ActsAsArchive
============

I'm working on an acts_as_archive plugin. If you think you could use this or a slight modification to this let me know. I will be using it to archive post data to help load on forums, but still have an easy way to find the archived data. 

this is still very much a beta plugin that i first started coding on July 10th.

This plugin requires the use of http://tangofoxtrot.com/2008/5/8/active-record-save-without-callbacks-plugin


currently to use it you would add 

acts_as_archive

to the model you want to have archive abilities.
Then add a migration file like this

class AddPostCommentArchiving < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def self.up
    transaction do
      Post.create_archive_table
      Comment.create_archive_table
      Article.create_archive_table
      Forum.create_archive_table
    end
  end

  def self.down
    
    transaction do
      Post.drop_archive_table
      Comment.drop_archive_table
      Article.drop_archive_table
      Forum.drop_archive_table
    end
  end
end




this plugin gives you 3 main methods

modelinstance.archive
Model.unarchive(id)
Model.find_archive(args)

find_archive:
  very similar to the regular find. Except it searches the model plus the archived data
  It accepts

  	:all	or	:first as the first value
  	:conditions (currently only 1 string; working on using the safe array format)
  	:order
  	:limit
  	:offset

  it also accepts id's


archive:
  removes the item with a delete call so callbacks aren't made. It also finds all associated models with a dependent destroy or dependent delete and archives them as well if the model is also set as acts as archive.

unarchive:
  adds the item back with it's original data id included. It also finds any associated models that are archived based on the primary key association.


TODO

make standard finds by ID search the archives as well, I may not include this in the plugin, but code separately.
allow for safe conditions in find using array format




Copyright (c) 2008 Kelly Mahan, released under the MIT license