title: Should I use a database column to replace a method?
body: <p>My app uses a method that is called many many times during an important event, so that it affects performance.</p>
  
  <p>Can I improve the design by using a database column instead?  The column would hold the same integer that was outputted by the old method, but it would calculate the value ahead of time, instead of during the critical event.  The downside is that I would need to update the column during a lot of other, less-common events.  </p>
  
  <p>Does this design go against best practice?  Would a professional rails developer hate this approach?  Is there something that I might be unaware of that could be better than both approaches?  </p>
  
  <p>Thank you in advance for any insight.</p>