NoMethodError when trying to bundle exec flipper list

[ola-noblesquad]

Issue

bin/bundle exec flipper list throws an exception instead of listing gates.

Repro steps:

1. use ruby 3.2.5
2. install rails 8.0.1 gem
3. create an empty rails app
4. add and install flipper, flipper-active_record, flipper-ui gems
5. generate models and setup
6. migrate
7. attempt to list flipper flags via bin/bundle exec flipper list

Expected

An empty list of flags

Actual

undefined method `column_for_attribute' for Flipper::Gate:Class (NoMethodError) exception in flipper/adapters/active_record.rb:292:in `value_not_text?'

See below terminal commands for detailed repro and stack trace:

flipper-test % rbenv local 3.2.5 
flipper-test % gem install rails -v 8.0.1
flipper-test % rails new .               
flipper-test % echo 'gem "flipper"' >> Gemfile
flipper-test % echo 'gem "flipper-active_record"' >> Gemfile
flipper-test % echo 'gem "flipper-ui '~1.2"' >> Gemfile           
flipper-test % bin/bundle install
flipper-test % bin/rails g flipper:active_record flipper:setup
flipper-test % bin/rake db:migrate
flipper-test % bin/bundle exec flipper list
bundler: failed to load command: flipper (.rbenv/versions/3.2.5/bin/flipper)
.rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-active_record-1.3.4/lib/flipper/adapters/active_record.rb:292:in `value_not_text?': undefined method `column_for_attribute' for Flipper::Gate:Class (NoMethodError)

        @gate_class.column_for_attribute(:value).type != :text
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-active_record-1.3.4/lib/flipper/adapters/active_record.rb:65:in `initialize'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-active_record-1.3.4/lib/flipper/adapters/active_record.rb:306:in `new'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-active_record-1.3.4/lib/flipper/adapters/active_record.rb:306:in `block (2 levels) in <main>'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/adapter_builder.rb:41:in `to_adapter'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/configuration.rb:29:in `adapter'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/engine.rb:55:in `block (3 levels) in <class:Engine>'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/configuration.rb:65:in `default'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper.rb:46:in `instance'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/3.2.0/forwardable.rb:234:in `features'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/cli.rb:76:in `block (2 levels) in initialize'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/cli.rb:255:in `run'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/cli.rb:123:in `run'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/lib/flipper/cli.rb:6:in `run'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/flipper-1.3.4/exe/flipper:5:in `<top (required)>'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/bin/flipper:25:in `load'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/bin/flipper:25:in `<top (required)>'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:58:in `load'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:58:in `kernel_load'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli/exec.rb:23:in `run'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli.rb:455:in `exec'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/command.rb:28:in `run'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/invocation.rb:127:in `invoke_command'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor.rb:527:in `dispatch'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli.rb:35:in `dispatch'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/vendor/thor/lib/thor/base.rb:584:in `start'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/cli.rb:29:in `start'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/exe/bundle:28:in `block in <top (required)>'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/lib/bundler/friendly_errors.rb:117:in `with_friendly_errors'
	from .rbenv/versions/3.2.5/lib/ruby/gems/3.2.0/gems/bundler-2.5.17/exe/bundle:20:in `<top (required)>'
	from bin/bundle:108:in `load'
	from bin/bundle:108:in `<main>'

It also repros with the latest released version of flipper in rails 7 and ruby 3.1:

rbenv local 3.1.6
gem install rails
rails new .
echo 'gem "flipper"' >> Gemfile
echo 'gem "flipper-active_record"' >> Gemfile
echo 'gem "flipper-ui"' >> Gemfile
bin/bundle install
bin/rails g flipper:active_record flipper:setup
bin/rake db:migrate
bin/bundle exec flipper list

produces the same exception.

Going back to flipper 1.3.0 does not. With this in the Gemfile:

gem "flipper", "=1.3.0"
gem "flipper-ui"
gem "flipper-active_record"

bin/bundle exec flipper list does not throw an exception.

[ola-noblesquad]

I tested and then updated the description that up through 1.3.0 works on rails 7, but not rails 8 (maybe obviously?).

[ola-noblesquad]

This is caused because ActiveRecord::Base isn't actually loaded yet, so the ActiveSupport.on_load(:active_record) callback hasn't happened so none of the active record methods are available to the @gate_class when value_not_text? is called.

From a user perspective, the solution is to do something with activerecord in the initializer to force the load. I added this to my flipper initializer:

Rails.application.configure do
  config.after_initialize { ::ActiveRecord::Base.respond_to?(:retrieve_connection) }
end

and now everything works as expected.

[brendo]

Can reproduce, and the fix stated in #917 (comment) also worked in my scenario.