# Validates\_uniqueness\_of doesn't work if value tested is nume **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [July 30, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/validates-uniqueness-of-doesnt-work-if-value-tested-is-nume/110758 "2007-07-30T18:01:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kiriakos_Georgiou)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/validates-uniqueness-of-doesnt-work-if-value-tested-is-nume/110758/1 "2007-07-30T18:01:08Z")
Hello all, I am working through the depot example in the rails book. If I add a validates\_uniqueness\_of to a string column in the model, and then try to create a record with a number in this string column I get an SQL error. Looks like the SQL generated to test for uniqueness does not quote the value if it’s numeric even though it’s comparing against a varchar column. It does something like this: (select \* from products where title = 123) This of course needs 123 to be quoted in order for it to work. I thought this would be an easy fix in the quote() method of sybase\_adapter.rb but it appears to be doing the right thing by checking the column type. I’d like to figure out if it’s specific to the sybase adapter so if anyone can validates\_uniqueness\_of a string column and then pass an integer I’d appreciate it. Also that’s the proper way of debugging sybase\_adapter.rb’s quote() method? At a minimum I’d like to pepper it with some print statements and be able to see the output in one of the log files. thanks, Kiriakos ps. Few days into RoR, all I can say is wow ---
**Author:** ![Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kiriakos_Georgiou)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/validates-uniqueness-of-doesnt-work-if-value-tested-is-nume/110758/2 "2007-07-31T02:41:16Z")
> I am working through the depot example in the rails book. If I add a > validates\_uniqueness\_of to a string column in the model, and then try > to create a record with a number in this string column I get an SQL > error. Looks like the SQL generated to test for uniqueness does not > quote the value if it’s numeric even though it’s comparing against a > varchar column. It does something like this: (select \* from products > where title = 123) This of course needs 123 to be quoted in order for > it to work. I think you need to cast 123 to a string. You didn’t give enough context, but before you do whatever was generating the select, try updating the title parameter to be ‘title.to\_s’ ---
**Author:** ![Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kiriakos_Georgiou)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/validates-uniqueness-of-doesnt-work-if-value-tested-is-nume/110758/3 "2007-08-13T18:03:46Z")
Cynthia K. wrote: > > I am working through the depot example in the rails book. If I add a > > validates\_uniqueness\_of to a string column in the model, and then try > > to create a record with a number in this string column I get an SQL > > error. Looks like the SQL generated to test for uniqueness does not > > quote the value if it’s numeric even though it’s comparing against a > > varchar column. It does something like this: (select \* from products > > where title = 123) This of course needs 123 to be quoted in order for > > it to work. > > I think you need to cast 123 to a string. You didn’t give enough > context, but before you do whatever was generating the select, try > updating the title parameter to be ‘title.to\_s’ I am having this similar behavior, to validate the uniqueness of a title, but when passing in a number it fails, b/c the parameter is not being seen as a String. Here is the validator - validates\_uniqueness\_of :title, :message =\> ApplicationConstants::REPORT\_SPEC\_TITLE\_TAKEN\_MSG, :case\_sensitive =\> false, :scope =\> [:associateID, :view\_type\_id], :if =\> Proc.new {|spec| !spec.is\_a?(ReportSpecificationClone) } We are using the sybase adapter as well. Tried this in the rails console - Create a spec set title = 123.to\_s and get the same results that web app gets. ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: RuntimeError: SQL Command Failed for ReportSpecification Load: SELECT \* FROM report\_specifications WHERE (LOWER(report\_specifications.title) = 123 AND report\_specifications.associateID = 2500000 AND report\_specifications.view\_type\_id = 1 AND report\_specifications.id \<\> 471) Message: Implicit conversion from datatype ‘VARCHAR’ to ‘INT’ is not allowed. Use the CONVERT function to run this query. : SELECT \* FROM report\_specifications WHERE (LOWER(report\_specifications.title) = 123 AND report\_specifications.associateID = 2500000 AND report\_specifications.view\_type\_id = 1 AND report\_specifications.id \<\> 471) Any help or insight to the problem is appreciated. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@Kiriakos\_Georgiou](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Kiriakos_Georgiou)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/validates-uniqueness-of-doesnt-work-if-value-tested-is-nume/110758/4 "2007-08-14T23:13:11Z")
This is related to: [http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core/browse\_thread/thread/572706bfc0ebd894/524df0e3fbcf395f?lnk=gst&q=numconvert&rnum=1#524df0e3fbcf395f](http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core/browse_thread/thread/572706bfc0ebd894/524df0e3fbcf395f?lnk=gst&q=numconvert&rnum=1#524df0e3fbcf395f) validates\_uniqueness\_of ends up calling #quote\_bound\_value. as a result no column information is passed into #quote. As a result the value is never quoted. On Aug 13, 11:03 am, Matt B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)