# Weird stuff: validate\_uniqueness\_of with :scope does not work **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 7, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577 "2010-09-07T12:58:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/1 "2010-09-07T12:58:50Z")
Running rails 2.3.8. I have a two models defined like this class Member has\_many :folders before\_save: create\_default\_folders protected def create\_default\_folders! %w{Inbox Sent}.each do |folder| unless self.folders.find\_by\_name(folder) self.folders.create!(:name =\> folder, :deletable =\> false) end end end end class Folder belongs\_to :member # folder names must be unique for each user validates\_uniqueness\_of :name, :scope =\> [:member\_id], :allow\_blank =\> false, :case\_sensitive =\> false, :message =\> ‘already exists for this member’ end ------ MembersController def create @member = Member.new(params[:member]) ``` if @member.save ... end ``` end So as you can see, what I wish to get when I save a new Member are two default folders colled (Inbox and Sent). So I defined the after\_save callback. I tested it in script/console and it works whenever I build and save a Member. However, as soon as I create a member through a controller-backed form, the uniqueness validation gets tripped up. I get validation error from my validates\_uniqueness\_of as “Folder already exists for this member”. Which shouldn’t happen. For some strange reason :scope gets ignored and thus uniqueness check isn’t properly scoped by member\_id… The weird part is that it all works in script/console, but not via web forms. Any suggestions??? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/2 "2010-09-07T13:35:43Z")
On Sep 7, 11:55 am, Swartz [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Is there some odd interaction because you’re creating these folders from a before\_save (ie the member’s id has not yet been set)? Fred ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/3 "2010-09-07T16:34:54Z")
dont use the before\_save use transactions that way it will roll back both actions if there is an error. and dont use that function you have with the each and all use find\_or\_create\_by\_name(name) it does what you want. On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 7:20 AM, Frederick C. \ **Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/4 "2010-09-07T19:39:56Z") That’s what I thought originally about id not being set… but why does it work from script/console ? That kind of puzzles me… On Sep 7, 5:20 am, Frederick C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > On Sep 7, 11:55 am, Swartz [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/5 "2010-09-07T20:10:23Z")
Also note that I have to set at least one other folder attribute while creating a folder , so this variant doesn’t help me much. ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/6 "2010-09-07T19:38:46Z")
That code must’ve been 5th iteration of trying to get that call back to work. I’ve tried your suggested method. I’ve so tried create/create!, save/save!. Everything work from console. That is I can do m = Member.new m.x = “value” m.folders.find\_or\_create\_by\_name('folder\_name") m.save It all work beautifully from console. I can test my validation, it works. But as soon as I do the same thing (create new Member) from controller context via form params, the scoped validates\_uniqueness\_of does not function as expected. – Swartz ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/7 "2010-09-09T02:08:48Z")
I’ve created a brand new Rails 2.3.8 app. No gems, nothing. I created only the bare necessities: Two models (Member and Folder) one controller (MembersController with only new and create actions) one view (new). I can create one member with default folders as per my callback (the very first one), but any subsequent members don’t get default folders created for them. But again, when I try the same thing from script/console everything works (I create new member and, bam, two folders come into existence as well)… w t f… ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/8 "2010-09-09T04:58:33Z")
watch this and see if ti helps, > **[\#196 Nested Model Form Part 1 - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/196-nested-model-form-part-1)** > > Short Ruby on Rails screencasts containing tips, tricks and tutorials. Great for both novice and experienced web developers. ---
**Author:** ![Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@Swartz](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Swartz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/weird-stuff-validate-uniqueness-of-with-scope-does-not-work/194577/9 "2010-09-07T23:32:55Z")
check your attri\_accesible, and check if you rae using a gem that uses attr\_protected, it appears you have a problem with mass assignment and you cant see from one controller the attribute that member\_id from the folder controller i think you need to be able to , also note that with before save there is no member\_id in the database to compare the validation with thats why i said you should use a transaction and create everything from the member controller like this Member.transaction do @member.new(blah, blah) @member.save! params[:folder\_name].nil? ? name= “Default” : name = params[:folder\_name] @folder = Folder.find(:conditions =\>{:name = name, :member\_id=\> @member.id}) @folder ||= Folder.new(blah blah) @folder.member = @member @folder.save! end try that, the code inside the transaction will rollback if either to the save fail and everything will go back to the its original state.