# Beginner question about attributes **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [December 8, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163 "2008-12-08T22:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/1 "2008-12-08T22:37:50Z")
I don’t understand why my model (attached) isn’t working. I generated a scaffold for my ‘player’ data. If I uncomment the :validates\_presence\_of check in my model, the save on the ‘new’ page compalins about those fields, and re-displays them without the data I’ve typed in (along with the red surrounding and error messages, of course). If I run the model as is, the save goes through, but none of the fields except hashed\_password get saved. Or, another way to put it is, the _only_ field that gets saved is the one I set manually in the before\_create handler. I don’t understand what I did. I haven’t changed the generated view for new.html.erb, the column names haven’t changed in the database. I don’t see what’s missing to reconnect those elements. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/2 "2008-12-09T00:38:57Z")
On Dec 8, 3:31 pm, Scott P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > If I run the model as is, the save goes through, but none of the fields > except hashed\_password get saved. Or, another way to put it is, the > _only_ field that gets saved is the one I set manually in the > before\_create handler. 1. This is a Rails question, not a Ruby question. 2. This has probably much more to do with your controller than your model. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/3 "2008-12-09T00:51:10Z")
Yossef M. wrote: > On Dec 8, 3:31?pm, Scott P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > If I run the model as is, the save goes through, but none of the fields > > except hashed\_password get saved. ?Or, another way to put it is, the > > _only_ field that gets saved is the one I set manually in the > > before\_create handler. Thanks for the response. I guess there’s a lot I don’t understand. > 1. This is a Rails question, not a Ruby question. I thought that Ruby was the language in which all the controllers, models, and views were written. If I’ve generated a scaffold and only changed the model file, it seems like that’s where I’ve introduced the bug(?) > 1. This has probably much more to do with your controller than your > model. Something in the generated create, where it initializes as such: @player = Player.new(params[:player]). I’ll keep poking around to see if I can figure out why those params aren’t what I think they should be. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/4 "2008-12-09T01:15:58Z")
Tim H. wrote: > Scott P. wrote: > > > I thought that Ruby was the language in which all the controllers, > > models, and views were written. If I’ve generated a scaffold and only > > changed the model file, it seems like that’s where I’ve introduced the > > bug(?) > > You’re correct. However, Ruby is a general-purpose programming language > used for many things besides Rails. This list is generally frequented by > Ruby users of all stripes and, while there may be a few Rails users > around, you will have more luck getting an answer to your question in > the Rails forum. > > See [Ruby on Rails — Community](http://www.rubyonrails.com/community) > > Good luck! Ah, thanks for the clarification. Yossef got me thinking down a different path, which led me to making those attributes accessible, seems to be working (well enough for me–as I learn more, I’ll probably figure out that needs to be changed). Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/5 "2008-12-09T01:11:42Z")
Scott P. wrote: > I thought that Ruby was the language in which all the controllers, > models, and views were written. If I’ve generated a scaffold and only > changed the model file, it seems like that’s where I’ve introduced the > bug(?) You’re correct. However, Ruby is a general-purpose programming language used for many things besides Rails. This list is generally frequented by Ruby users of all stripes and, while there may be a few Rails users around, you will have more luck getting an answer to your question in the Rails forum. See [Ruby on Rails — Community](http://www.rubyonrails.com/community) Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/6 "2008-12-09T01:28:40Z")
Scott P. wrote: > Ah, thanks for the clarification. Yossef got me thinking down a > different path, which led me to making those attributes accessible, > seems to be working (well enough for me–as I learn more, I’ll probably > figure out that needs to be changed). > > Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. Don’t feel alone. We get one or two new Rails users a week, sometimes more. After you master Rails maybe you’ll want to use Ruby for something else. If so, come on back. We’ll still be here. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/7 "2008-12-09T16:38:48Z")
Scott P. wrote: > I thought that Ruby was the language in which all the controllers, > models, and views were written. If I’ve generated a scaffold and only > changed the model file, it seems like that’s where I’ve introduced the > bug(?) A technical question always gets the best answer on the narrowest possible forum. To help the Rails forum succeed, we who know Rails try not to answer questions about it here; that dilutes both groups. > @player = Player.new(params[:player]). I’ll keep poking around to see > if I can figure out why those params aren’t what I think they should be. How are your unit tests? ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/8 "2008-12-09T02:21:15Z")
> After you master Rails maybe you’ll want to use Ruby for something > else. Like RMagick 🙂 Or for complete world dominance. I may have some script for that … world\_control.rb It is unfinished though. ---
**Author:** ![dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/c68b51/32.png) [@dark-omen](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dark-omen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/beginner-question-about-attributes/155163/9 "2008-12-09T17:06:20Z")
On Dec 8, 6:09 pm, Scott P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Ah, thanks for the clarification. Yossef got me thinking down a > different path, which led me to making those attributes accessible, > seems to be working (well enough for me–as I learn more, I’ll probably > figure out that needs to be changed). To be honest, I didn’t really look closely at the model because I had already categorized this as a Rails question by that point. There was no way to be absolutely positive given the information provided, but it could be reasonable to assume you were using a generated controller with standard actions. Really, the problem was in the model with the use of attr\_accessible, which keeps other attributes from being mass-assigned. Of course, the question was still in the wrong place, much like attr\_accessible and attr\_protected are in the wrong part of the MVC trio. But that’s a discussion for another day.