Rails - Apr 2006 - validate_on_update with a save()

I''ve got a form with inputs like user[first_name], user[last_name],
etc.
When editing the user instead of creating a new one I include a 
user[id].  I then try and save the object using:

user = User.new(params[:user])
user.save()

I would *expect* that since I included the user[id] it should do an 
update and should call validate_on_update.  But this doesn''t appear to 
be the case.  When I call the save it runs the code in 
validate_on_create instead (which fails validation).

Why is this?

-- 
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Because you need to find the record.  You''re creating a new one in
memory and then trying to save it to the database.  To do both, try:

user = User.find_or_create_by_id(params[:user][:id])
user.save

Note, user.save can be checked for a return value to see if it was
successful.  Alternatively you can call user.save! which will raise an
exception if it fails.  In that case you need a begin / rescue block.

Michael

Michael Trier wrote:
> Because you need to find the record.  You''re creating a new one in
> memory and then trying to save it to the database.  To do both, try:
> 
> user = User.find_or_create_by_id(params[:user][:id])
> user.save
> 
> Note, user.save can be checked for a return value to see if it was
> successful.  Alternatively you can call user.save! which will raise an
> exception if it fails.  In that case you need a begin / rescue block.
Yeah I think that''s getting me on the right track.  Is there a way to 
mass-set the attributes using a hash?  I tried:

User.find_or_create_by_id(params[:user][:id].to_i, params[:user])

But it didn''t work as expected.  It just loaded the data from the DB 
as-is so the changes weren''t saved.

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The Barge wrote:
> Yeah I think that''s getting me on the right track.  Is there a way
to
> mass-set the attributes using a hash?  I tried:
> 
> User.find_or_create_by_id(params[:user][:id].to_i, params[:user])
> 
> But it didn''t work as expected.  It just loaded the data from the
DB
> as-is so the changes weren''t saved.
Well I''ll answer my own question.  I modified my code to do:
user = User.find_or_create_by_id(params["user"]["id"])
user.attributes = params["user"]

Then I do a test using user.new_record? to set some different things 
depending on if its new or updated.  After that I call user.save() and 
it works like a charm!

Thanks Michael

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Glad you found it.  Yeah, that''s probably the best approach.

Michael

Michael Trier wrote:
> Glad you found it.  Yeah, that''s probably the best approach.
> 
> Michael
Hmm I''m noticing some oddities since I changed my code.  Here are some 
of the columns in my user table when I first create the database.

+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| 1  | admin | 1        | Site       | Admin     |
| 2  | staff | 1        | Staff      | User      |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+

If I login as staff, create a user, logout then login as that user. 
Then lets say I log back out and back in as staff and create a second 
user, this is what the table looks like:

+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| 1  | elmer | 1        | Elmer      | Fudd      |
| 2  | staff | 1        | Staff      | User      |
| 3  | john  | 1        | John       | Doe       |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+

Seems to only happen if I log out of the staff account and back in as 
someone else.  It''s really weird, but it overwrote admin!

If I keep adding users it keeps incrementing, so after creating the 
third user (first john, then elmer, now jane) I get:

+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
| 1  | elmer | 1        | Elmer      | Fudd      |
| 2  | jane  | 1        | Jane       | Smith     |
| 3  | john  | 1        | John       | Doe       |
+----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+

Any ideas what would be causing this?

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

The Barge wrote:
> Michael Trier wrote:
>> Glad you found it.  Yeah, that''s probably the best approach.
>>
>> Michael
> 
> Hmm I''m noticing some oddities since I changed my code.  Here are
some
> of the columns in my user table when I first create the database.
> 
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | 1  | admin | 1        | Site       | Admin     |
> | 2  | staff | 1        | Staff      | User      |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> 
> If I login as staff, create a user, logout then login as that user. 
> Then lets say I log back out and back in as staff and create a second 
> user, this is what the table looks like:
> 
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | 1  | elmer | 1        | Elmer      | Fudd      |
> | 2  | staff | 1        | Staff      | User      |
> | 3  | john  | 1        | John       | Doe       |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> 
> Seems to only happen if I log out of the staff account and back in as 
> someone else.  It''s really weird, but it overwrote admin!
> 
> If I keep adding users it keeps incrementing, so after creating the 
> third user (first john, then elmer, now jane) I get:
> 
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | id | login | verified | first_name | last_name |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> | 1  | elmer | 1        | Elmer      | Fudd      |
> | 2  | jane  | 1        | Jane       | Smith     |
> | 3  | john  | 1        | John       | Doe       |
> +----+-------+----------+------------+-----------+
> 
> Any ideas what would be causing this?
That is because you are passing it user[:id] on your 
find_or_create_by_by call.

Don''t do that.

-- 

Ray

Ray Baxter wrote:
> That is because you are passing it user[:id] on your
> find_or_create_by_by call.
> 
> Don''t do that.
Well what am I supposed to pass it?

