between_dates(nil, nil) or between_times(nil, nil) clears method chaining.

[sidemt]

I found that between_dates(nil, nil) or between_times(nil, nil) clears all method chaining. Is this an expected behabior?

For example, I have User and Post models. I tried the following on rails console.

irb(main):002:0> user = User.first
  User Load (0.6ms)  SELECT `users`.* FROM `users` ORDER BY `users`.`id` ASC LIMIT 1
=> #<User id: 1, email: ... >
irb(main):003:0> user.posts.count
   (0.7ms)  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `posts` WHERE `posts`.`user_id` = 1
=> 41
irb(main):004:0> user.posts.between_dates(Date.new(2000, 1), nil).count
   (0.9ms)  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `posts` WHERE `posts`.`user_id` = 1 AND (posts.created_at >= '1999-12-31 15:00:00')
=> 41
irb(main):005:0> user.posts.between_dates(nil, Date.today).count
   (0.7ms)  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `posts` WHERE `posts`.`user_id` = 1 AND (posts.created_at <= '2020-06-01 14:59:59')
=> 41
irb(main):006:0> user.posts.between_dates(nil, nil).count # See the generated SQL below
   (0.7ms)  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `posts`
=> 1326

I expected it to work as follows:

irb(main):006:0> user.posts.between_dates(nil, nil).count
   (0.7ms)  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `posts` WHERE `posts`.`user_id` = 1
=> 41

Checked with:

• by_star 4.0.0 3b53809
• rails 6.0.2.2
• ruby 2.6.5

[radar]

I think it's a bug. If both values are nil, why would you want to use this method?

[sidemt]

I was creating a selectbox form where a user can select dates to view the records of a specific period, or of all time by leaving the dates blank.

At first I did something like this.

# start_date and end_date are given by user input
def expenses_for_normal_user(start_date, end_date)
  current_user.expenses.where(active: true).between_dates(start_date, end_date) # this clears method chaining and returns all records
end

As of now, I'm checking if parameters are nil and changing whether to call between_dates to get the desired behavior.

# start_date and end_date are given by user input
def expenses_for_normal_user(start_date, end_date)
  if start_date || end_date
    current_user.expenses.where(active: true).between_dates(start_date, end_date)
  else
    # if both start_date and end_date are nil, don't use between_dates
    current_user.expenses.where(active: true)
  end
end

[radar]

I think that's your best bet.

You could also do that a bit shorter:

def expenses_for_normal_user(start_date, end_date)
  expenses = current_user.expenses.where(active: true)
  return expenses if start_date.blank? && end_date.blank?

  expenses.between_dates(start_date, end_date)
end

[sidemt]

Thank you for the suggestion! That looks better.