applies new doc guidelines to Active Record.

The focus of this change is to make the API more accessible.
References to method and classes should be linked to make it easy to
navigate around.

This patch makes exzessiv use of `rdoc-ref:` to provide more readable
docs. This makes it possible to document `ActiveRecord::Base#save` even
though the method is within a separate module
`ActiveRecord::Persistence`. The goal here is to bring the API closer to
the actual code that you would write.

This commit only deals with Active Record. The other gems will be
updated accordingly but in different commits. The pass through Active
Record is not completely finished yet. A follow up commit will change
the spots I haven't yet had the time to update.

/cc @fxn

1 files changed, 19 insertions, 19 deletions

diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
index f659d0b10f..94316d5249 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/persistence.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 module ActiveRecord
-  # = Active Record Persistence
+  # = Active Record \Persistence
   module Persistence
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # the existing record gets updated.
     #
     # By default, save always run validations. If any of them fail the action
-    # is cancelled and +save+ returns +false+. However, if you supply
+    # is cancelled and #save returns +false+. However, if you supply
     # validate: false, validations are bypassed altogether. See
     # ActiveRecord::Validations for more information.
     #
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # If the model is new, a record gets created in the database, otherwise
     # the existing record gets updated.
     #
-    # With <tt>save!</tt> validations always run. If any of them fail
+    # With #save! validations always run. If any of them fail
     # ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid gets raised. See ActiveRecord::Validations
     # for more information.
     #
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # The row is simply removed with an SQL +DELETE+ statement on the
     # record's primary key, and no callbacks are executed.
     #
-    # Note that this will also delete records marked as <tt>readonly?</tt>.
+    # Note that this will also delete records marked as {#readonly?}[rdoc-ref:Core#readonly?].
     #
     # To enforce the object's +before_destroy+ and +after_destroy+
     # callbacks or any <tt>:dependent</tt> association
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Note: The new instance will share a link to the same attributes as the original class.
     # Therefore the sti column value will still be the same.
     # Any change to the attributes on either instance will affect both instances.
-    # If you want to change the sti column as well, use +becomes!+ instead.
+    # If you want to change the sti column as well, use #becomes! instead.
     def becomes(klass)
       became = klass.new
       became.instance_variable_set("@attributes", @attributes)
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       became
     end
 
-    # Wrapper around +becomes+ that also changes the instance's sti column value.
+    # Wrapper around #becomes that also changes the instance's sti column value.
     # This is especially useful if you want to persist the changed class in your
     # database.
     #
@@ -239,14 +239,14 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # This is especially useful for boolean flags on existing records. Also note that
     #
     # * Validation is skipped.
-    # * Callbacks are invoked.
+    # * \Callbacks are invoked.
     # * updated_at/updated_on column is updated if that column is available.
     # * Updates all the attributes that are dirty in this object.
     #
-    # This method raises an +ActiveRecord::ActiveRecordError+  if the
+    # This method raises an ActiveRecord::ActiveRecordError  if the
     # attribute is marked as readonly.
     #
-    # See also +update_column+.
+    # See also #update_column.
     def update_attribute(name, value)
       name = name.to_s
       verify_readonly_attribute(name)
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
     alias update_attributes update
 
-    # Updates its receiver just like +update+ but calls <tt>save!</tt> instead
+    # Updates its receiver just like #update but calls #save! instead
     # of +save+, so an exception is raised if the record is invalid.
     def update!(attributes)
       # The following transaction covers any possible database side-effects of the
@@ -295,11 +295,11 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # the database, but take into account that in consequence the regular update
     # procedures are totally bypassed. In particular:
     #
-    # * Validations are skipped.
-    # * Callbacks are skipped.
+    # * \Validations are skipped.
+    # * \Callbacks are skipped.
     # * +updated_at+/+updated_on+ are not updated.
     #
-    # This method raises an +ActiveRecord::ActiveRecordError+ when called on new
+    # This method raises an ActiveRecord::ActiveRecordError when called on new
     # objects, or when at least one of the attributes is marked as readonly.
     def update_columns(attributes)
       raise ActiveRecordError, "cannot update a new record" if new_record?
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       self
     end
 
-    # Wrapper around +increment+ that saves the record. This method differs from
+    # Wrapper around #increment that saves the record. This method differs from
     # its non-bang version in that it passes through the attribute setter.
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       increment(attribute, -by)
     end
 
-    # Wrapper around +decrement+ that saves the record. This method differs from
+    # Wrapper around #decrement that saves the record. This method differs from
     # its non-bang version in that it passes through the attribute setter.
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       self
     end
 
-    # Wrapper around +toggle+ that saves the record. This method differs from
+    # Wrapper around #toggle that saves the record. This method differs from
     # its non-bang version in that it passes through the attribute setter.
     # Saving is not subjected to validation checks. Returns +true+ if the
     # record could be saved.
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # Attributes are reloaded from the database, and caches busted, in
     # particular the associations cache and the QueryCache.
     #
-    # If the record no longer exists in the database <tt>ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound</tt>
+    # If the record no longer exists in the database ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound
     # is raised. Otherwise, in addition to the in-place modification the method
     # returns +self+ for convenience.
     #
@@ -448,8 +448,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
     #   product.touch(:designed_at)           # updates the designed_at attribute and updated_at/on
     #   product.touch(:started_at, :ended_at) # updates started_at, ended_at and updated_at/on attributes
     #
-    # If used along with +belongs_to+ then +touch+ will invoke +touch+ method on
-    # associated object.
+    # If used along with {belongs_to}[rdoc-ref:Associations::ClassMethods#belongs_to]
+    # then +touch+ will invoke +touch+ method on associated object.
     #
     #   class Brake < ActiveRecord::Base
     #     belongs_to :car, touch: true