# Params and empty strings

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-and-empty-strings/161960>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 4, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-and-empty-strings/161960 "2009-03-04T09:24:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![giga](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@giga](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/giga)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-and-empty-strings/161960/1 "2009-03-04T09:24:58Z")

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Is there some better way to do this?

[http://assertbuggy.blogspot.com/2007/06/ruby-on-rails-params-and-empty-strings.html](http://assertbuggy.blogspot.com/2007/06/ruby-on-rails-params-and-empty-strings.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![giga](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/b9bd4f/32.png) [@giga](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/giga)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/params-and-empty-strings/161960/2 "2009-03-04T09:29:31Z")

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I usually use a before validate hook, and do things like:

def normalize\_fields  
self.foo = nil if self.foo.blank?  
self.bar = nil if self.bar.blank?  
end

On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 2:24 AM, Fresh M.  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Is there some better way to do this?
> 
> ## [assert\_buggy: ruby on rails params and empty strings](http://assertbuggy.blogspot.com/2007/06/ruby-on-rails-params-and-empty-strings.html)
> 
> Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/).
> 
> >

–  
(Ruby, Rails, Random) blog: [http://skandragon.blogspot.com/](http://skandragon.blogspot.com/)