# Date validation

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 16, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410 "2009-10-16T16:44:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michbukana)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410/1 "2009-10-16T16:44:30Z")

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Hello,

What is the best way to validate date periods? I have a model which has  
two date attributes, and the user is not able to create a new record if  
date1 is greater than date2. I tried using validates\_numericality\_of but  
it doesn’t work with dates.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michbukana)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410/2 "2009-10-16T17:49:06Z")

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Eduardo B. wrote:

> ```
> Hello,
> 
> What is the best way to validate date periods? I have a model which has  
> two date attributes, and the user is not able to create a new record if  
> date1 is greater than date2. I tried using validates\_numericality\_of but  
> it doesn’t work with dates.
> ```

I created my own validator for dates checking for the correct order and for valid dates. I check valid dates by creating and catchng the exception if the date is invalid.  
  
  
  
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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michbukana)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410/3 "2009-10-16T18:25:58Z")

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Create your own validation method like this:

[http://guides.rubyonrails.org/activerecord\_validations\_callbacks.html#creating-custom-validation-methods](http://guides.rubyonrails.org/activerecord_validations_callbacks.html#creating-custom-validation-methods)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@michbukana](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/michbukana)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/date-validation/177410/4 "2009-10-17T00:58:46Z")

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irb(main):001:0\> require ‘date’  
=\> true

irb(main):002:0\> d1 = Date.new(2009, 4, 1)  
=\> #\<Date: 2009-04-01 (4909845/2,0,2299161)\>

irb(main):003:0\> d2 = Date.new(2009, 5, 1)  
=\> #\<Date: 2009-05-01 (4909905/2,0,2299161)\>

irb(main):004:0\> d3 = Date.new(2009, 6, 1)  
=\> #\<Date: 2009-06-01 (4909967/2,0,2299161)\>

irb(main):005:0\> d2.between? d1, d3  
=\> true

On Oct 16, 12:24 pm, “removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid”