# ActiveRecord::ConnectionAdapters::Column value\_to\_boolean(value) does not return a boolean value **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 3, 2010, 10:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-column-value-to-boolean-value-does-not-return-a-boolean-value/194374 "2010-09-03T10:29:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![powertoaster](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@powertoaster](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/powertoaster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 10:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-column-value-to-boolean-value-does-not-return-a-boolean-value/194374/1 "2010-09-03T10:29:50Z")
value\_to\_boolean(value), does not always return a boolean value, only when true. 150: def value\_to\_boolean(value) 151: if value.is\_a?(String) && value.blank? 152: nil 153: else 154: TRUE\_VALUES.include?(value) 155: end 156: end If value is contained in TRUE\_VALUES then it returns true(TrueClass). But if value is anything else it returns nil(NilClass) instead of false(FalseClass) This does not seem consistent or expected to me since false \<\> nil. Since we have TRUE\_VALUES and FALSE\_VALUES, I think it should be something like this. 150 def value\_to\_boolean(value) 151 if TRUE\_VALUES.include?(value) 152 true 153 elsif FALSE\_VALUES.include?(value) 154 false 155 else 156 nil 157 end 158 end ---
**Author:** ![powertoaster](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@powertoaster](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/powertoaster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/activerecord-column-value-to-boolean-value-does-not-return-a-boolean-value/194374/2 "2010-09-03T16:00:37Z")
On Sep 2, 9:21 pm, powertoaster [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > If value is contained in TRUE\_VALUES then it returns true(TrueClass). > But if value is anything else it returns nil(NilClass) instead of > false(FalseClass) > > This does not seem consistent or expected to me since false \<\> nil. > > Since we have TRUE\_VALUES and FALSE\_VALUES, I think it should be > something like this. The code as it is ensures that if the column contains NULL then you get nil out. 3 way true/false/unset logic can be a little odd but I’m not sure whether it should just be completely supressed. It might also be misleading in that foo.flag == false leads you to believe that Foo.find\_all\_by\_flag(false) would return that row, which it wouldn’t if the flag is NULL. If you don’t like NULLs in boolean columns, then make it a non null column (which i usually do) Fred