Before validate

Rails
#1

i am using before validate to format my input from my view file for
the columns of type DateTime. I have pasted the code for the
validation and works well for creating a new record. However, when
trying to update the record where the columns from and to (of type
DateTime) are null, then they are not set in the update call. It seems
like i am checking to see if the attribute is present and then does
not find one (i guess it looks in the prior saved values in the db
which is indeed empty?) even though on is sent in the update request.

before_validation do
self.from = Time.parse(from.to_s) if attribute_present?(“from”)
self.to = Time.parse(to.to_s) if attribute_present?(“to”)
#puts “hello”
end

#2

On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 4:30 AM, tashfeen.ekram
[email protected]wrote:

self.from = Time.parse(from.to_s) if attribute_present?(“from”)
self.to = Time.parse(to.to_s) if attribute_present?(“to”)
#puts “hello”
end

I think a “before_validation” is not the correct place to do this
input format conversion.

I would suggest to implement your requirement with code like
this (using a custom setter for those 2 fileds).
(untested, pseudo code):

def from=(time_string)
write_attribute(:from, parse_time(time_string))
end

def to=(time_string)
write_attribute(:to, parse_time(time_string))
end

def parse_time(time_string)
Time.parse(time_string)
end
private :parse_time

HTH,

Peter

–
Peter V.
http://twitter.com/peter_v
http://rails.vandenabeele.com