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The Barge wrote:
> Ray Baxter wrote:
>> That is because you are passing it user[:id] on your
>> find_or_create_by_by call.
>>
>> Don''t do that.
> 
> Well what am I supposed to pass it?

Depends on your use. From the discussion so far, it isn''t clear to me 
why you want to use user[:id] in your create. If you have a user[:id] 
then by definition you don''t need to create a user so find is 
sufficient. If you don''t have a user[:id] yet then you need to create
one.

The problem is that you are getting the current user''s id in your 
find_or_create_by_id. Either use logic to detect which is the case, or 
maybe do a User.find_or_create_by_login(user[:login]) in your controller.

If you just create a new user before calling your form then you can just 
reference that user and not reference the user id at all.

-- 

Ray

yeah, Ray''s right.  I got myself in a tizzy and led you down a bad
path.  I was working off of your original info.  Sorry about that.

Michael

Ray Baxter wrote:
> The Barge wrote:
>> Ray Baxter wrote:
>>> That is because you are passing it user[:id] on your
>>> find_or_create_by_by call.
>>>
>>> Don''t do that.
>> 
>> Well what am I supposed to pass it?
> 
> 
> Depends on your use. From the discussion so far, it isn''t clear to
me
> why you want to use user[:id] in your create. If you have a user[:id]
> then by definition you don''t need to create a user so find is
> sufficient. If you don''t have a user[:id] yet then you need to
create
> one.
> 
> The problem is that you are getting the current user''s id in your
> find_or_create_by_id. Either use logic to detect which is the case, or
> maybe do a User.find_or_create_by_login(user[:login]) in your 
> controller.
> 
> If you just create a new user before calling your form then you can just
> reference that user and not reference the user id at all.
I''ll look into this more indepth tomorrow.  Thanks for the info.  What
spawned my question was when I read the rails API about the save() call.

* No record exists: Creates a new record with values matching those of
the object attributes.
* A record does exist: Updates the record with values matching those of
the object attributes.

So my real question maybe should have been simpler.  How does the save
call know that a record does exist?

So it sounds like from reading what you''ve said that I should be
calling:
User.find_or_by_user(params[:user])

I could be getting it completely wrong though :)  Basically what I''m
looking for is a call similar to the Hibernate saveOrUpdate call.  I
want to pass the hash that comes from the edit form (which also acts as
a new user form) and let rails decide whether it should create a new row
or update an existing one.

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yes, you''re correct.  Maybe this bit of code will help. I''m
using
email, but it could just as well be username.  Anything that would be
unique.

def signup
    # send the email address to us
      if params[:email].empty?
        render :update do |page|
          page.replace_html(''feedback'',
                            ''Please enter a valid email
address.'')
          page.visual_effect :highlight, ''flash''
        end
      else
        begin
          user = MailingList.find_or_create_by_email(params[:email])
          user.save!
          EmailNotify.send_mailing_list(user)
        rescue
          render :update do |page|
            page.replace_html(''feedback'',
                            ''There was a problem signing you up for
the mailing list. Please try again.'')
            page.visual_effect :highlight, ''feedback''
          end
        end
      end
  end

Michael Trier wrote:
> yes, you''re correct.  Maybe this bit of code will help.
I''m using
> email, but it could just as well be username.  Anything that would be
> unique.
Excellent.  Thanks for the help!  I''ll get started on the changes
tomorrow.

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Michael Trier wrote:
> yes, you''re correct.  Maybe this bit of code will help.
I''m using
> email, but it could just as well be username.  Anything that would be
> unique.
Ok, using find_or_create_by_login (which should be fine since it''s 
unique) will return me the record, and new_record? will work correctly 
to tell me whether it was loaded from the DB or it''s new.

But what happens if there IS no unique column in the DB other than the 
ID?  I have another table that''s joined to the user table and it has no
unique columns.

I think I''ll just write my own method if Rails doesn''t have
anything to
do this.  I''m just looking for a Hibernate-ish saveOrUpdate.

-- 
Posted via http://www.ruby-forum.com/.

The Barge wrote:
> Michael Trier wrote:
>> yes, you''re correct.  Maybe this bit of code will help.
I''m using
>> email, but it could just as well be username.  Anything that would be
>> unique.
> 
> Ok, using find_or_create_by_login (which should be fine since it''s
> unique) will return me the record, and new_record? will work correctly 
> to tell me whether it was loaded from the DB or it''s new.
> 
> But what happens if there IS no unique column in the DB other than the 
> ID?  I have another table that''s joined to the user table and it
has no
> unique columns.
1) You don''t even have unique ids because the new user''s id is
nil. You
can have a large number of users in process with nil ids.

2) The problem that you were having before was because you were using 
the name of an object that was not unique. You had a user creating or 
editing a user.

If instead you had a user creating or editing active_user, or some other 
identifiers, then the user[:id] of the editing user would not be 
confused with the active_user[:id].

-- 

Ray