# FlexImage - Must upload image?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [December 21, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053 "2006-12-21T01:27:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/1 "2006-12-21T01:27:41Z")

</div>

I’ve got the flexImage plugin working with my RESTful app (thanks to  
Alex W.). The problem is when I render the ‘create’ method WITHOUT  
uploading an image, I get an invalid image error. My ‘new’ view has  
fields for the other attributes in the table (same table where the  
images are uploaded), and I would like to enter in those details and  
create a new object without having to upload an image. The image is an  
option or can be uploaded at a later time. I’ve looked in the FlexImage  
model source code and I’ve found where the error occurs (starts on line  
4).

def data=(file)  
file\_is\_a\_url = file =~ %r{^https?://}

```
  unless file.respond_to?(:read) || file_is_a_url
    raise InvalidImage, 'Uploaded file contains no binary data. Be

```

sure that {:multipart =\> true} is set on your form.’  
end

```
  if file.size > 0
    # Convert a string URL to a file object
    file = open(file) if file_is_a_url

    begin
      # Create RMagick Image object from uploaded file
      if file.path
        img = Magick::Image.read(file.path).first
      else
        img = Magick::Image.from_blob(file.read).first
      end

      # Ensure file RMagick object validity
      raise InvalidImage, 'from_blob method on file returned nil.

```

Invalid format.’ if img.nil?

```
      # Convert to a JPG
      img.format = 'JPG'

      # Set image quality and save result to record
      self.rmagick_image = img

      # Perform image pre-processing
      process! @@upload_options unless @@upload_options.empty?

    rescue
      # File was not an image, mark for adding validation error
      invalidate_image_field

    ensure
      GC.start
    end
  else
    invalidate_image_field
  end

  self[data_field]
end

def [](field_name, *args) #:nodoc:
  if field_name.to_sym == data_field.to_sym && @@file_store
    @data ||= rmagick_image.to_blob
  else
    super(field_name, *args)
  end
end

def []=(field_name, value, *args) #:nodoc:
  if field_name.to_sym == data_field.to_sym && @@file_store
    @data = value
  else
    super(field_name, value, *args)
  end
end

```

Anyone know how I would be able to create a new object without  
necessarily uploading an image at the same time?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/2 "2006-12-21T01:41:01Z")

</div>

> def data=(file)  
> file\_is\_a\_url = file =~ %r{^https?://}
> 
> ```
> unless file.respond_to?(:read) || file_is_a_url
> raise InvalidImage, 'Uploaded file contains no binary data. Be
> 
> ```
> 
> sure that {:multipart =\> true} is set on your form.’  
> end  
> [snip]
> 
> Anyone know how I would be able to create a new object without  
> necessarily uploading an image at the same time?

Name your form field something other than ‘data’. I’m using flex\_image  
(outside of REST) and my form field is named “image\_file”. My forms are  
two part, first part is data, second part is the image file. In the  
second part I simply do this:

```
   unless params['image_file'].original_filename.empty? then
     @photo.data = params['image_file']
   end

```

That works for me…

-philip

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/3 "2006-12-21T01:47:23Z")

</div>

Justin Ko wrote:

> Anyone know how I would be able to create a new object without  
> necessarily uploading an image at the same time?

Like any uploaded file in Rails, you need to check that there is  
actually data there, by checking the the uploaded file has a size \> 0.

def upload\_image  
params[:my\_model].delete(:image) if params[:my\_model][:image].size \>  
0  
if params[:my\_model][:image].size \> 0  
MyModel.create(params[:my\_model])  
end  
end

Sadly, rails will populate the parameter from the file field with a file  
object, whether something was uploaded or not.

Now that you bring it up, there really ought to be a more graceful way  
to handle this. Perhaps by making the upload optional, and only have it  
required with:

validates\_presence\_of :data

Sound like a good plan?

-Alex

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/4 "2006-12-21T01:48:23Z")

</div>

Oops. That should probably be:

def upload\_image  
params[:my\_model].delete(:image) if params[:my\_model][:image].size \>  
0  
MyModel.create(params[:my\_model])  
end

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/5 "2006-12-21T02:29:00Z")

</div>

> The problem is when I render the ‘create’ method WITHOUT  
> uploading an image, I get an invalid image error.

Ok, I just checked in an alteration to the plugin. To get the behavior  
you want use:

class Foo \< FlexImage::Model  
self.require\_image\_data = false  
end

class FooController \< AC::B  
def create  
@user = User.create(params[:user])  
end  
end

This will simply leave the data field as nil, or not write a file to the  
disk, if there is no uploaded file. This means you no longer have to  
check if the file exists in the controller. Simply pass the entire  
params hash that you want into Model.create or Model.new and  
FlexImage::Model will ignore it if its empty and require\_image\_data is  
false.

However this is only useful if you want to have records without images.  
If you have a model where the reason for the model existing is the  
image, like an Avatar of a ProductImage, then this would not be a good  
choice. The image validation errors should be your friend in those  
cases.

It works in my tests. Please test it in your app and let me know if it  
has the intended behavior.

I’m always open to making this plugin better. Don’t hesitate to ask.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@jkay](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jkay)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/fleximage-must-upload-image/80053/6 "2006-12-21T03:42:40Z")

</div>

Thanks! It works exactly how I wanted.