Rails `where` for time less than queries

Question

Setup

Rails\' where method can take a range in a hash to generate a query that will search for a value that is within the range. For example:

Answer 1

Did you try this?:

User.where(last_deposit: Time.at(0)...10.days.ago)

SQL:

SELECT `users`.* FROM `users`  WHERE (`users`.`last_deposit` >= '1970-01-01 00:00:00' AND `users`.`last_deposit` < '2015-01-10 17:15:19')

Answer 2

Try this:

User.where(last_deposit.gt(10.days.ago))

Answer 3

Edit 2 5/9/20

If you are using Ruby 2.6 you can do this with endless ranges and in Ruby 2.7 you can use begin-less ranges.

E.g.:

# Ruby >= 2.6
User.where(last_deposit: 10.days.ago..)

generates

SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "user"."last_deposit" >= '2020-04-29 21:58:39.109419'"

and

# Ruby >= 2.7
User.where(last_deposit: ..10.days.ago)

generates

SELECT "users".* FROM "users" WHERE "users"."last_deposit" <= '2020-04-29 22:01:05.582055'

Edit

This is now possible in Rails 5!

User.where(last_deposit: 10.days.ago..DateTime::Infinity.new)

will generate the SQL

SELECT `users`.* FROM `users` WHERE (`users`.`last_deposit` >= '2018-06-30 17:08:54.130085').

Original (and Rails < 5) Answer

It does not appear as if there is a way to use basic where hash syntax to generate a greater than or less than query for timestamps. The simplest and most readable way is outlined in my question under Current Simple Solution.

Another way to do it makes use of ARel but you have to make some less commonly seen calls. First you can get a handle to the AR class' ARel table, access the column, pass the result of the greater than gt, greater than or equal to gteq, less than lt, and/or less than or equal to lteq method with an argument to where.

In the situation above this would be done like:

last_deposit_column = User.arel_table[:last_deposit]
last_deposit_over_ten_days_ago = last_deposit_column.gteq(10.days.ago)
User.where(last_deposit_over_ten_days_ago)

Answer 4

You need to use the appropriate infinity. A timestamp is a DateTime not a Date. Use DateTime::Infinity.new instead or DateTime::Infinity.new(-1) for negative infinite.

Related: Is there a way to express 'Infinite Time' in Ruby?