Greetings all, I would like to start a conversation about the subtle difference between update_attribute and update_attributes, namely that update_attribute skips validations and update_attributes does not skip validations. I know this has been around for a while but is Rails 4 the time to make them both respect validations? I am willing to do the work if the core team feels like it would be a worthwhile breaking change. I don''t have a ton of context on the history but as I talk to more and more beginners (and advanced) Rails folks, that subtle difference does trip people up. Thanks, Mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/tdnUJ-TqutEJ. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
+1 for making update_attribute run validations. On Wed, Jun 13, 2012 at 10:37 AM, MikeGehard <mike.gehard@gmail.com> wrote:> Greetings all, > > I would like to start a conversation about the subtle difference between > update_attribute and update_attributes, namely that update_attribute skips > validations and update_attributes does not skip validations. > > I know this has been around for a while but is Rails 4 the time to make > them both respect validations? I am willing to do the work if the core team > feels like it would be a worthwhile breaking change. > > I don''t have a ton of context on the history but as I talk to more and > more beginners (and advanced) Rails folks, that subtle difference does trip > people up. > > Thanks, > Mike > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/tdnUJ-TqutEJ. > To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
There is some bit of history here. The purpose of update_attribute was to be able to touch an attribute fast, set a flag for example... something you know can go straight to the database. Indeed, update_attribute has *never* run validations. There was some discussion about this method for Rails 3 because if the goal was to bypass stuff to be fast it didn''t felt consistent to still go through the callbacks. And for some time update_attribute skipped also callbacks in edge: https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/01629d180468049d17a8be6900e27a4f0d2b18c4 though it still touched updated_at, so fast but not quite there. That method is so popular, however, that the change felt too risky because it was subtle, and that was reverted just before shipping: https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/30ea923040ded944209c98383389b6c9aafe806a In the end, in 3.1 it was decided to introduce instead a new method update_column. That is the fast one. Given the current status of things, I personally agree that running validations in update_attribute in Rails 4 would be a good idea. Let''s see what other core team members think though. Thoughts? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Peter Inglesby
2012-Jun-14 09:49 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
Perhaps off topic -- I''ve got an unreleased gem that patches save() and create() in ActiveRecord so that you can skip callbacks (and validations, although I know you can already do that). You''d do something like obj.save(:skip_callbacks => true, :skip_validations => true). Is there a reason this behaviour is absent from ActiveRecord? Would people welcome it if I submitted a pull request with this feature? On 14 June 2012 10:17, Xavier Noria <fxn@hashref.com> wrote:> There is some bit of history here. > > The purpose of update_attribute was to be able to touch an attribute fast, > set a flag for example... something you know can go straight to the > database. Indeed, update_attribute has *never* run validations. > > There was some discussion about this method for Rails 3 because if the > goal was to bypass stuff to be fast it didn''t felt consistent to still go > through the callbacks. And for some time update_attribute skipped also > callbacks in edge: > > > https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/01629d180468049d17a8be6900e27a4f0d2b18c4 > > though it still touched updated_at, so fast but not quite there. > > That method is so popular, however, that the change felt too risky because > it was subtle, and that was reverted just before shipping: > > > https://github.com/rails/rails/commit/30ea923040ded944209c98383389b6c9aafe806a > > In the end, in 3.1 it was decided to introduce instead a new method > update_column. That is the fast one. > > Given the current status of things, I personally agree that running > validations in update_attribute in Rails 4 would be a good idea. > > Let''s see what other core team members think though. Thoughts? > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. > To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Steve Klabnik
2012-Jun-14 11:39 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
I don''t think that the ''s'' is a big enough change to make it noticeable. I like update_column, maybe a bang method would make sense too. But I''d expect them to both run validations. Maybe deprecating one is a good idea. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Thanks for the history lesson Xavier. Knowing that history, I like Steve''s idea of deprecating update_attribute and advertising update_column as the fast way to update a single column and update_attributes as the way to run through the whole update "stack". On Thursday, June 14, 2012 5:39:38 AM UTC-6, Steve Klabnik wrote:> > I don''t think that the ''s'' is a big enough change to make it > noticeable. I like update_column, maybe a bang method would make sense > too. But I''d expect them to both run validations. > > Maybe deprecating one is a good idea. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/tMauoqGjOuEJ. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Simon de Boer
2012-Jun-14 13:15 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
