Rails - Mar 2006 - validation null objects and objects with data

I have a model where initially, they we don''t insert an gov_id value
because it isn''t known.

The field is given a value of "" because it is on the form.

I then added code to the ''create'' method to set that value to
nil if it
is blank which seems to be fine but then it fails this validation (if
NULL)

  validates_length_of     :gov_id, :maximum => 18, :message =>
"Maximum
18 characters and numbers combined"

seems like I can''t win here...because I can''t pass validation
uniqueness
if it is empty ("") and I can''t pass validation length if it
is NULL

Suggestions?

Craig

Craig White wrote:
> I have a model where initially, they we don''t insert an gov_id
value
> because it isn''t known.
> 
> The field is given a value of "" because it is on the form.
> 
> I then added code to the ''create'' method to set that
value to nil if it
> is blank which seems to be fine but then it fails this validation (if
> NULL)
> 
>   validates_length_of     :gov_id, :maximum => 18, :message =>
"Maximum
> 18 characters and numbers combined"
> 
> seems like I can''t win here...because I can''t pass
validation uniqueness
> if it is empty ("") and I can''t pass validation length
if it is NULL
Try validates_length_of :allow_nil ...

Ray

On Fri, 2006-03-10 at 12:25 -0800, Ray Baxter wrote:
> Craig White wrote:
> > I have a model where initially, they we don''t insert an
gov_id value
> > because it isn''t known.
> > 
> > The field is given a value of "" because it is on the form.
> > 
> > I then added code to the ''create'' method to set that
value to nil if it
> > is blank which seems to be fine but then it fails this validation (if
> > NULL)
> > 
> >   validates_length_of     :gov_id, :maximum => 18, :message =>
"Maximum
> > 18 characters and numbers combined"
> > 
> > seems like I can''t win here...because I can''t pass
validation uniqueness
> > if it is empty ("") and I can''t pass validation
length if it is NULL
> 
> Try validates_length_of :allow_nil ...
> 
----
that didn''t work but 
:allow_nil => true 
did work

That wasn''t offered in AWDWR book but is in the rails.api

thanks

Craig