Class: Relation

Inherits:
ActiveRecord::Base
  • Object
show all
Defined in:
app/models/relation.rb

Overview

A Relation defines a type of Tie. Relations are affective (friendship, liking, respect), formal or biological (authority, kinship), transfer of material resources (transactions, lending and borrowing), messages or conversations, physical connection and affiliation to same organizations.

Strength hierarchies

Relations are arranged in strength hierarchies, denoting that some ties between two actors are stronger than others. When a strong tie is established, ties with weaker relations are establised as well

Reflexive relations

Some relations are set by default for actors with theirselves. This sets some ties for posting in self wall at several visibility levels: only for friends, public and so on

Inverse relations

A Relation can have its inverse. When a tie is established, an inverse tie will be established if an inverse relation exists. An example is a relation of friendship, whose inverse relation is itself. When A is friend of B, the inverse tie B is friend of A is establised as well.

Granted relations

There are cases when relations need previous invitation or request to be granted. This is the case of friendship requests. When A wants to become friend of B, A sends a friendship_request to B. A is granting the friend relation with B, that is, friendship_request grants friend relation.

Active relations

Those relations whose ties support activities. The default scope define active relations as those that do not grant other relations, those that are not invitations or requests.

Class Method Summary collapse

Instance Method Summary collapse

Class Method Details

.strongest ⇒ Object

A relation in the top of a strength hierarchy



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 56

def strongest
  roots.first
end

Instance Method Details

#mode ⇒ Object

Relation class scoped in the same mode that this relation



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 82

def mode
  Relation.mode(sender_type, receiver_type)
end

#stronger ⇒ Object

Other relations above in the same hierarchy that this relation



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 72

def stronger
  ancestors
end

#stronger_or_equal ⇒ Object

Relations above or at the same level of this relation



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 77

def stronger_or_equal
  ancestors + Array(self)
end

#weaker ⇒ Object

Other relations below in the same hierarchy that this relation



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 62

def weaker
  descendants
end

#weaker_or_equal ⇒ Object

Relations below or at the same level of this relation



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# File 'app/models/relation.rb', line 67

def weaker_or_equal
  Array(self) + descendants
end