FWIW: This subtle difference disturbed me so much that I just alias update_attribute to update_attribute*s*. I''m very pleased to learn about update_column for the strange edge case where you need it direct. +1 for deprecation and emphasizing update_column. On Thursday, 14 June 2012 08:31:22 UTC-4, MikeGehard wrote:> > Thanks for the history lesson Xavier. > > Knowing that history, I like Steve''s idea of deprecating update_attribute > and advertising update_column as the fast way to update a single column and > update_attributes as the way to run through the whole update "stack". > > On Thursday, June 14, 2012 5:39:38 AM UTC-6, Steve Klabnik wrote: >> >> I don''t think that the ''s'' is a big enough change to make it >> noticeable. I like update_column, maybe a bang method would make sense >> too. But I''d expect them to both run validations. >> >> Maybe deprecating one is a good idea. >> >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/tvA_NDIEJ5QJ. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Rodrigo Flores
2012-Jun-14 14:02 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
I personally find confusing the difference between `update_attributes` and `update_attribute`. Intuitively, it seems that it is only a matter of plural/singular (the first one changes more than one attribute through a Hash argument and the second one changes only one through a column and a value argument). Therefore, the implicitly validation skipping is something that I (and when I say I, I''m saying IMHO) dislike. I''m +1 for the change :). On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 10:15 AM, Simon de Boer <sdeboer@ingamer.com> wrote:> FWIW: This subtle difference disturbed me so much that I just alias > update_attribute to update_attribute*s*. > > I''m very pleased to learn about update_column for the strange edge case > where you need it direct. > > +1 for deprecation and emphasizing update_column. > > > On Thursday, 14 June 2012 08:31:22 UTC-4, MikeGehard wrote: >> >> Thanks for the history lesson Xavier. >> >> Knowing that history, I like Steve''s idea of deprecating update_attribute >> and advertising update_column as the fast way to update a single column and >> update_attributes as the way to run through the whole update "stack". >> >> On Thursday, June 14, 2012 5:39:38 AM UTC-6, Steve Klabnik wrote: >>> >>> I don''t think that the ''s'' is a big enough change to make it >>> noticeable. I like update_column, maybe a bang method would make sense >>> too. But I''d expect them to both run validations. >>> >>> Maybe deprecating one is a good idea. >>> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/tvA_NDIEJ5QJ. > > To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Cool, so after this thread and some discussion we have decided to deprecate update_attribute in 3-2-stable and remove it in Rails 4. Nowadays it has little sense, and the singular/plural distinction does not seem to deserve a dedicated method that does the same (if we added validations to update_attribute). Would anyone be so kind as to volunteer a pull request for this? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Steve Klabnik
2012-Jun-14 16:34 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
I''ll give it a go right now. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Brian Morearty
2012-Jun-14 16:36 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
Steve, It''d be cool if the patch included the addition of a :validate => false option in update_attributes. This would make for an easier upgrade path from update_attribute. Brian On Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:34:39 AM UTC-7, Steve Klabnik wrote:> > I''ll give it a go right now. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/aF56c1RCUdAJ. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 6:36 PM, Brian Morearty <bmorearty@gmail.com> wrote: Steve,> > It''d be cool if the patch included the addition of a :validate => false > option in update_attributes. > > This would make for an easier upgrade path from update_attribute. >I think that would be a different discussion with a different patch. Let this one be focused on the deprecation + removal. I think the use case "only skip validations" is rare, and historically people used update_attribute as the closest we have to update_column. I believe the deprecation message should point to update_column, with minor emphasis buy mentioning also update_attributes. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Rodrigo Flores
2012-Jun-14 16:43 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
Xavier I think I can give you a hand adding the deprecation. On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 1:40 PM, Xavier Noria <fxn@hashref.com> wrote:> On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 6:36 PM, Brian Morearty <bmorearty@gmail.com>wrote: > > Steve, >> >> It''d be cool if the patch included the addition of a :validate => false >> option in update_attributes. >> >> This would make for an easier upgrade path from update_attribute. >> > > I think that would be a different discussion with a different patch. Let > this one be focused on the deprecation + removal. > > I think the use case "only skip validations" is rare, and historically > people used update_attribute as the closest we have to update_column. I > believe the deprecation message should point to update_column, with minor > emphasis buy mentioning also update_attributes. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. > To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 6:43 PM, Rodrigo Flores <mail@rodrigoflores.org>wrote: Xavier> > I think I can give you a hand adding the deprecation. >Thanks Rodrigo, Steve already volunteered though :). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
On Jun 14, 2012, at 12:36 PM, Brian Morearty wrote:> Steve, > > It''d be cool if the patch included the addition of a :validate => false option in update_attributes. > > This would make for an easier upgrade path from update_attribute.Note that there''s one additional difference, due to attribute whitelisting. Thus: some_object.update_attribute(:foo, ''bar'') is NOT the same as: some_object.update_attributes(foo: ''bar'') if foo isn''t mass-assignable. Not sure if it''s terribly relevant, but worth mentioning. --Matt Jones -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Matt,
There is an option with update_attributes that allows the following to
bypass mass assignment protection:
some_object.update_attributes(foo: "bar", {without_protection: true})
James
On Thursday, June 14, 2012 10:20:56 AM UTC-7, Matt jones
wrote:>
>
> On Jun 14, 2012, at 12:36 PM, Brian Morearty wrote:
>
> > Steve,
> >
> > It''d be cool if the patch included the addition of a
:validate => false
> option in update_attributes.
> >
> > This would make for an easier upgrade path from update_attribute.
>
> Note that there''s one additional difference, due to attribute
> whitelisting. Thus:
>
> some_object.update_attribute(:foo, ''bar'')
>
> is NOT the same as:
>
> some_object.update_attributes(foo: ''bar'')
>
> if foo isn''t mass-assignable.
>
> Not sure if it''s terribly relevant, but worth mentioning.
>
> --Matt Jones
--
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Steve Klabnik
2012-Jun-14 22:03 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
This has now been merged, in both master and 3.2. Good job everyone! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Alexander Pavlenko
2012-Aug-09 13:43 UTC
Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
But I want to notice, that column != attribute in common case, for example:> User.first.update_column :password, ''123123''SQL (0.2ms) UPDATE "users" SET "password" = ''123123'' WHERE "users"."id" = 1 ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: SQLite3::SQLException: no such column: password: UPDATE "users" SET "password" = ''123123'' WHERE "users"."id"> User.first.update_attribute :password, ''123123''(0.4ms) UPDATE "users" SET "password_digest" = ''$2a$10$x3GxNtIEClpqJD1kwGKFneOWh6v9JJbdeb9KW36qN8R2oPdcr/hPG'', "updated_at" = ''2012-08-09 13:38:53.459408'' WHERE "users"."id" = 1 среда, 13 июня 2012 г., 19:37:52 UTC+4 пользователь MikeGehard написал:> Greetings all, > > I would like to start a conversation about the subtle difference between > update_attribute and update_attributes, namely that update_attribute skips > validations and update_attributes does not skip validations. > > I know this has been around for a while but is Rails 4 the time to make > them both respect validations? I am willing to do the work if the core team > feels like it would be a worthwhile breaking change. > > I don''t have a ton of context on the history but as I talk to more and > more beginners (and advanced) Rails folks, that subtle difference does trip > people up. > > Thanks, > Mike >-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/6KLIU1Jn2mMJ. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en.
Andrew Mutz
2013-Feb-22 17:32 UTC
Re: Re: ActiveRecord update_attribute vs update_attributes
Hello, I know this change made it into 4.0, with a deprecation in 3.2 and was later reverted (I believe) so as not to deprecate functionality in a patch release. I think the intent was for update_attribute to still be deprecated in 4.0. Is this right? If so, I''ve submitted a pull request to do this deprecation: https://github.com/rails/rails/pull/9383 Is it indeed intended to be deprecated? Thanks, Andrew. On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 6:43 AM, Alexander Pavlenko <alerticus@gmail.com>wrote:> But I want to notice, that column != attribute in common case, for example: > > > User.first.update_column :password, ''123123'' > SQL (0.2ms) UPDATE "users" SET "password" = ''123123'' WHERE "users"."id" > = 1 > ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: SQLite3::SQLException: no such column: > password: UPDATE "users" SET "password" = ''123123'' WHERE "users"."id" > > > User.first.update_attribute :password, ''123123'' > (0.4ms) UPDATE "users" SET "password_digest" > ''$2a$10$x3GxNtIEClpqJD1kwGKFneOWh6v9JJbdeb9KW36qN8R2oPdcr/hPG'', > "updated_at" = ''2012-08-09 13:38:53.459408'' WHERE "users"."id" = 1 > > среда, 13 июня 2012 г., 19:37:52 UTC+4 пользователь MikeGehard написал: > >> Greetings all, >> >> I would like to start a conversation about the subtle difference between >> update_attribute and update_attributes, namely that update_attribute skips >> validations and update_attributes does not skip validations. >> >> I know this has been around for a while but is Rails 4 the time to make >> them both respect validations? I am willing to do the work if the core team >> feels like it would be a worthwhile breaking change. >> >> I don''t have a ton of context on the history but as I talk to more and >> more beginners (and advanced) Rails folks, that subtle difference does trip >> people up. >> >> Thanks, >> Mike >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rubyonrails-core/-/6KLIU1Jn2mMJ. > > To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. >-- Andrew Mutz Director of Software Engineering AppFolio, Inc. andrew.mutz@appfolio.com <aimee.miller@appfolio.com> ------------------------------------------------------- Find Us Online -- www.AppFolio.com www.Facebook.com/AppFolio www.RentApp.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Core" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rubyonrails-core+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-core@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-core?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.