# Number format checking **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 10, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554 "2007-04-10T12:39:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wings)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554/1 "2007-04-10T12:39:45Z")
Hi everyone, what’s the syntex to check if a field is a number. If my filed is called “phonefiled”. thanks for the help in advance. ---
**Author:** ![wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wings)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554/2 "2007-04-10T14:11:44Z")
wings wrote: > Hi everyone, what’s the syntex to check if a field is > a number. If my filed is called “phonefiled”. validates\_numericality\_of :phonefiled There are options you should check out at [api.rubyonrails.org](http://api.rubyonrails.org) hth, Bill ---
**Author:** ![wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wings)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554/3 "2007-04-11T13:15:41Z")
Hi Guys, > validates\_numericality\_of :phonefiled Well, phone “numbers” are almost never numbers. You might have “(02) 9876 5432” or “+61 2 9876 5432”. Best to validate against a regexp, e.g.: phone\_number =~ /[0-9() +]+/ > There are options you should check out at [api.rubyonrails.org](http://api.rubyonrails.org) Yes, their examples even have phone number validation: > **[ActiveRecord::Validations](https://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveRecord/Validations.html)** > > Active Record Validations Active Record includes the majority of its validations from ActiveModel::Validations all of which accept the :on argument to define the context where the validations are act. Regards, Dave ---
**Author:** ![wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wings)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554/4 "2007-04-11T13:51:46Z")
+1 for Regex. You never know when a user will input any of these valid phone numbers versions (404) 555 1212 404 555-1212 4045551212 etc… RSL ---
**Author:** ![wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wings](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wings)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 7:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/number-format-checking/91554/5 "2007-04-16T07:43:34Z")
Thanks for the help guys!