1Active Record connects classes to relational database tables to establish an 2almost zero-configuration persistence layer for applications. The library 3provides a base class that, when subclassed, sets up a mapping between the new 4class and an existing table in the database. In the context of an application, 5these classes are commonly referred to as models. Models can also be connected 6to other models; this is done by defining associations. 7 8Active Record relies heavily on naming in that it uses class and association 9names to establish mappings between respective database tables and foreign key 10columns. Although these mappings can be defined explicitly, it's recommended to 11follow naming conventions, especially when getting started with the library. 12