" do
+    node = nodes(:child_one_of_a)
+    assert_not_nil node.parent
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.parent = nil
+    assert node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.save!
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert node.parent_previously_changed?
+  end
+
+  test "tracking change from nil to persisted record" do
+    node = nodes(:grandparent)
+    assert_nil node.parent
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.parent = Node.create!(tree: node.tree, name: "Great-grandparent")
+    assert node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.save!
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert node.parent_previously_changed?
+  end
+
+  test "tracking change from nil to new record" do
+    node = nodes(:grandparent)
+    assert_nil node.parent
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.parent = Node.new(tree: node.tree, name: "Great-grandparent")
+    assert node.parent_changed?
+    assert_not node.parent_previously_changed?
+
+    node.save!
+    assert_not node.parent_changed?
+    assert node.parent_previously_changed?
+  end
+
+  test "tracking polymorphic changes" do
+    comment = comments(:greetings)
+    assert_nil comment.author
+    assert_not comment.author_changed?
+    assert_not comment.author_previously_changed?
+
+    comment.author = authors(:david)
+    assert comment.author_changed?
+
+    comment.save!
+    assert_not comment.author_changed?
+    assert comment.author_previously_changed?
+
+    assert_equal authors(:david).id, companies(:first_firm).id
+
+    comment.author = companies(:first_firm)
+    assert comment.author_changed?
+
+    comment.save!
+    assert_not comment.author_changed?
+    assert comment.author_previously_changed?
+  end
 end
 
 class BelongsToWithForeignKeyTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase

guides/source/association_basics.md

@@ -839,14 +839,16 @@ If the table of the other class contains the reference in a one-to-one relation,
 
 #### Methods Added by `belongs_to`
 
-When you declare a `belongs_to` association, the declaring class automatically gains 6 methods related to the association:
+When you declare a `belongs_to` association, the declaring class automatically gains 8 methods related to the association:
 
 * `association`
 * `association=(associate)`
 * `build_association(attributes = {})`
 * `create_association(attributes = {})`
 * `create_association!(attributes = {})`
 * `reload_association`
+* `association_changed?`
+* `association_previously_changed?`
 
 In all of these methods, `association` is replaced with the symbol passed as the first argument to `belongs_to`. For example, given the declaration:
 
@@ -865,6 +867,8 @@ build_author
 create_author
 create_author!
 reload_author
+author_changed?
+author_previously_changed?
 ```
 
 NOTE: When initializing a new `has_one` or `belongs_to` association you must use the `build_` prefix to build the association, rather than the `association.build` method that would be used for `has_many` or `has_and_belongs_to_many` associations. To create one, use the `create_` prefix.
@@ -913,6 +917,34 @@ The `create_association` method returns a new object of the associated type. Thi
 
 Does the same as `create_association` above, but raises `ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid` if the record is invalid.
 
+##### `association_changed?`
+
+The `association_changed?` method returns true if a new associated object has been assigned and the foreign key will be updated in the next save.
+
+```ruby
+@book.author # => #<Book author_number: 123, author_name: "John Doe">
+@book.author_changed? # => false
+
+@book.author = Author.second # => #<Book author_number: 456, author_name: "Jane Smith">
+@book.author_changed? # => true
+
+@book.save!
+@book.author_changed? # => false
+```
+
+##### `association_previously_changed?`
+
+The `association_previously_changed?` method returns true if the previous save updated the association to reference a new associate object.
+
+```ruby
+@book.author # => #<Book author_number: 123, author_name: "John Doe">
+@book.author_previously_changed? # => false
+
+@book.author = Author.second # => #<Book author_number: 456, author_name: "Jane Smith">
+@book.save!
+@book.author_previously_changed? # => true
+```
+
 #### Options for `belongs_to`
 
 While Rails uses intelligent defaults that will work well in most situations, there may be times when you want to customize the behavior of the `belongs_to` association reference. Such customizations can easily be accomplished by passing options and scope blocks when you create the association. For example, this association uses two such options: