Module | ActiveRecord::Validations::ClassMethods
In: | lib/active_record/validations.rb

All of the following validations are defined in the class scope of the model that you‘re interested in validating. They offer a more declarative way of specifying when the model is valid and when it is not. It is recommended to use these over the low-level calls to validate and validate_on_create when possible.

### Methods

condition_block? create! evaluate_condition validate validate_on_create validate_on_update validates_acceptance_of validates_associated validates_confirmation_of validates_each validates_exclusion_of validates_format_of validates_inclusion_of validates_length_of validates_numericality_of validates_presence_of validates_size_of validates_uniqueness_of

### Constants

DEFAULT_VALIDATION_OPTIONS | = | { :on => :save, :allow_nil => false, :allow_blank => false, :message => nil
ALL_RANGE_OPTIONS | = | [ :is, :within, :in, :minimum, :maximum ].freeze
ALL_NUMERICALITY_CHECKS | = | { :greater_than => '>', :greater_than_or_equal_to => '>=', :equal_to => '==', :less_than => '<', :less_than_or_equal_to => '<=', :odd => 'odd?', :even => 'even?' }.freeze

### Public Instance methods

condition_block?(condition)
create!(attributes = nil)

Creates an object just like Base.create but calls save! instead of save so an exception is raised if the record is invalid.

evaluate_condition(condition, record)

Determine from the given condition (whether a block, procedure, method or string) whether or not to validate the record. See validates_each.

validate(*methods, &block)

Adds a validation method or block to the class. This is useful when overriding the validate instance method becomes too unwieldly and you‘re looking for more descriptive declaration of your validations.

This can be done with a symbol pointing to a method:

      class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
        validate :must_be_friends

        def must_be_friends
          errors.add_to_base("Must be friends to leave a comment") unless commenter.friend_of?(commentee)
        end
      end

Or with a block which is passed the current record to be validated:

      class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
        validate do |comment|
          comment.must_be_friends
        end

        def must_be_friends
          errors.add_to_base("Must be friends to leave a comment") unless commenter.friend_of?(commentee)
        end
      end

This usage applies to validate_on_create and validate_on_update as well.

validate_on_create(*methods, &block)
validate_on_update(*methods, &block)
validates_acceptance_of(*attr_names)

Encapsulates the pattern of wanting to validate the acceptance of a terms of service check box (or similar agreement). Example:

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_acceptance_of :terms_of_service
        validates_acceptance_of :eula, :message => "must be abided"
      end

If the database column does not exist, the terms_of_service attribute is entirely virtual. This check is performed only if terms_of_service is not nil and by default on save.

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "must be accepted")
- `on` - Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `allow_nil` - Skip validation if attribute is nil. (default is true)
- `accept` - Specifies value that is considered accepted. The default value is a string "1", which makes it easy to relate to an HTML checkbox. This should be set to ‘true’ if you are validating a database column, since the attribute is typecast from "1" to `true` before validation.
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_associated(*attr_names)

Validates whether the associated object or objects are all valid themselves. Works with any kind of association.

      class Book < ActiveRecord::Base
        has_many :pages
        belongs_to :library

        validates_associated :pages, :library
      end

Warning: If, after the above definition, you then wrote:

      class Page < ActiveRecord::Base
        belongs_to :book

        validates_associated :book
      end

…this would specify a circular dependency and cause infinite recursion.

NOTE: This validation will not fail if the association hasn‘t been assigned. If you want to ensure that the association is both present and guaranteed to be valid, you also need to use validates_presence_of.

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "is invalid")
- `on` Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_confirmation_of(*attr_names)

Encapsulates the pattern of wanting to validate a password or email address field with a confirmation. Example:

      Model:
        class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
          validates_confirmation_of :user_name, :password
          validates_confirmation_of :email_address, :message => "should match confirmation"
        end

      View:
        <%= password_field "person", "password" %>
        <%= password_field "person", "password_confirmation" %>

The added `password_confirmation` attribute is virtual; it exists only as an in-memory attribute for validating the password. To achieve this, the validation adds acccessors to the model for the confirmation attribute. NOTE: This check is performed only if `password_confirmation` is not nil, and by default only on save. To require confirmation, make sure to add a presence check for the confirmation attribute:

      validates_presence_of :password_confirmation, :if => :password_changed?

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "doesn‘t match confirmation")
- `on` - Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_each(*attrs) {|record, attr, value| ...}

Validates each attribute against a block.

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_each :first_name, :last_name do |record, attr, value|
          record.errors.add attr, 'starts with z.' if value[0] == ?z
        end
      end

Options:

- `on` - Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `allow_nil` - Skip validation if attribute is nil.
- `allow_blank` - Skip validation if attribute is blank.
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_exclusion_of(*attr_names)

Validates that the value of the specified attribute is not in a particular enumerable object.

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_exclusion_of :username, :in => %w( admin superuser ), :message => "You don't belong here"
        validates_exclusion_of :age, :in => 30..60, :message => "This site is only for under 30 and over 60"
        validates_exclusion_of :format, :in => %w( mov avi ), :message => "extension %s is not allowed"
      end

Configuration options:

- `in` - An enumerable object of items that the value shouldn‘t be part of
- `message` - Specifies a customer error message (default is: "is reserved")
- `allow_nil` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is null (default is: false)
- `allow_blank` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is blank (default is: false)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_format_of(*attr_names)

Validates whether the value of the specified attribute is of the correct form by matching it against the regular expression provided.

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_format_of :email, :with => /\A([^@\s]+)@((?:[-a-z0-9]+\.)+[a-z]{2,})\Z/i, :on => :create
      end

Note: use \A and \Z to match the start and end of the string, ^ and $ match the start/end of a line.

