Readable Queries with ActiveRecord Scopes

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Ruby on Rails ruby

Published on July 14, 2026

Code Snippet

class Appointment < ApplicationRecord
  scope :upcoming,  -> { where("starts_at > ?", Time.current) }
  scope :for_doctor, ->(doctor) { where(doctor: doctor) }
  scope :confirmed, -> { where(status: :confirmed) }

  # Combine scopes into a higher-level one
  scope :doctor_agenda, ->(doctor) { upcoming.confirmed.for_doctor(doctor).order(:starts_at) }
end

# Reads like a sentence
agenda = Appointment.doctor_agenda(current_doctor)

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