Fix circular `autosave: true`

Use a variable local to the `save_collection_association` method in
`activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb`, instead of an
instance variable.

Prior to this PR, when there was a circular series of `autosave: true`
associations, the callback for a `has_many` association was run while
another instance of the same callback on the same association hadn't
finished running. When control returned to the first instance of the
callback, the instance variable had changed, and subsequent associated
records weren't saved correctly. Specifically, the ID field for the
`belongs_to` corresponding to the `has_many` was `nil`.

Remove unnecessary test and comments.

Fixes #28080.

7 files changed, 75 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index 456f569718..b74ad35a92 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+*   Fix circular `autosave: true`
+
+    Use a variable local to the `save_collection_association` method in
+    `activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb`, instead of an
+    instance variable.
+
+    Prior to this PR, when there was a circular series of `autosave: true`
+    associations, the callback for a `has_many` association was run while
+    another instance of the same callback on the same association hadn't
+    finished running. When control returned to the first instance of the
+    callback, the instance variable had changed, and subsequent associated
+    records weren't saved correctly. Specifically, the ID field for the
+    `belongs_to` corresponding to the `has_many` was `nil`.
+
+    Fixes #28080.
+
+    *Larry Reid*
 *   Don't impose primary key order if limit() has already been supplied.
 
     Fixes #23607
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
index a405f05e0b..78acc06eae 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
@@ -382,10 +382,14 @@ module ActiveRecord
         if association = association_instance_get(reflection.name)
           autosave = reflection.options[:autosave]
 
+          # By saving the instance variable in a local variable, we make the
+          # whole callback re-entrant, fixing issue #28080
+          new_record_before_save = @new_record_before_save
+
           # reconstruct the scope now that we know the owner's id
           association.reset_scope
 
-          if records = associated_records_to_validate_or_save(association, @new_record_before_save, autosave)
+          if records = associated_records_to_validate_or_save(association, new_record_before_save, autosave)
             if autosave
               records_to_destroy = records.select(&:marked_for_destruction?)
               records_to_destroy.each { |record| association.destroy(record) }
@@ -397,7 +401,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
               saved = true
 
-              if autosave != false && (@new_record_before_save || record.new_record?)
+              if autosave != false && (new_record_before_save || record.new_record?)
                 if autosave
                   saved = association.insert_record(record, false)
                 elsif !reflection.nested?
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_through_associations_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_through_associations_test.rb
index d5573b6d02..97e83441a2 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_through_associations_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/associations/has_many_through_associations_test.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ require "models/organization"
 require "models/user"
 require "models/family"
 require "models/family_tree"
+require "models/section"
+require "models/seminar"
+require "models/session"
 
 class HasManyThroughAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
   fixtures :posts, :readers, :people, :comments, :authors, :categories, :taggings, :tags,
@@ -1403,6 +1406,19 @@ class HasManyThroughAssociationsTest < ActiveRecord::TestCase
     assert_equal [subscription2], post.subscriptions.to_a
   end
 
+  def test_circular_autosave_association_correctly_saves_multiple_records
+    cs180 = Seminar.new(name: "CS180")
+    fall = Session.new(name: "Fall")
+    sections = [
+      cs180.sections.build(short_name: "A"),
+      cs180.sections.build(short_name: "B"),
+    ]
+    fall.sections << sections
+    fall.save!
+    fall.reload
+    assert_equal sections, fall.sections.sort_by(&:id)
+  end
+
   private
     def make_model(name)
       Class.new(ActiveRecord::Base) { define_singleton_method(:name) { name } }
diff --git a/activerecord/test/models/section.rb b/activerecord/test/models/section.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8b4cc7936
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/models/section.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class Section < ActiveRecord::Base
+  belongs_to :session, inverse_of: :sections, autosave: true
+  belongs_to :seminar, inverse_of: :sections, autosave: true
+end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/models/seminar.rb b/activerecord/test/models/seminar.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c18aa86433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/models/seminar.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class Seminar < ActiveRecord::Base
+  has_many :sections, inverse_of: :seminar, autosave: true, dependent: :destroy
+  has_many :sessions, through: :sections
+end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/models/session.rb b/activerecord/test/models/session.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db66b5297e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activerecord/test/models/session.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class Session < ActiveRecord::Base
+  has_many :sections, inverse_of: :session, autosave: true, dependent: :destroy
+  has_many :seminars, through: :sections
+end
diff --git a/activerecord/test/schema/schema.rb b/activerecord/test/schema/schema.rb
index 266e55f682..02520fc0cc 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/schema/schema.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/schema/schema.rb
@@ -772,6 +772,24 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define do
     t.integer :lock_version, default: 0
   end
 
+  disable_referential_integrity do
+    create_table :seminars, force: :cascade do |t|
+      t.string :name
+    end
+
+    create_table :sessions, force: :cascade do |t|
+      t.date :start_date
+      t.date :end_date
+      t.string :name
+    end
+
+    create_table :sections, force: :cascade do |t|
+      t.string :short_name
+      t.belongs_to :session, foreign_key: true
+      t.belongs_to :seminar, foreign_key: true
+    end
+  end
+
   create_table :shape_expressions, force: true do |t|
     t.string  :paint_type
     t.integer :paint_id