ruby on rails - assigning parent_id from an existing attribute -

i have database imported csv file , assign hierarchy based on assembly level below. not sure approach take. can write if statements long. sorry new this, , don't know begin. appreciated.

assembly_level         assembly_tree           description      uniq_id 0                      0 level               "zero level"    d9s64 1                       level 1 assembly      "level one"     c9633 2                        level 2 assembly     "level two"     11197 3                         level 3 assembly  "level three"   e271f 4                          level 4 assembly  "level four"    552da 4                          level 4 assembly  "level four"    4568a 3                         level 3 assembly  "level three"   b72bd 

how can assign assembly_level parent_id during import?

@item = item.new(:assembly_level=> params[:parent_id])

assuming importing content csv file reading line line , little information provide, consider (correct me if wrong) hierarchy implied in order of file.

i try this:

• whenever store record, store id of record in temporary variable.
• then, check if next record children. if so, assign parent_id have stored.

a sample of unverified code, can see thinking:

previous_record['id'] = 0 previous_record['level'] = 999 # temp variable previous record  csv_file.read |line| # reading method of choice   line_array = line.split(";")   item = item.new({'assembly_level' => line_array[0], 'assembly_tree' => line_array[1], 'description' => line_array[2], 'uniq_id' => line_array[3]) # creating regular item    # if current item children assembly level greater previous 1   if item.assembly_level > previous_record['level']     item.parent_id = previous_record['id']     item.save   else # store previous value when not children      # storing values use next record     previous_record['id'] = line_array[3]     previous_record['level'] = line_array[0]   end end