A regular expression must be provided or else an exception will be raised.

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "is invalid")
- `with` - The regular expression used to validate the format with (note: must be supplied!)
- `on` Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_inclusion_of(*attr_names)

Validates whether the value of the specified attribute is available in a particular enumerable object.

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_inclusion_of :gender, :in => %w( m f ), :message => "woah! what are you then!??!!"
        validates_inclusion_of :age, :in => 0..99
        validates_inclusion_of :format, :in => %w( jpg gif png ), :message => "extension %s is not included in the list"
      end

Configuration options:

- `in` - An enumerable object of available items
- `message` - Specifies a customer error message (default is: "is not included in the list")
- `allow_nil` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is null (default is: false)
- `allow_blank` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is blank (default is: false)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_length_of(*attrs)

Validates that the specified attribute matches the length restrictions supplied. Only one option can be used at a time:

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_length_of :first_name, :maximum=>30
        validates_length_of :last_name, :maximum=>30, :message=>"less than %d if you don't mind"
        validates_length_of :fax, :in => 7..32, :allow_nil => true
        validates_length_of :phone, :in => 7..32, :allow_blank => true
        validates_length_of :user_name, :within => 6..20, :too_long => "pick a shorter name", :too_short => "pick a longer name"
        validates_length_of :fav_bra_size, :minimum=>1, :too_short=>"please enter at least %d character"
        validates_length_of :smurf_leader, :is=>4, :message=>"papa is spelled with %d characters... don't play me."
      end

Configuration options:

- `minimum` - The minimum size of the attribute
- `maximum` - The maximum size of the attribute
- `is` - The exact size of the attribute
- `within` - A range specifying the minimum and maximum size of the attribute
- `in` - A synonym(or alias) for :within
- `allow_nil` - Attribute may be nil; skip validation.
- `allow_blank` - Attribute may be blank; skip validation.
- `too_long` - The error message if the attribute goes over the maximum (default is: "is too long (maximum is %d characters)")
- `too_short` - The error message if the attribute goes under the minimum (default is: "is too short (min is %d characters)")
- `wrong_length` - The error message if using the :is method and the attribute is the wrong size (default is: "is the wrong length (should be %d characters)")
- `message` - The error message to use for a :minimum, :maximum, or :is violation. An alias of the appropriate too_long/too_short/wrong_length message
- `on` - Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_numericality_of(*attr_names)

Validates whether the value of the specified attribute is numeric by trying to convert it to a float with Kernel.Float (if `integer` is false) or applying it to the regular expression `/\A[+\-]?\d+\Z/` (if `integer` is set to true).

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_numericality_of :value, :on => :create
      end

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "is not a number")
- `on` Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `only_integer` Specifies whether the value has to be an integer, e.g. an integral value (default is false)
- `allow_nil` Skip validation if attribute is nil (default is false). Notice that for fixnum and float columns empty strings are converted to nil
- `greater_than` Specifies the value must be greater than the supplied value
- `greater_than_or_equal_to` Specifies the value must be greater than or equal the supplied value
- `equal_to` Specifies the value must be equal to the supplied value
- `less_than` Specifies the value must be less than the supplied value
- `less_than_or_equal_to` Specifies the value must be less than or equal the supplied value
- `odd` Specifies the value must be an odd number
- `even` Specifies the value must be an even number
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

validates_presence_of(*attr_names)

Validates that the specified attributes are not blank (as defined by Object#blank?). Happens by default on save. Example:

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_presence_of :first_name
      end

The first_name attribute must be in the object and it cannot be blank.

If you want to validate the presence of a boolean field (where the real values are true and false), you will want to use validates_inclusion_of :field_name, :in => [true, false] This is due to the way Object#blank? handles boolean values. false.blank? # => true

Configuration options:

- `message` - A custom error message (default is: "can‘t be blank")
- `on` - Specifies when this validation is active (default is :save, other options :create, :update)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

### Warning

Validate the presence of the foreign key, not the instance variable itself. Do this:

     validates_presence_of :invoice_id

Not this:

     validates_presence_of :invoice

If you validate the presence of the associated object, you will get failures on saves when both the parent object and the child object are new.

validates_size_of(*attrs)

Alias for validates_length_of

validates_uniqueness_of(*attr_names)

Validates whether the value of the specified attributes are unique across the system. Useful for making sure that only one user can be named "davidhh".

      class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_uniqueness_of :user_name, :scope => :account_id
      end

It can also validate whether the value of the specified attributes are unique based on multiple scope parameters. For example, making sure that a teacher can only be on the schedule once per semester for a particular class.

      class TeacherSchedule < ActiveRecord::Base
        validates_uniqueness_of :teacher_id, :scope => [:semester_id, :class_id]
      end

When the record is created, a check is performed to make sure that no record exists in the database with the given value for the specified attribute (that maps to a column). When the record is updated, the same check is made but disregarding the record itself.

Because this check is performed outside the database there is still a chance that duplicate values will be inserted in two parallel transactions. To guarantee against this you should create a unique index on the field. See `create_index` for more information.

Configuration options:

- `message` - Specifies a custom error message (default is: "has already been taken")
- `scope` - One or more columns by which to limit the scope of the uniquness constraint.
- `case_sensitive` - Looks for an exact match. Ignored by non-text columns (true by default).
- `allow_nil` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is null (default is: false)
- `allow_blank` - If set to true, skips this validation if the attribute is blank (default is: false)
- `if` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should occur (e.g. :if => :allow_validation, or :if => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step > 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.
- `unless` - Specifies a method, proc or string to call to determine if the validation should not occur (e.g. :unless => :skip_validation, or :unless => Proc.new { |user| user.signup_step <= 2 }). The method, proc or string should return or evaluate to a true or false value.

[Validate]