# Overriding .blank? method **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [August 25, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321 "2009-08-25T01:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/1 "2009-08-25T01:50:48Z")
Hi, Does anyone know a way to override .blank? method that rails provides. I want to add additional custom checks (specific to my application) to this method. Thanks, Pratik ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/2 "2009-08-25T02:00:10Z")
> Does anyone know a way to override .blank? method that rails provides. > I want to add additional custom checks (specific to my application) to > this method. I’d tread very carefully here. I know I use .blank? all over the place. I imagine Rails and lots of plugins do as well. You may well be changing behavior in libraries you’re not aware of… I’d suggest if at all possible to create your own .my\_blank? method (with a better name of course) and use that where appropriate. Otherwise… search the rails source for “def blank?” and then simply override it by monkey patching it. ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 9:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/3 "2009-08-25T09:16:55Z")
Hi Philip, I am reasonably new to rails, i’ve fallen in love with it :). Reading your response, though I understand what your saying but I don’t have enough knowledge on how one can do something like that, could you be generous enough to share some resource links or something where I could read something about it? Thanks! Thanks & Regards, Dhruva S… Stephen Leacock[http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/stephen\_leacock.html](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/stephen_leacock.html) - “I detest life-insurance agents: they always argue that I shall some day die, which is not so.” ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/4 "2009-08-25T11:20:27Z")
Oh I am sorry for that, my mistake!!I wanted some info regarding monkey patching… Thanks & Regards, Dhruva S… ## Ogden Nash [http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/ogden\_nash.html](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/o/ogden_nash.html) “The trouble with a kitten is that when it grows up, it’s always a cat.” ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/5 "2009-08-25T11:18:07Z")
2009/8/25 Dhruva S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > Hi Philip, > I am reasonably new to rails, i’ve fallen in love with it :). > Reading your response, though I understand what your saying but I don’t have > enough knowledge on how one can do something like that, Since you top posted your comment it is unclear which ‘something like that’ you are referring to. Is it creating a method my\_blank? or monkey patching that you want help with? Colin ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/6 "2009-08-25T11:41:32Z")
:-|, yea I did that anyways, did go through some stuff, will go through some more at night when I have more free time.Just wanted to get some good references or leads which others have already used perhaps … Thanks & Regards, Dhruva S… Charles de Gaulle[http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charles\_de\_gaulle.html](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charles_de_gaulle.html) - “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/7 "2009-08-25T11:46:13Z")
2009/8/25 Dhruva S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > :-|, yea I did that anyways, did go through some stuff, will go through some > more at night when I have more free time. > Just wanted to get some good references or leads which others have already > used perhaps … > Thanks & Regards, Apologies, you would be surprised how many don’t do their own research first. Colin ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/8 "2009-08-25T11:36:51Z")
2009/8/25 Dhruva S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid): > Oh I am sorry for that, my mistake!! > I wanted some info regarding monkey patching… > Thanks & Regards, > Dhruva S… Google for ‘how to monkey patch rails’, it throws up lots of useful links, though no doubt some are more useful than others. Colin ---
**Author:** ![pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pakothawade](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/pakothawade)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/overriding-blank-method/174321/9 "2009-08-25T17:50:23Z")
If you just want to add checks for a single model, you can override blank? on the model. Just declare it like any other method. –Matt J.