Modeling Relationships with Four or More Models in Rails -

i have these models in rails app:

group.rb   has_many :group_members   has_many :group_foo_types   group_member.rb   # fields   :group_id, :user_id     belongs_to:group   has_many :group_foo_types, :through=>:groups   has_one :user   has_many :foo, :through=>:user   has_many :bar, :through=>:user   group_foo_type.rb   # fields   :group_id, :foo_type_id    belongs_to :group       belongs_to :foo_type   user.rb   has_many :foo   has_many :bar   foo.rb   # fields   :user_id, :foo_type_id    belongs_to :user   belongs_to :foo_type   bar.rb   # fields   :user_id, :foo_type_id    belongs_to :user   belongs_to :foo_type 

what i'm trying is, group, find foos , bars per user taking account foo_type_id group (from group_foo_type).

however, i'm not sure if have modeled correctly.

from this, seems can group.group_members.user users , user.foos' , 'user.bars user's foos , bars. doesn't take account foo_type_id group though (from group_foo_type).

can please recommend approach accomplish want do? thank you!

as mentioned in this answer, since rails 3.1 can nest has_many :through associations. have easy access of group's foos , bars, add following associations:

# group.rb has_many :users, through: :group_members has_many :foos, through: :users has_many :bars, through: :users 

with this, group.foos give of group's foos (via group_member , user).

the association methods in rails can used various finder methods, limit foos group_foo_type:

group_foos = group.foos.where(foo_type_id: group.group_foo_type_ids) 

(group_foo_type_ids being useful association method, check association basics guide more info.)

a caution: there lot of steps have go on in background achieve of stuff, if relatively easy code. may want keep eye on queries generated (either through console or logs) , how perform, they're involved. looks have complex set of associations there, may worth looking @ whether can simplify there. keep in mind!