i have ruby on rails condition works in mysql not in postgres :conditions => ["a between ? , ? , b between ? , ? , c between ? , ? , ddd ?",@amin,@amax,@bmin,@bmax,@cmin,@cmax,params[:input].to_s] generates error: activerecord::statementinvalid (pgerror: error: syntax error @ or near "e'word'" line 1: ...c between -100 , 100 , ddd e'word') i know works without last comparison. eg. :conditions => ["a between ? , ? , b between ? , ? , c between ? , ?",@amin,@amax,@bmin,@bmax,@cmin,@cmax] ddd of type :string whereas a,b , c :decimal. after doing research on postgresql seems e' strings escaped strings - doesn't me can't seem correct it. don't work postgresql apologize in advance if obvious. i'm using heroku hosting can't change postgresql settings. anyway, i'd prefer understand problem , how fix it. cheers, stu try changing ddd ? into ddd = ?